THE SCENES AT MAUNGAWHARE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4482, 25 March 1876, Page 3

THE SCENES AT MAUNGAWHARE.

A correspondent (" F. 0.") writes us a long letter aaent the report of our Northern Wairoacontributor, regarding theproceedings tliere on St. Patrick's Day and the following one. He utterly contradicts the report of what was stated to be "disgraceful proceedings." He says the boat-racing on the 17th was good, and in every respect wellconducted. Everything was quiet and orderly, and the proceedings carried on in a most creditable manner. He say 3 on Sunday the drowned man left the scene of the races in a sober condition. Ho had had a little drink, but only sufficient to make him merry, and he was perfectly able to take care of himself. The man was pulling in an outrigger—the most crank species of boat ever yet invented,—and our informant says that the strains of music arising from the only" other boat which started from the locality, were too much for him, and, for the moment, forgetting the ticklish nature of the craft underneath him, he sprang up, and, as a matter of course, instantly toppled overboard. No blame could be attached to anyone. All hands were sober. But in that locality the tide runs very and the drowning man was carried away before he could be recovered. Our correspondent further states that all the proceedings on that day were well and quietly conducted, and that the majority of the inhabitants look upon the letter in the Herald as a gross libel on a quiet and respectable community, and a spiteful slur on the morals of the gum-diggers, who. in that locality, at least, are a well-behaved set of men. In justice to the district, he requests we will give publicity to these remarks. "We give his version of the affair for what it is worth, but we feel sure that the account our reporter wrote was not exaggerated; was not inspired by any bigoted Good Templar feeling, and certainly his mind wa« not influenced by any local prejudices. Oar reporter found no fault with the way in which the races were carried out, but the contrary, arid " F. C." admits that the unfortunate bushman caused his own death by standing np in the boat to dance." Any " man who would stand up in an • outrigger skiff to dance must be mad drunk, especially when his companion was lying drunk at the bottom of the boat;, We . have no doubt the subject will causesome- discussion, and possibly it will ; lead to some means being taken to enable those hard-working and ;

.\j » — i rvm. . : hard-livinfiLmePj bashmenand gum-diggers, to spend their holidays—in^more*j£tional ' manner than, -unhappily, <theyrhave done hitherto. There can be no more convinc- ' ;ing - proof f - of -the „: great -amount *o£ drinking which prevails * amongst gumdiggers and bushmen than the number of fatal accidents occurring at the out settlements. Look at the homicides, suicides, and fatal accidents that have lately been recorded by onr correspondent s Mercury Bay. We know that bushmen will have liquor, thai it is almost hopeless to attempt to prevent "sprees," but we think that owners of saw-mills and stores might do something more than at present, to afford means to their workmen to spend their holidays in a better manner than they do#at present. The waste of life is a very serious affair. - ■ "