THE OTHER PROVINCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 157, 17 May 1862, Page 5

THE OTHER PROVINCES.

The inhabitants of the Northern Island are still anxiously awaiting the. issue of the new policy inaugurated by Sir George Grey. As yet, it may be said that it has been attended with success, inasmuch as many of the wavering chiefs and tribes, if not actually returning at once to their allegiance, are.at any rate detaching themselves from the.extreme King party, and are disposed to accept to a certain extent the new institutions offered them by the Governor. Any permanent result, however, must be a question of time, for the natives, proverbially suspicious generally, are still more so in reference to the policy of so mr scrutable a man as Sir Geoi"ge Grey. Their oivn estimate of his character maybe imagined from -a definition given by a native chief of the relative characteristics of Sir Geo. Grey and the late Governor, Gore Brown. "Brown"—said the chief " was like a pigeon, you could see whore he was flying and on which tree he would alight—but Grey was like the rat which runs amongst tha fern—you first see the movement in the grass, but neither see him nor what he is doing." So it is, and until the natives have given their entire confidence to the new Governor, the effects of the new policy- will be limited and meagre. The King party par excellence, still keep aloof, but they betray considerable uneasiness at the change that is gradually taking place 'in the minds of many of the tribes. ; The Northern Island has lately been visited by a storm, that for violence and disastorous character, has never been exceeded. It swept down the whole east coast from Auckland to Wellington in Cook's Straits, ■ and even extewded to Canterbury in the Middle Island. Auckland suffered the most severely, and immense loss was caused amongst the shipping in the Harbor. Vessels by the dozen were driven from their moorings, and drifting against the extensive pier, were smashed and swamped ; fortunately, no lives were lost. .At Wellington, the gale seemed to have lost none of its power, and the storm there is-considered to have'been the most violent ever experienced. One large ship, laden with wool, was driven ashore and wrecked, and several coasting vessels foundered —in one "case, with the loss of all hands. All the vessels, on the whole of the coast line, report having encountered the fury "of the gale—-many.having been either driven back, or had to seek shelter in the nearest harbor. Auckland will this year miss the excitement consequent on .the meeting of the General Assembly, ■ which meets at Wellington, and the good folks of the capital are naturally wroth at being deprived of—as an Auckland paper has it—''Kings, Lords, and Commons." The Coromandel Gold-Fields, about which so* much was said and written,-still give no satisfactory sign of success. About-150 to 200 miners are on the ground, but beyond establishing the fact of . the bare existence of gold, are 'doing nothing of any moment. Wellington is this season the temporary seat of Government, the General Assembly meeting there in June. His Excellency arrived there a few days ago. and took up his quarters at Government House for .the season. Sir George Grey is just now making a tour to the South, and is daily expected in Dunedin. Nelson is imr proving in her internal prosperity, and manyrich deposits -of valuable minerals continue to, be discovered. The gold diggings on th Buller River although only limited, in characte shew satisfactory'-.results, and the'other smal: diggings in other parts of the Province keep at about tlieirj old average. The .Dun Mountain Co. and other private. mining, companies arc actively developing the rich deposits of chrome and copper existing in the district near the City of Nelson, and great expectations of the advantages to be derived therefrom are formed by the people of Nelson. ' Marlborough is financially in extremis, for bavins been too liberal with her revema "of last i

' year, in.organising *nd^commencing extensive public works, she ..finds herself...with an. .empty■exche^uer, Ldiid--roads:iiulfiflnishe(ll.eaaing-;tp""iio- r : where; and .wharves, ■wiirihous'e.'j;' iind' public luiidings, \yith no use for thoinV "- • Vt ■ ■ ' ,; Cuuterbury is piv;.<pui-iiu«,' her large"" land reytimc hiivirig restored'the. healthy tone of the mdnotary atniosphiiro. The works on . t!ie Hail- J w.iy there are progrissing but, very siowjy owing to the peculiar difficulties oi' ilie .excavations for taetunuel ti-om Lyttekou to; Clu-istchurch, ■:. ■: ■-i