item of local news about a "Cock and Bull" story of one Cummerford murdering two constables and a soldier—and Fawknerism glimmers through the rest of the advertisements.
The "leader" is a most unique specimen of bombast and bumptiousness overlying a thin stratum of truth and prophecy, and as the oldest "Literary (?) Curiosity" in the colony, it is well worth reproducing in these pages.
Though generously promised to be "given away to householders" a charge of sixpence per copy was made, but in consequence of the manual labour involved in working it off, the circulation was limited to about a dozen copies, and the public, instead of indulging in a free read, as at present outside the newspaper offices, were obliged to go inside Fawkner's Hotel to ascertain the "latest intelligence," where they had the Advertiser as a counter-lunch, washed down by a shilling's worth of tipple.
A few numbers only of this "weekly" were issued, and I believe there is only one set of it in existence. Though not easy of access, I was fortunate enough to secure a perusal, and a cursory review of a periodical so rare and exceptional cannot be devoid of interest.
No. 1 (at least the copy before me) is wholly in Fawkner's handwriting, a legible scroll enough, but with a character that to a close inspection evidences a certain nervousness on the part of the quill-driver. It is a sheet of paper bisected with red lines, and consists of one leaf (two pages) and half a leaf, or one column, on the third page, the fourth being blank.
Some Assistant-Editor appears to have attempted a revision of several of the Fawknerian expressions, but only to render them mostly undecipherable.
No. 2 (8th January) shows some improvements in get-up, appearance, and penmanship. The foolscap is of better quality. The whole is in Fawkner's writing, and very legible, evincing no sign of the sub-editing disfigurement of the first number. There is an increase in advertisements, including a lengthy catalogue of commodities on sale at Batman's store. Some of those in No. 1 reappear, and of course had to be re-written, as there could be no "lifting of type." A Mr. Weatherly intimates that "he sells the best wheaten bread at the lowest possible price, and, to those who wish it, he allows one month's credit," an agreeable bit of intelligence, no doubt. A blacksmith and farrier (name not given) had his forge in full blast adjoining Fawkner's Hotel, south side of Collins Street, between Queen and Market Streets, and his advertisement tersely announces, "All work of the above branches performed quickly and neatly." The veterinary surgical fees are not stated, probably through professional delicacy; but some of the anvil prices are unmistakably specified, as "Horses shod, cash, 7s. 6d.; credit, 9s. 6d.; all other work in proportion." The Fawkner Library, previously noticed, appears to have assumed a circulating character, for the proprietor thus appeals to his constituents to roll up and wipe out the arrears scored against them:— "Those of the Subscribers who took Credit when they favoured the establishment [the library] with their Support, are most Respectfully informed that it is usual to Pay up all arrears at the beginning of a new year." Amongst the shipping items, the "Tamar" is reported as having, on the 7th January, arrived with sheep from Launceston, and by her came a Hobart Town paper. There is no "leader," to make up for which is a "Poet's Corner," embellished with an original effusion of two verses commencing
Oh! what a pure and sacred thing
Is beauty curtained from the sight.—"
and they are simply eight lines plagiarized verbatim from "The Fire-Worshippers," in Moore's Lalla Rookh!
The only local news consists of an unintelligible narrative of a murder committed by a convict named Cummerford, who is thus described:— "A light well-made youth about nineteen he has rather a prepossessing look and a very Mild Vice, small fine Neck and remarkably large Upper Head the lower part is very small and the chin recedes towards the Neck so as to make a very strange appearance when looked closely into." This "small fine Neck" was afterwards stretched by the hangman, for Cummerford was arrested by two bush-hands in the employment of Mr. Wedge—one of the earliest settlers—shipped off to Sydney, and tried and executed these.
No. 3 (15th January) is of same size and appearance as its predecessors, but written by an amanuensis. Some of the advertisements are repeated, others are new, and there is a "Poet's Corner,"
