LETTER FOR HOME.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 181, 11 August 1888, Page 2

LETTER FOR HOME.

My dear William,—l trust you received my last letter allright. The wreck of a small coasting steamer upset all the arrangements which a paternal Government take to facilitate the going and coming of our ’Frisco mails. These arrangements are of the most crude character and scarcely merit the’ dignity of a name. But in spite of great drawbacks I still pin my faith on the ’Frisco service although it is not a favorite with some of our southern leg slators. They profess to think that the direct steamers are sufficient for all practical purposes, but I think it will be some time before tho pe iple will give up the advantage of the old line for the comparatively slow direct liner.

A MAORI FEUD. We have had a real live war. The ultimatum delivered and everything done in first class European style. Some natives at Poriti, near Whangarei, had quarrelled over a block of land. The Maoris have a proverb that women and land are the two great causes of conflicts, and something that one party did that the other party thought they should not do made the particular proverb applicable in this case. War was declared and the two parties went into the matter in earnest. The fight was soon stopped, but three Natives were killed and four wounded. One of the latter has since died. Nor more than a hundred Natives were engaged, but it was at first feared the thing might spread. Everything has now quietened down—no arrests have been made and it is thought that the Government will take no steps. A BRUTAL MUBDER. Not far from Gisborne, and ashort time before the last mentioned occurrence, another Native made himself conspicuous by murdering his wife. It appears that the™ had quarrelled, and had been ordered by the Native Committee (a tribunal which on its own responsibility deals with offences by nativqp and punishes by fines) to reside at some other place. In the morning he and his wife started, taking with them a child eight months old. Subsequently the child was found alive with its head beneath a forked branch as if it had been tenderly put there, and later on the body of the woman was discovered with the head shattered with gun shot. No trace of the murderer oould be found until several days afterwards he was discovered lying dead on his mother’s grave, his prayer book beside him, and the trigger of the gun tied to his toe, telling only too plainly how he came by his death. EVIDENCE OF CIVILISATION. It is not so very long ago since a murderer like this one would have escaped from justice. The times are changed, however, and the Maoris no longer think of shielding a murderer, and are the first to communicate information of such offences to the police. In this particular case the Maoris were as anxious as anyone else to apprehend the Offender, and willingly took part in the search party that was sent out. A short time ago, when four natives ia Poverty Ray district killed an old man who they deemed a wizvrd, It was substantially upon Maori evidence that they were convicted. The Maori is by no means a reliable witness, but he is certainly not an unwilling one. THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION, To turn to more palatable matter, it woulp be hard to find a more splendid monument of the rapid strides which the British colonies have made than the Me 1 bourne Exhibition, which was opened on the first of this month. The opening is said to have been a gigantic affair—such a pageant was never seen south of the line before. There is no doubt colonials do sometimes draw the longbow, but I do not think they are baokw»rd in putting their hands into their pockets in order to make a show which they dearly love. From all parts of the world people are crowding into the Victorian capital. Amongst these are representatives of the English Daily and Illustrated Press, so that the details of the exhibition are likely to be fully reported in your papers. GISBORNE BREAKWATER, It is sad to turn from the lavishnssa of our neighbors to consider our own difficulties and the evil effects of oqr borrowing system. It is peculiarly difficult in these hard times to have a perpetual trouble in the shape of our breakwater which at its commencement seemed likely to be successful but now seems more than even mixed and muddled. So much attention has been drawn to the matter that it was lately made the subject of a parliamentary investigation with the result that the committee have reported that the con struotion of the breakwater should be con tinned only after a poll of ratepayers within a ten mile radius has been taken in order to ascertain whether they will bear a greater rate if necessary. DISCOVERY OF GOLD. In all this trouble a report whioh has somewhat brightened the outlook is that gold has been discovered near Gisborne. A report from the Government Analyst proves that the specimens forwarded showed signs of gild and silver. The whole matter is however, shrouded in mystery and we can only hope that it is true. If it is I shall give up writing to you and with my swag on my back shall depart for the diggings at the earliest opportunity.—Your affectionate cousin, Bou.