MANGAWAI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 276, 30 September 1864, Page 7

MANGAWAI.

melancholy loss of life. Yestishbvy evening a gentleman who arrived yesterday in Auckland liv the ' Three Brothers,' Cant Sevinoiir, kindly called at our ollice and us with the following sad particulars of the loss of two of the passengers of that vessel while crossing the bar at the entrance of the Mnngawai harbor, on her voyage to that the ' Three Brothers'was pasthe bar with a full wind which had been freelv for some tiirc, when just as she was fairly in the surf the wind dropped alurost to a calm, and the vessel lost her way when among the rollers. The consequence was that the waters made a clear breach over her for a time, the captain and two of the passengers on declc (the women had been safely stowed below,) ■n-ei'a rraehed overboard, Capt. Seymour for-

tunately held on to a rope anil succccdcd in getting on board again,. but the two passengers were washed away. The »" r "° unluiowii"'flint of the oilier is Hall, a geiiHemun who, with his brother, has just settled upon ins farm at Mangawai. Mr. Hall was we undeista'nd a married man. The probability though either men could be saved is not great, lor that the distance is not far from the shore, ami though there were several settlers upon - 10 beach, among them Mr. Smith, who lives at the Heads, and who immediately put oil 111 his boat , it would be next to impossible for a small boat to approach the spot where the men wOl e lost, aud they must have been powerful swimmers to live in such a sea. We have a ray ot hope in the ease of Mr. Hall, as Capt. Seymour reports that when last seen he w:is clinging to an empty barrel, and that as the ' Three Brothers was leaving they could see the settlers on the beaeh enrrving some object, it was then t dark to see what, from the beach up to Mr. Smith's house. The • Three Brothers ' was ol course unable to remain and assist, aud, however unwillingly, the Captain had 110 alternative but to pursue his voyage, neither was it possible to launch a boat to attempt the rescue ot (lie men lost overboard. • It whs but 11 icw dnys ngo wo amiouiU'CCL thillthe long talked of work of constructing a breakwater, so as to render this harbor easy and sate of ingress and egress, was about to be carried into execution, aud we then earnestly exhorted those who had subscribed their names to sums of money for that purpose to pay the same m at once to the treasurer. e have now before us the nielancholv result which has attended the delay of a work which should have been constructed two vears ago. Had the break-\\ate» been built, the lives of both these men would 110 have been sacrificed. Our informant also mentions another circumstance which calls loudly for redress. Those only who have lived in the North can appreciate the loss and annoyance of having their lands overrun with Maori*, digging and stealing the gum within the soil, 'lliis gum ol course belongs to the owner of the soil, and were an .European to attempt to steal it, the matter would be soon settled —he would soon lind himself in prison for t licit —not so. however, with the Maori. There are two laws in this country-—one for the Native and one for the European, and the one law allows the Native perfect iinmunnity from punishment ol: gum stealing. In this case it appears that for some time past there have been some 200 Botorua natives gum-digging iu the neighbourhood ot Oruawluiro, and lately they have been invited to come over to the Mangawai district by a settler residing there, who purchases the gum troni them and sells them stores. They are now located on the Ami, where nearly all the land is private property, and they are now engaged in stealing the gum from this land. The settlers teel very warmly in the Natter. The robbery is carried 011 defiantly by the Natives, 'llie European owner is robbed before his face, anil tleliedwhen he remonstrates. A memorial has, we understand, been drawn up by the settlers and sent in to the Superintendent, who will doubtless forward it to the Native Oflice. "Will anything be done? we doubt it. Our informant asks, what are the settlers to do il the Government will not extend tlie protection ol the law to the property ? We really cannot answer this question, as we do lioi' know how lar the settlers are able to take care of themselves. It they seize a party of the Natives in the commission of the theft, and bring them down to town, or before a magistrate, are they prepared to defend themselves and families from outrage from the Maoris of the tribe? "We suppose they must grin and bear. The day is not lar distant, however, when this state of things will pass away— when the wrongs of the settler will be remedied in another fashion than tedious proccss of the Colonial " Chancery," the Native Oflice. "We advise our Mangawai friends to do nothing rashty.-—September -7.