GENERAL SUMMARY.

Marlborough Press, Volume IX, Issue 625, 6 January 1869, Page 4

GENERAL SUMMARY.

Appointment. —Mr Alexander Buchanan has been appointed sub-warder of the Picton Gaol, vice Power, resigned. The Ohau Murder.— The native Whaka Mau, the supposed murderer of Korncroft, has been committed for trial. Kaikoura.— We have the most authentic information that Kaikoura has been made a port of entry, and that W. 11. Pilliett, Esq, has been appointed Collector of Customs.—Herald. Te Waku Kn.r.ED. —It is reportedj'at Napier , that this bloodthirsty Hauhau chief has been killed, and a native has offered to point out the place when he was buried in his mat. Independent. The Duke op Edinburgh.—We are informed that His Excellency the Governor has received a letter from Prince Alfred, saying he will be here in the Galatea, about Dec. 6th, 1869.—Independent. Timaru,— The electors of Timaru ghas again refused to return a member to the Provincial Council, declaring the representation to be valueless. The nomination, which took place on the 24th November, closed without a candidate being proposed. Appointments. —ln a Gazette of the 14th instant, we notice that [the following {gentlemen have been appointed Justices of the Peace for New Zealand :—Clinton Heywood Sabine Pasley, Esq., of Kaikoura; and William Whitehorn. Esq., of Havelock. The Trolove Memorial. —The late "Mrs Trolove’s Memorial Choir Prizes, consisting of a lot of nicely bound books, were distributed to the members of the choir of Holy Trinity Church, Picton, on Christmas Day, by the Rev. T. L. Tudor. The Pheviot District. —We learn that at • election Mr A. Ingles, of Kaikoura, will contest the seat for the Cheviot District with Sir Davhl Monro. We would advise our friends in the sdcrch to consider well before they oust a gentleman of such weight and influence as Sir David. \ Eatal Boat Accidents. —Two fatal boat accidents occurred at Danedin on the ,80th November. The following persons were\drowned: — Mr J.'W. Kempthorne, paying teller in the Bank of New South Wales ; Mr Taylor, an' assistant to Mr Brown, draper; and Mr Pittwell, assistant to Mr Boot, dentist. Major Biggs. —Major Biggs, who was ttHJr~. dered in the late attack at Poverty Bay, was well-known in Christchurch. He was a magistrate at Poverty Bay as well as a major of Militia, and was well known as a brave and able officer. His wife, who fell beside him., was a niece of Dr Dudley of Kaiapoi, and was universally respected. Major Hunter. —An interesting incident relating to the death of the late Major Hunter, is related by the Wanganui Herald : —The Major it appears, had some presentiment that he would not come out of the fight. He gave his watch and purse to the doctor, and said he was going to avenge his brother’s death. The last words he spoke were : “ Are we beating them ?” Memorial to His Excellency. —We understand that the Memorial to His Excellency, signed by some 240 inhabitants of Wellington, in favor of troops being sent for from Australia, was presented by His Honor the Superintendent on the 10th inst ; but the Ministry declining to support the prayer of the memorial, or to take any responsibility one way or the other in the matter, the Governor did not feel himself justified in complying .with the prayer thereof.—lndependent. An old Veteran. —ln our obituary will be • noticed the death of an old man named Kelly, at the advance age of 83 years. We are informed that the deceased was engaged in several of Nelson’s naval engagements, including Trafalgar ; that he was afterwards lion and tiger hunting in India ; and until within the last few years he had been whaling and sealing on the Coasts of Australia and New Zealand. After all his hardships he was able, within a few days of his death, to do a little gardening, &c. New Zealand Timber. —The Grey River Argus remarks that the red pine of New Zealand seems to be finding great favor in Melbourne, where it is being manufactured into articles of furniture. This wood, when properly seasoned, is capable of taking a very fine polish ; and the beauty of its marking causes furniture made • from it to be of considerable value. Several shipments of red pine logs have already been made v> Victoria, and the other day several large logs were Wught down by the Kanieri tramway for transmission to Melbourne. The Waiiio GoLDr^LD.— Further accounts from Timaru of the reported,.discovery of gold on the Waiho river state that thedistrict is being thoroughly tested, sixteen men hiring at work. Hitherto, however, though gold K,s been found and good prospects have been obtained, the diggers have barely succeeded in making wages. The men, notwithstanding, are hopeful, and feel confident that gold will be discovered in payable quantities. They describe the district as bearing a remarkable resemblance to Tuapeli a. Bishop Selwyn.