AOTEA: NATIVE MATTERS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4610, 3 June 1872, Page 2

AOTEA: NATIVE MATTERS.

Maori makers here are, I fancy improving. The Kingitea are showing themselves amongst us more than they used to do. One Haurua, alias Pikea, ' a Ngabihikairo chief, who has held himself strictly aloof from the pakehas ever since the Taranaki war, paid this dis. tricb a visit on the 24th, and actually joined the school-children and their parents in a game at rounders, as long as his wind lasted. I had not seen the man for years, and hia sociability perfectly astonished me. Hone Wetere, alias Hukilmki, too, who has been occupying Mrs. Charleton's house in Kawhia since that lady's expulsion, sent for a Euro» pean carpenter lately, in order to have ihe house in question repaired. A survey of the building, however, showed that the repairs necessary would cost too large an amount for Wesley's pocket, so the affair stands over. The Kawhia natives will be very short of food this year. They have a good deal of wheat amongst them, but they are refusing to sell it, as they have little else to live on, their potatoes being almost all expended. I should think many of them would be glad of employment. — I have been shoirn a very superior sample of freestone from the southwestern spurs of Karioi mountain. The stone is very hard, coarse, and full of cryatils. The sample has been, or is to be, sent to Auckland. — A meeting of the School Board resulted in an application to the Central Board for assistance to the amount of £80 to build a school-house and school-master's residence. — Trees have been marked here in order to ascertain at what rate the fungus grows, and it appears that the growth of a month (after the tree has been cleared) is hardly perceptible, but it springs much, faster, in proportion, where the sun is entirely excluded. — The friendly natives here and in .Raglan are getting assistance from the Government, in the shape of potatoes. Some say money also, but I cannot vouch for this latter.— WaataTaki, whom you may remember, has lately honoured the district with a visit, in a friendly way I hope. — [Correspondent.]