LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume I, Issue 2, 3 October 1857, Page 3

LOCAL INTELL I G ENCE.

Government Land Purchases. — Mr Cooper, whose efforts as Land Purchase Commissioner are highly appreciated by every class of settlers, returned last week from the Rua Taniwha, where he has been superintending the survey of a new block of land, now under offer by the Native owners to the Government. This purchase when effected, will complete the extinguishment of the Native Title to all the lands in the southern portion of the Rua Taniwha plains, up to the edge of thie great Seventymile Bush. The block in question is not a large one, probably little exceeding 11000 to 12000 acres in extent. It is situated between the edge of the bush and the Makeretu river. The land is on the average of fair quality — some portions being very good, whilst others are inferior. The chief advantage to be gained by this purchase is, that itisa step nearer the acquisition of the Seventy-mile bush, which, if the reports we hear are to be relied upon, will, at no remote period, be added to the Crown Lands of the Province. The Te Atjte Road. — At last something is being done by the Provincial Government towards that essential to the growth of a new country — road-making. By the "Wonga Wonga," Mr. Roy, the Provincial Engineer, arrived from Wellington, bringing up a party of 27, with houses, and the necessary implements for forming the Te Aute Road. The party were immediately sent to Te Aute ; and a similar number of laborers are expected to arrive immediately. Mr. Roy is in full expectation that the road will be cleared of bush, bridged, fyc, so as to be passable for -wool drays from the Rua Taniwha during the approaching summer. We hope it may be so. Our Wants. — At present we allude to two desiderata, apparently of a trifling character, but by no means unimportant in their consequences — the want of a baker, and the scarcity of firewood. The task of bread making is no slight addition to the routine of domestic duties, but it is rendered doubly arduous by a positive scarcity of fuel — a consequence, by the way, of the present native feuds. Were a baker to settle in the town of Napier, he would at once enter upon a profitable business.