— ln replying to the valedictory addresses presented to him by the clergy and laity of Victoria, Bishop Selwyn stated that there were now in that colony 114, and in New Zealand 105 clergymen of the Church of England, showing a twenty-fold increase since his first arrival at Sydney in 1842. His Lordship also X/mted, as giving some idea of the onerous duties whilt> he was about to undertake in his new spher\ of action, that the diocese of Lichfield contained 600 parishes, of an aggregate population of 1,200,000, and under the pastoral care of bio clergymen. Christmas.— Christmas eve was enlivened by the 4,rains of the Brass Band, which visited most parts of 'the town, playing lively airs, and instilling merriment into the hearts of our townfolks. On Day the Volunteers inarched to Holy TN'nity Church, headed by the Band, and they presented a very neat appearance. The Church, as u:ual, was tastefully messed with evergreens and/flowers of various kinds, and the usual anthem of the day was nicely rendered by the Choir. 'Boxing Day was pretty fairly kept up with various rural sports and pic-nie parties. Children’s Fete. —Wednesday last was a gala day for the childen.of Picton, E. T. Conolly, Fsq., and Mrs Conolly having invited all who enu'd “ tmldlc ”to an afternoon'i ijinusement at their residence. Tea and sundry good things |kpre provided for them, and all kiiidW>f games the children and yßßmuAered over

Wanganui Petition. —Six hundred and five “ wives, mothers and daughters of Wanganui settlers ” have sent to the Governor a petition to be forwarded to the Queen, which concludes : —“ To avert the extinction of ourselves and those dearest to us under circumstances equal, if not exceeding the barbarities perpeterated in the Poverty Bay district, your nicmoralists humbly supplicate your Majesty to direct that the ffeorts of the loyal and well effected of this district and island be speedily supplemented'by Imperial Troops.” We •■'■wonder how many children’s and babies names were included in the above. Importation of Natives.—A batch of Natives, to the number of 151, men, women and children, arrived on the 30th Nov. at Taranaki, in the harqne a Collingwood, from the Chatham Islands, to be followed by 40 or 50 more, who remain to settle up and dispose of their stock, which is considerable, and mostly sold to Dunedin settlers ; the produce of which with the arrangements for leasing their lauds there which have been effected for them through the Government, make them, if not a rich, at all events a very prosperous family.' These last will bring with them the agricultural implements of the whole. They are stated to be most peaceably and industriously disposed, Fire. —A fire which might have ended seriously, occurred at a. house lately occupied by Mr D. Campbell, in High-street, between three and four o’clock on Monday afternoon last. The house has been vacant some months, and Mr Campbell’s children were in the habit of playing in it, and it supposed they were playing with matches, and the lining caught fire. Being an old building the flames soon reached the roof, but it was early observed, and with the assistance of the neighbors and others, the fire was got under in a very short time, although there was a strong breeze blowing from the N.W. at the time. A good part of the roof was destroyed. Accident. —An accident of a rather serious nature occurred on Monday last, in Wairausreet, near the Waitohi Bridge, to Mrs Earll and Mrs R. D. Nosworthy. of Blenheim, who were leaving Picton in a four-wheel conveyance, about six o’clock in the evening. We learn that on reaching the south side of the bridge, the horse by some means got too close to the spur of the embankment near Mr Mowat’s store, whcse two roads meet, the conveyance was upset, and the two ladies and a child thrown violently to the ground. Mrs Earll, who was driving, received some severe cuts on the face, and was otherwise bruised and shaken, and Mrs Nosworthy and the child escaped with a good shaking. They were akeri to Mr Mowat’s and Mr Murdock’s, where they were kindly* attended to ; and on Tuesday •they proceeded to Blenheim. Native Meeting. —The Taranaki Herald gives a report of a native meeting, which took place at Tuilpia. near the Stony River, on Monday, Nov. 30, at which the Superintendent, Mr Parris, and about 20 of the principal native chiefs were present. The friendly chiefs generally spoke in strong terms of condemnation of any attempt being made to sever the present arrangements with regard to land. The whole turn of the meeting was favorable, and Mr Parris is of opinion that there is not the lease danger to the settlers likely to arise from the natives at Tailiua, and in this opinion the friendly chiefs who accompanied him entirely concur. Patara, an influential chief, has issued a letter addressed to Maoris and Europeans, counselling peace, and intended to assure the settlers of Okato, Tataraimaka,.and Oakura of the peaceful intentions of the natives. Tito Kowarij’s Forges. —We have received the following