AUCKLAND.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 796, 18 May 1865, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

PBOSPECTTJTG FOE GOLD.

- The Thames correspondent of the Southern Ow*, ma letter written on the Ist inst., ■ays:— I have to report that the Civil Commiseioner, Mr. Mackie, arrived here on the 21st . of last month with a party of miners, for the ' r prpose of prospecting the country for gold, - w* laipari, the chief of Hauraki, having his sanction and protection to the undertaking. From the Waionio upwards, . Hie creeks and low-lying land have on several occasions exhibited the existence of quartz charged with gold; and to ascertain that £ each was the case, Mr. Mackay was induced 'to give permission to the party now here to prospect the ground—the last Native Land Act providing a clause to the effect in case a search for gold were allowed by the Natives •{jf the Thames. Since the arrival of the ~ prospecting party, the Hape Creek and its • tributaries have been worked so far as it was ; pecticable, and the result up to the 'i present time has been such as to justify V forking the ground for a quartz ". jfcef, several detached portions of stone ? taring been found charged with gold, the ■ tpifchofwhiculcan testify to, having seen specimens myself. The high lands 1- Hβ intersected with quartz, and I look for > a*3efined lode being shortly struck. The £ .Natives are waiting with anxiety the result, s< a* they are quite alive to the value that the of payable gold will put on their ;S3»ad. As yet the prospecting party have ijfißßjly assured themselves of the existence of would therefore be premature to ppy that it would be found in the alluvial, iffbafc if it does exist the mode of operation interned will prove shortly whether it be a Haetornot. The assistance given by the gJjfajtWM Iβ- deserving of the best acknow- |* Provisions are abundantly sup-KBttßaTittid»well-builtwhare placed at the |!|Kirffk»..of the men. The feeling exists not Isody here, but further up the river, where ipS-i- asserted that gold has been found jlfitt:' several creeks; and should the Kautbopaga district not prove a payable plenty of room will be allowed for searcn. It remains now with the ifCieltyto develop the auriferous, character of i~ Sβ country. Mr. Mackay is at present at ISjtkotaia, and will no doubt settle any v difiference that may have existed in that tvJPHter between Mr. M'Caskill and the fclfefee, tfce chiefs, fiom Cape Colville to fee unsettled districts on the Upper Thames, : Spring implicit confidence that any dispute, arising from trespass or in the v tawction of business, will be so arranged P W tbe • Commissioner as will give satisfaci ton. I may mention that it would be to *A© advantage of those negotiating for the ; ! >»werchase of land not to deal with any chief •"V jSo may ear that he is the proprietor, but Jftinmsact vie transfer through the Crown IQpcer»*s it often turns out that there are v-.teroal of his family or tribe who will r-jitLdsm to a share of the purchaseXfWOBBj. ?y doing so, any after dispute infi reet wsh the Government, anil save the ' endless discussion on the 5 sitter. Several of the chiefs, Natives of are now on a visit to Menaia, |i liiere questions touching Pai Mariiism will 7 : *=lie fftffnwiicd; and. considering the influence |v to bear on the minds of the Native by Tarsia and others, the dis- *" enmon wDI be very important. William i Thompson has been to Ohinemuri, distant p aWatdgnteen miles from Kauranga, where : ke hae been looking after his potatoe crops, |v - end haa again returned to Matatama.

I" - JHE OPOTIKI MUBDEfi.

!;- Tbe SomiJtern Cross gives the following f/ieporfc of the examination of Mr. Grace f Wore the Court appointed to enquire into p murder of Mr. Volkner, at Opotiki ; — -: At the Police Court, yesterday morning, /; Ika Bey. Mr. Gxaoe appeared befor Mr. |i>seckham to give his depositions regarding fslfte murder of the Eev. C. S. Volkner, at |f;Opc#]ri,onthe 2nd of March. The court %& : Jfas crowded. f& : - 'ffcanae Samuel Grace, sworn, said: I was V apnnoouma on board the schooner Eclipse, i: ontfeefirat of March, and arrived at Opotiki §Tya that day. We anchored near Mr. Morris ?}-/. J**?* store, about ten o'clock in the morn- : S' i°& Befixre the anchor was down a number r~f . cfMaorie came on board, and it was evident p" »mb weveprisoners; they took possession of the | |... teneL AleadingKativefromTaranaki,named ?" Hapeta, came on board about an hour afterI'.W waras, and having examined the vessel, he f; eaQed out to other Natives on the shore .what the cargo of the vessel consisted of. , About half-past two o'clock we were all I *%h» eicepted) oidered on chore I* '-.-■."

and marched to a place near the Roman Catholic Chapel. Wβ were kept there until about five o'clock. At that time Eapata came out to us. and I asked him if we were to be kept there all night. We were then taken to a house about 200 yards away, and remained there all night. We were given to understand that we were to remain there, but there was no guard placed over us. On the following morning we were told that Patara was expected to arrive. We remained in the house until about two o'clock on the following day, waiting, as we supposed, to be called to a meeting. At this time a number of armed men came, of whom a native named Heremita appeared to be the leader. After having gone through some manoeuvres in front of the house Heremita called out the name of Mr. Yolkner. Mr. Volkner went outside, and I followed him. They prevented my accompanying and took him away. That was the last I saw of him alive, and that is all I know of the matter. I never saw the body of Mr. Volkner uncovered afterwards. I did not see his head. I saw his body on the Tuesday, but it was covered. It was evident from the length of the body that it was without the head. Eapata was present, and took part in moving Mr. Yolkner away. There was also a half-caste, but I do not know his name. I could identify him at any time. There were others that I heard of, but I can only state this from heresay. I know the place where Mr. Volkner was hung. It was pointed out to mc, but I did not see him hanging there. Mr. Grace then signed the deposition, and withdrew.

A Eelic of the Obpheits.— Another memento of the disastrous wreck of H.M.s. Orpheus, in the Manukau, on the 9th of April, 1863, has just turned up, either as a flotsam or a jetsam, in the shape of Commodore Burnett's canteen—a small box, a foot or ten inches square, containing four compartments for spirit decanters. The interesting souvenir is now in the possession of Mr. "De Thierry, having been given to him by the chief Paul of Orakei, who obtained it from a hapu of the Ngatiwhatuas, resident on the Kaipara coast-line. The greater portion of the veneering of the box has been washed or broken off, and the brass plate which had been imbedded in the lid, and bore the lamented owner's name, has been converted to ornamental purposes by one of the Ngatiwhatua toas, who succeeded in boring a hole through the corner, and now has it suspended from his ear. The box is to be polished by a cabinet-maker. — Ibid.