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Jan. 5. The schooner Fame, from the Cape of Good Hope, with wine and fruits.

Jan. 8.-The schooner Eagle, from Sydney, with Colonial produce.

Jan. 9.-The cutter Jolly Rambler, from Sydney, with a general cargo.

Jan. 10.-The schooner Currency Lass, from Sydney, with Colonial produce.

Jan. 13. The schooner Friendship, from Sydney, with a general cargo.

Jan. 13. The schooner Prince Regent, from Launceston.

Jan. 14. The ship Southworth, from England, with male prisoners.

Jan. 15.-The barque Atwick, from

MARRIAGES.

London, with merchandize and passen gers.

Jan. 17.-The brig Daphne, from the Mauritius.

Jan. 17.-The cutter Shamrock, from Flinder's Island.

Jan. 17.-The brig Tamar, from Port Arthur.

Jan. 21. His Majesty's ship Aligator, from Swan River.

Jan. 26. The brig Brilliant, from Swan River.

DEPARTURES.

Jan. 5.-The ship Aurora, for Madras, with troops.

Jan. 10. The brig Tamar, for Port Arthur.

Jan. 17.-The schooner Gem, for Swan River.

Jan. 17.-The schooner Fame, for Sydney.

Jan. 18.-The schooner Currency Lass, for Sydney.

Jan. 21.-The ship Princess Victoria, for Sydney.

Jan. 22.-The schooner Prince of Denmark, for Launceston.

Jan. 23. The schooner Friendship, for the Bay of Islands.

Jan. 23. The b. Daphne, for Sydney.

Marriages, Births, &c.

On Saturday, 4th inst. by special license, at New Town, by the Rev. P. Palmer, Rural Dean, William Thompson Macmichael, esq. of Hobart Town, to Dinah, eldest daughter of Clement Gatehouse, esq. of Pitt-water, and niece to George Gatehouse, esq. of New-town.

On the 9th inst. at the New Church, Brisbane and Campbell-streets, Trinity parish, by the Rural Dean, Mr. Thomas Ralph Dale, and Elizabeth Clark Mears of Hobart Town.

On the 21st inst. by special license, at the New Church, Brisbane and Campbell-streets, Trinity parish, by the Rev. P. Palmer, Rural Dean, Mr. D. M'Arthur, to Miss Jesse Macdougall, of Hobart Town.

BIRTHS.

On Friday, the 10th inst. the lady of Capt. J. Smith, of Barrack-street, Hobart Town, of a daughter.

On the 20th inst. the lady of Dr. J. Murdoch, of a son.

H. MELVILLE, PRINTER, HOBART TOWN.

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In a recent number of the Courier, there appeared a slight notice of a communication from a medical correspondent, recommending the institution of a Local Board of Examiners, for the purpose of examining the certificates and testimonials of such professional gentlemen, as, on their arrival in the Colony, intended to settle as practitioners in this Island. The proposition was a good one; and, constituted as the profession now is, calculated, we think, to work a great benefit; but, we very much doubt, of its being quickly carried into effect.

Every body seems to admit, that the state of the medical profession in this Colony is bad and imperfect; but few seem to know why or wherefore it is our duty, therefore, to endeavour to explain this phenomenon; and, having done so, to propose the best and readiest means of reformation. And, really, this is a subject of considerable importance, as regards the welfare and comfort of the community. It has been often said, and, indeed, is said, that a man is a fool for employing a surgeon, in whom he has no faith. Very well! But, suppose the patient has no choice?-Suppose he is so circumstanced, as to have no choice at all? What is then, to be done? Why, to make the best of a bad business, and take his chance. Take his chance, forsooth!-What will the English reader think of this? We do not know; but this we do know, that in nine cases out of ten, such is the lot of the secluded Settler in Van Diemen's Land.

Before we propose our remedy for an evil of so great a magnitude, we shall briefly sketch the actual and existing state of the profession in this Colony.

Our medical professors, then, are divided into two principal classes-those connected with the Government, and those who are

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not.-The Government surgeons are, principally, young men,* who are under the surveillance of the Colonial surgeon, and are entirely under the control of the Government; they are liable to be sent to any specified district, or even to a penal settlement, and, as a general rule, it is customary to give every noviciate a drilling at such a settlement, before he becomes qualified for a more comfortable appointment. The only penal settlement now in use, is Port Arthur, and the surgeon-superintendent there is, we believe, invariably a Magistrate, and imbued with the same authority as a surgeon-superintendent of a prison-ship. At all events, he is responsible for the degree of punishment inflicted upon the prisoners; and the impolicy, therefore, of appointing young men to such a situation is at once obvious, and needs no comment. We are not aware that any official or formal qualification is actually necessary for any of these appointments; but the Colonial surgeon-for the time being is answerable for the conduct and capabilities of his assistants. For his own sake, therefore, he will be cautious, as to whom he appoints to the several districts; and as far as the present system works, we see no great reason to find fault with it, except that there is rather too much of favoritism exhibited,† as well as too great a paucity of district-assistant surgeons. This latter fault, however, if fault it be, is about to be remedied, so soon as the Lieutenant Governor shall receive a sanction for the same from the Home Government. And, really, the sooner this sanction arrives the better. It is a grievous thing for the Settler, who contributes his share of the requisite payments-namely, ten shillings a-year for every assigned servant he has, ill or well-to be obliged to send fifteen or twenty miles for the district surgeon, even in the most urgent and perilous cases. We know of a case, not long ago, which occurred in the vicinity of Oatlands, where an assigned servant was nearly killed by the fall of a log of wood upon his body; and his master-an extensive and most respectable farmer-had to send nearly twenty miles for a surgeon. Fortunately the surgeon was at home, and returned with his messenger, but not till nearly seven hours had elapsed: the man's life, by a miracle, was saved.

There are, however, many districts, and extensive districts, too, where there are no surgeons at all. Perth, for instance, and the Green Ponds, with several others equally populous; and we think it actually incumbent upon the government to supply the deficiency, and that as soon as possible. It is the duty, we conceive, of every government to effect such arrangements as shall conduce, even in

There are, of course, exceptions to this; and many of the district surgeons are any thing but young men : still the majority were appointed, when mere lads, and have grown older in the service.

We do not wish to be invidious, but we could, if we pleased, point out more than one of the government surgeons who now enjoy lucrative posts, without ever having experienced the labour of, and banishment at a penal settlement: but, doubt less they merit the indulgence.

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