important information, from a most reliable source, which cannot be too widely circulated at the present time, relative to the rebel force now under Tito, at Waitotara, the presence of which has created so much alarm at Wanganui. A gentleman well acquainted with the Maoris, their language, their customs, and their character, took the best means he had of ascertaining the total number of the forces under Tito Kowaru, and the result of the information he collected on a subject so important is that the whole force, including lads from ten to fifteen years old, does not exceed the number of 300. We trust that this information has been circulated at Wanganui, as it would be the means of allaying the unreasonable and, in some respects, the unaccountable panic which is said to exist there and other parts of the West Coast. —lndependent, Yon Tempsky and the Thames Goldfield. —We learn from the Auckland Weekly Express that the Lord Ashley claim on the Thames Goldfields has turned out a remarkably rich one, and that the fact is rendered more interesting by the circumstance that it was discovered by the late lamented Von Tempsky, who, after working it for some time, was compelled to abandon it for want of means to carry it on. It was subsequently taken up by another party, and the present elaimholders purchased into it some months ago. The Lord Ashley claim consists of eight men’s ground, and the present fortunate proprietors of it are Colonel Balneavis, Messrs Carpenter, M'Donald, Vernon, Posseniskie, Avey, and Iloare. Out of consideration for the widow of the late Major Von Tempsky, and in view of the fact that it was Von Tempsky who discovered the claim, it has been very liberally proposed, and will, we understand, be carried out, to give that lady an interest in it to the extent of one half-share or thereabouts. Captain Hutton has pronounced the Lord Ashiey claim as likely to bo one of the richest on the field. It is one of the nearest to the township, and the cost of carriage to the machine will be very trifling. Attempted Assassination. —lt is said that a very determined but fortunately unsuccessful attempt was made to assassinate Captain M'Kinnon, of the Tararua, as the vessel was about to leave Sandridge for Hokitika. It appears that Captain M'Kinnon observing the man seated on a portion of luggage, quietly asked him to get "If of it. Without saying a word, the man drew a dagger and rushed at Captain M'Kinnon with it ; the latter avoided the blow that was made at him, and seizing his nssaillant, struggled with him for some time, until both fell over one of the hatch-ways into the hold. When they reached the bottom of the hold Capt. M'Kinnon was underneath, and the man was grasping him tightly by the throat. He aimed a blow at his intended victim,' and as the dagger was descending, the second mate, whose attention had beec directed to the spot by the noise, caught hold of his arm, and a fierce struggle took place between them ; the latter being severely cut about the hands and wrists before he overpowered the man. The police were sent for, and the man was PAton into custody. It is stataithat for some tinfcfc\st the man has of being «^wound

following is the list of articles which have been sent to England ;—Two small gravers, one cold chisel, one bar (about 7lbs), one round bar (roughly forged), several crude specimens as melted, some Urenui clay, iron sand, and likewise a mixture of the two prepared fur smelting. We believe that Major Atkin«on intends to submit these specimens to several persons of eminence in England, and should such, men as Sir William Whitworth take sufficient interest in it, we shall have no fear but that'"shortly the iron sand which is lying on our reach dormant, will soon be converted into a useful article of commercial value. Thames Goldfield. —Speculation in mining shares at the Thames diggings is already overdone. A correspondent of the Hawke’s Bay Herald r .marks :—Share buying appears to have reached its limit. Shareholders soon tire of paying wages and “ reading glowing accouirs of the Thames goldfields,” unaccompanied by dividends. During the share buying mania purchasers appeared to have cast aside all ideas of caution and judgment; a claim with a high sounding name, or in the of some noted claims, was saleable, gild there appeared no limit to the credulity of the speculators. There is no doubt manj r of them have “ burnt their fingers.” Now it is difficult to sell any claim, except one yielding gold. Wages have been gradually lowered during the last fortnight, the average reduction being probably 7s to IDs per w r eek. Men out of work are numerous, and a notice, “ Men wanted,” would speedily attract a swarm. The Auckland Bunch. — The Auckland Punch gives insertion gratis, to the following advertisement: — “Card —Tito Kowaru & Co, Butchers and Drysalters, The Gorgu—Patea— West Coast. Families waited on in town or country at surprisingly short notice. A large supply of Cured Constable, Potted Pakeha, and dried Militiamen, always on hand. N.B.