Nov. i, 1S85.J The Australasian Scientific Magazine. 
T 57 
The Editor’s Chair. 
An interesting lecture was delivered by Mr. H. B. de la Poer Wall, 
M.A., P.R.G.S., head master of Hamilton College, at the Town Hall, 
Hamilton, during the present month. The Birth of the World was the 
subject of Mr. Wall’s discourse, which was received with much appre- 
ciation by a large audience. 
Irrigation for Pastoral Purposes. — Mr. Garden’s successes at 
Cohuna, followed up by those of Mr. Duncan Leitch at Gunbower, are 
producing their natural fruit by encouraging land owners in the neighbour- 
hood of the River Murray to invest largely in irrigation plants. From 
the Riverine Herald we learn that a public trial of the irrigating plant of 
Mr. F, Wentworth, of Uardry and Burrabogie stations, was made on 
October 2. The barge in which the pumping machinery is placed, was 
moored in the dock, and the wharf was lined with spectators, who evinced 
the greatest interest in the proceedings. The machinery commenced 
working as soon as the steam was allowed to enter the cylinders, and 
directly afterwards a fine body of water was thrown from the delivery pipe. 
The pressure of steam ranged from 90 to 95 lbs., and when the engines 
were working at full speed the delivery was computed at 12,500 gallons 
per minute, equal to about 50 tons, to a height of 10 feet. The water 
came out in a solid body, which would flood an acre of land to a depth of 
1 in. in about two minutes. The delivery of course lessens as the height 
increases, but the pump is guaranteed to throw 5000 gallons to a height 
of 30 feet. The engines worked very smoothly, and Mr. D. Chrystal, of 
Torrumbarry station, who represented Mr. Wentworth, expressed his entire 
approval with the manner in which Mr. Whitehead and his foreman (Mr. 
Earnshaw) had carried out the work of erecting the plant, and with the 
success of the test. 
Payable Coal in Victoria. — Indications have recently very rapidly 
multiplied, all tending to prove that there is abundance of payable coal in 
the neighbourhood of the Cape Otway ranges, and that in a very little 
time Victoria will be independent of Newcastle supplies. We observe 
that Mr. Begnell, of Belfast, who with Mr. J. P. Palmer and others, was a 
prospector and promoter for and of the company recently started in 
Warrnambool, has, according to reports, made a new discovery. The 
paragraph which we refer to, and which has been going the rounds of the 
papers, reads as follows “ What is at present believed to be one of the 
most important discoveries of coal yet made in the colony has just 
rewarded the searches of Mr. Begnell, a well-known prospecter in Cape 
Otway Forest. Mr. Begnell reports that he has found seven seams of coal 
in the vicinity of Apollo Bay, varying in width up to 18 inches. The 
principal seam is within one mile from the jetty, which is now being 
