WANGAREI. (FORM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3174, 19 September 1867, Page 3

WANGAREI. (FORM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

September 3. Sevjskal cases were disposed of to-day, at the Resident Magistrate's Court, by a full bench of magistrates. A Maori, the son. of a late native assessor, 'was summoned by one of our hotelkeepers for wilful damage to property, committed while defendant was in a state of madness through the effects of drink. Plaintiff stated the case. Defendant came primed with drink, and behaved himself as if he were addressing a company of boon companions, instead of a bench of magistrates. He admitted the offence, and signified his willingness to pay the utu. This is the first time a grog-seller has ventured to pull up a native for disorderly conduct, and it is more than likely it will be the last for some time to come. Hitherto, the Maoris have committed, every kind of disorder— breaking windows md glasses, and giving all sorts of abuse to the vendors of waipiro with impunity. The muchabused publicans have borne it all with the greatest equanimity. The reason why is sufficiently obvious. Some months ago, a native laid an information against a hotel-keeper for supplying him with drink contrary to law*. This was done through rerenge for some slight he had received. Does any one suppose the case was called ? Not a bit of it. "When the day oame, plaintiff discovered he had a more pressing engagement elsewhere. He had not been bound over to prosecute. It will not be surprising if the end of all this pandering to the natives' appetite for strong drink produces ere long some tragical result. It seems fast hastening towards it. September 9. The ' Midge ' arrived here on Thursday last at noon. Captain Davies, late of the ' Enterprise No. 2, ' piloted her to within a short distance of the wharf, and recommended Captain Stewart not to attempt to go further, as the tides were at their lowest. This advice wa3 not taken, and the consequence was that she gob aground, and was with some difficulty got off. Lower down the river she again got aground. She departed this afternoon for Auckland, with a number of passengers. It is said the owner is anxious to keep his vessel on this station, but he is doubtful if it will answer to come to our wharf unless at spring tides. The ' Midge' draws about eight feet of water ; she is the largest vessel that ever ventured so far up the river. It is believed that a hundred pounds judiciously spent in deepening some parts of the river would enable her to come up to the wharf without risk. She is a fine vessel, and would in that case most likely rait the purposes of both the owner and the settlers. , September 10. Last night after sunset, the weather got very squally, and blew quite a gale during the whole night and the greater part of to-day, accompanied by continuous rain. There has not been such a storm experienced in our sheltered village during the last eight years. The schooner ' Mavis' arrived at the wharf here last night, just in time to miss the gale. Death op jl Native Chief. — The other day, a | native chief, named Farers, died, after a long illness, of * very afflicting kind. He was the largest claimant for the little balance owing by the Provincial Government to the natives here. September 11. The gale continued through last night and to-day with very little intermission. The river is greatly swollen, and even as high up as the settlement it is ■o tossed and agitated that it has more the appearance of the ocean than a stream of a few- chains iride. '{

Th.c cutter «Wangarei' (Anderson), which left Auckland last night at & o'olock, arrived here this morning at 10. »he reports the s.s. ' Midge ' «till at Wangarei Heads, the captain judging it unsafe to encounter such a tempestuous sea. Thk Weather.— We have now had a whole week of easterly weather, with nearly continuous raw. At this time last year we had a short vi»it of lipuw weather, although with less wind. On that occasion a settler above the Wangarei Falls had his house flooded in the night-time, and on stepping out of bed was rather coolly teceived in two feet of water. The other night the same thing happened in a more aggravated degree, while he had some difficulty in oarryinghis family to dry land. It will surely be his own fault if he is surprised a third time in this way. It would be no great labour to put his house on higher ground. September 16. The schooner ' Mavis,' while attempting on Saturday evening to leave the river, on her way to Auckland,- against a strong head wind, got on the bank. She is now afloat, and will try again at high water. The master is anxious to get to town, an he has six head of cattle aboard. The ' Wangarei'' has gone to load coal, and will likely try to leave to-day. No appearance of change in the weather.