THE OHINEMURI RUSH.

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1013, 18 April 1873, Page 3

THE OHINEMURI RUSH.

GRAHAMSTO VV> T. This clay. The arson, case is not concluded. The prisoner is remanded till Monday. Four witnesses are to be examined. The attempt to get up a rus:h to Ohinemuri seems to have failed. A correspondent of theAd^eriisei' writer : —"In common with others who wish well to Ohinemurij I have been much surprised and disgusted at what has been said and done about permits to mine, said to liave been issued by Hopihana. The matter has created no nmall sensation amongst the natives, and the consequence is that they are stricter and more irritated than ever, and Europeans instead of having more liberty have now less than they have had for some time back. As for Hopiharia taking pounds for permits I believe h^ has done so in several instances, but I would like to sea the maori who would not take a pound when it was offered to him. I could find a maori at any moment who would be willing not only to take money for permission to do anything, but who would accept any sum offered in payment of the fee simple of Ohinemuri. He would reason that if you liked to press the money upon him that was your look out. The other day two men came up from Hikutaia having heanl of this permit business; they had a pack-horse, with their swags, and to their surprise they were stopped at the Komata, below Ohinemuri, where no Euro-, pean has ever been stopped before. Their swags were taken from them,- and they came up to the settlement much surprised to find that instead of Ohinemuri being opened with the consent of the natives it was more carefully guarded than before. lam as impatient for the opening of the country as any one, but I am. quite sure that all this atte,mpt to get up a rush will only end in mischief, and in further delaying the opening? If any miners come up in response to the invitations of Mr J. Mitchell they will de disappointed. I have not seen Hopiana myself, out I am told that he denies having given any permission to prospect—that is, he denies it when charged by the other natives. The Advertiser adds : " It is rather a rash conclusion to come to, that because a single native at Ohinemuri has consented to take a pound for leave to prospect, he has any right to do so. We need say nothing of the fact that the miners at Ohinemuri would have no security as against one another in respect to claims. Would any one like to hold his claim at the risk of being turned off by force without the smallest hope of either ■ the natives or the Government doing anything to reinstate him if Ohinemuri were properly opened and the law then we would say that it was well worth a trial by those who like prospecting and who are content to try their luck. But so far as we have ever heard any evidence worth listening to Ohinemuri offers no very enticing prospects. During the last four years there has been a great deal of prospecting done in the Ohinemuri ranges. We venture to say that the country between Ohinemuri and Waihi has been, better prospected than that between Hikutaia and Whangamata and with veiy much the same result.