—Sole Agents for Stafford & Co.’s Aboriginal Irritant. Place of business in London, Exeter Hall, Strand. W.C.” “Preliminary Announcement.— Messrs Tito Kowaru and Co., with a view to extending their already gigantic business, intend shorffyJlTr erect a Bone-mill, and will supply at verv'moderate rates any quantity of bonedust to the families residing at Tokangamutu and the neighborhood. M Chevalier. —We published a telegram the other day stating that Prince Alfred had requested M. Chevalier to meet him at Galle, and to accompany him on his voyage in the China Seas, and back to Australia. The Melbourne Argus says : —Seeing the large choice open to the Duke of Edinburgh, it is pleasing to find tliat His Royal Highness should have selected one whom we are justified in calling a Victorian artist, to accompany him on his interesting expedition. M. Chevalier is at present in New Zealand, but will, no doubt, return on being made acquainted with Ilis Highness’s wishes. The Duke is expected to be in Sydney about the Ist of Nov. next. —Independent. Notices to the Natives of Wanganui.— The town and suburbs of Wanganui have been placarded with the following notice in the Maori language:—“All.natives are hereby informed that armed patrols and sentries surround the town every night. It is impossible for the inhabitants to discriminate between hostile and friendly natives. In the event of any sudden alarm, natives who happen then to be in town, would run great danger of being taken for rebels. Consequently, I hereby warn all natives to leave the town at the hour of six o'clock, p.m., and not to return before six o’clock in the morning. Those who remain in the precincts of the town during these hours do so at their own peril after this warning.— Millard Noakk, Major Commanding, W.M.D. Militia Office, Wanganui, 3rd Dec. 1868.” Avengers of Blood. —The New Zealand Herald, of the 23rd ultimo, observes ; “ Are we Moslems to sit inactive—to exclaim ‘ The will of Allah be done.’ Has the energetic decision of our race abandoned us ? Have we no means of counter-check and [address ? Surely we have, and assuredly we should without an instant’s delay supply them. Let us raise a Patriotic Fund. Let us band together as “ Avengers of Blood.” By means of a Patriotic Fund, and by unfaltering proclamation,* sufficient rewards may be offered for the heads of every murderer and for the exa mination—for the ulter extermination of every tribe —and that in scorn and defiance Hall, Pall Mall and every other maligns our humanity or belies'' We have reached that point when decide whether we shall 'anger throats to cannibal butchery, or selves like men and Englishmen. Opinion of a Contemporary on tiiel Native W ar. —The Melbourne Age, in a leader ' on the Poverty Bay massacre, has the following remarks: —“The sympathy which was at one time expressed for the Maoris is now altogether out of place. The king movement was of a patriotic character ; but the marauders now in the field arc murderers with ropes round their necks. If New Zealand had been a conquered country, the natives would have had at any tinie the right to revolt. But the settlement of the islands has gone on with the consent of the aboriginal race, and the time for any '-amod pro-/l test by them has been allowed to lapse. They understand this very well, and they should now be proceeded against as any equal number of white colonists who had set the laws a defiance would be dealt with. They were neve.i so sunk in ignorance as not to know the sort of bargain they had entered into with the Queen through her representatives. Any sentimental sympathy would now be out of • place, and would be productive of incalculable injury to its objects.” Tito Kowaru, Ngaihina, and Tukino. —An interesting description of Tito Kowaru and chiefs of the Ngaruhine hapu, is given by a correspondent of the Southern Cross:—“Tito Kowaru is a man about twenty-seven years of age ; about.five feet nine inches in height; good looking for his kind ; smart and brawny. He is not tattooed, but has a head of black curly hair, which, when uncovered, falls in a thick bunch over his forehead, which does not add to his otherwise favorable countenance. This man was on the most intimate terms with the officers and men of the regular troops who from time to time occupied the redoubt at Turo Turo Mokaia from 1865 to 1867. He, with his wife and people, were continually in and about the camp daily, selling peaches, small pigs, and potatoes to the troops. The waipero was continually in demand by him and l.is female relations, and in default of getting it, the canteen, outside the redoubt would be resorted to, where there debauche would end in a good sleep of the whole confraternity in the fern. This Tito Kowaru could speak English pretty well, but the subchiefs, JNgaihinu (Mr R. Graham’s friend) and