KAUPOKONUI.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1574, 14 March 1887, Page 2

KAUPOKONUI.

1. -J *-. *■ * ' T(FROM-OTJR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ■•--"Since -my last "we have, experienced, for tbis time of the year,; extremely 'dry weather. Whilst „ Normanby and Hawera can boast of copious showers, we have been left out in the dry. If rain would come in sufficient abundance grass seed sowing would become general. This might be the means of raising the price of seed— indeed- there'is ample room for a little rise in Italian.

Not having been in the direction of Eaponga for some i f ,l,t,ook_a, long ride up the Mauaia road the other day, and I was agreeably surprised to note the substantial improvements made. Numbers of large clearings well burnt and growing splendid grass are to be seen in all directions, and many comfortable dwellings have been erected. The Manaia road is getting greatly improved, and I noticed that a large number of men were engaged clearing the road wider, preparatory" to forming I suppose. Of course your readers have all read of the Oornishman who sold his wife for a pint of beer. I- have a true Btory somewhat akin to the above. A gentleman from Manaia was on the'Eltbam r >ad the other day in company with a settler in the vicinity when an old Maori came along Tbe Maori noticed that the person from Manaia was wearing a good pair of trousers. These 'the Native coveted, and doubtless thinking that had he them that he would' cause all his relations to go down on their knees with envy, began the following conversation in tolerable good English.. "Ton make a sell the trousers?" "Tee." " How much ?" " Pound." "Oh ! too much" replied the Native, but, not. to be daunted he asked " You married ?" "No." "All right," said the Maori jubilantly, "yon give me the trousers and I sell you waihine." A bargain was not struck, the Fakeba not feeling disposed to exchange. Whether it is the one policeman policy or the recent rise in fungus that has worked ' :tbiß: tbiB demoralising effect on the Native minds I know not, but there is something wrong somewhere.

An enormous quantity of fungus is going out of this district, and the present rise in the price recompenses -the trouble in gathering. A question is often asked, How much does iungus briog a pound in China ? But this no one can answer cor* rectly. How would it do for to float a company in the district, say with a capital of £250 to £500, and send tbe fungus straight away to Cbina, there to be taken delivery of by the buyers? l The. "fungus could be bought cheap here, and the lion's share of the profit (at present pocketed by middlemen in Sydney) would be saved. The price paid by wholesale buyers! of fungus varies as much as Captain Edwin!s weather reports, and I believe that there is a lot of money lost by the. present method of disposing of the valuable; yet despised article — fungus.

I observe in your last week's Stab an. article on mind reading, where a' Boston editor equals the feat of Bishop/ ; 'A little while ago X saw a young bnshman performing a feat similar to one of those done by Mr. Montague, and. the, young fellow did not think he was performing anything extraordinary. Anything hidden he would find when blindfolded if a person kept their thoughts on the article and where it was hidden' and laid their hand on his.

The Rev A. McLean, of Hawera, has lately been visiting settlers in the backpart of this district. Many of' those living in the back part of the. district' display a lukewarmness in : church, matters, the distance from a place of, worship, and the bad roads deterring"' many from attending. I might state tbst Presbyterian services are held at Okaiawa on the first Sunday in every month.

The grass throughout the district.is looking splendid, notwithstanding, ..the spell of dry weather. Cocksfoot pad- t docks which were closed for seed, and cut are a treat to sec and would benefit the eyesight of plains farmers if they were to see some of them.