HARAPIPI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1206, 26 September 1867, Page 4

HARAPIPI.

(FEOM OUR OWN COBKE3POHDENT,) : September 23. The roads and bridges between here and Mgaxuawahia are still in the same impassable gtate as when I last wrote, and seem likely to remain so,' and a traveller has to make a very considerable detour out of his way to reach, the above place, although if aS'aira go on as they are doing at present travellers will be but scarce on any of the Waikato road?. Perhaps that is what the Government are looking orward to. At the present time there is a perfect exodus going on, and almost every Bteaxner that goes down takes away some of the population. A great many are leaving Alexandra,Jand over half the inhabitants of Hamilton have left, as there is no employment or prospect of any at either of the above places ; in fact it is quite a melancholy Bight to ride into any of our settlements, as they remind one almost of Goldsmith's Deserted Village. lam very glad to say that our small population as yet hss not decreased to any great extent, and those fsw that have 1 departed are no loss, and unless the' state of affairs are very bad indeed I think this little place will manage to rub through the present crisis, and it is to be hoped they will, for there is not a Bettler near here of the class that would be naturally supposed to render assistance to any project Btarted for the public good, that I really believe would do so, as all the big men near here (that is if owning more land than their neighbours iB a qualification for being called so) are the least public-spirited. : - Staff-Sergeant McMinn with his usnal zeal for the good of the settlement is getting a large piece of the Government Reserve cleared and ploughed, and all, or nearly all the men are subscribing to buy clover seed to sow it, which, of course, will bs a great benefit to all the settlers; the only exception that I have heard who refuse to contribute towards it are the officers, who own about four times as many head of cattle as any man here. This is an instance of the public spirit of our large landed proprietors. The river Waipa is now so low that the steamboats are not able to get up to Alexandra. The p.S. Waipa, X hear, is to be taken off the river, as trade is SO dull.

W. J. Young held a sale of general merchandize at his wholesale store at JNgaruawahia, us he is about to give up business there, the attendance. was "very good, and considering the dull state of trade on the Waikato, the goods brought a very good price. The Government pay is still a month in arrears. The weather since the beginning of this month has been very fair for all out of door -work. There is not any rews worth, reporting in respect to native affairs, and as far as I can see or.hear all" as usual in that quarter. "