LATER NEWS FROM AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 181, 26 June 1862, Page 5

LATER NEWS FROM AUCKLAND.

THE NATIVE WAR IN THE NORM.

Ry the schooner Albatross, wehave our files of Auck' I land papers to the llth inst". Tiie Natives at the Kia- ! para were . still fighting, and tho Governor had left Auckland in H.M.S. Harrier, for the scene of hostilities. Nothing definite had been arrived at in respect to the acquisition of the much coveted block of land afc Coromandel; the Natives seem as inucb disinclined as ever to part with it. The newspaper reports both as to 'Coromandel and the state of the native districts are very contradictory. The following are the principal items of intelligence:— the NOAPtrur WAX. ' (From the Correspondent of'the Southern Cross.) Wang.irei, June 4th, ISO 2. On Thursday, Slay 29th, Matiu and his innu, having preA-iously returned from Pukiatua to the pah Wuiteruatenia, were visited by Harriet, the widow of the late Honi'Held, who told Matiu that she did not like the fighting, and that if ho would stop fighting she would not require payment for the men killed at tiie last fight. Those killed at the last tight are men of Harriet's part of the tribe. When Harriet had ceased speaking, Matiu's men turned out, guns in hand, and began firing at Tirarau's pah, but of course Avithout any result." Shortly after 'i'irarati give orders to batter down Matin's pah. ' His brass gun was at once brought into position, and Matin's pah broached in all directions. In half an hour the flag- was lowered to half mast, and in auother hour the entire front of tho pah was shot down, and Matiu and his people retired to their second pah, a little behind the first. Tiraruu does not appear to push the fighting, as he never seems to punish his adversary, even when the advantage is in his hands. To all appearance no only wishes to show his enemy that he could and would . fight iv earnest if pushed further to it by Mi-tiu Tirarau novez lights but whoa provoked by the opposite party. " - . " Reinforcements are daily arriving on both sides. Ab-jut "20 Hay natives, for Ti'-arau's side, passed •through Wangarei on. Friday, May 30th. They came by die coaabward to Ngururu, and thence to Wangarei. They say they are the first of about 400. Some arc coming from tho North Cape. The excitement seems to be spreading among the natives. The battering of the. pah was distinctly heard by the settlers in the Kauri Hohori block. No accident whatever happened on Tirarau's side ; and I cannot hear what the casualties were on Matiu's side. Matiu's people keep this very quiet. There is more or less firing every day at long range, with .'in occasional shot from the brass gun, whio!i shows that both parties arc on the alert. . June 7th, 1862. I do not hear much additional about the Ngapuhi war, but tfiere is the making of another row in this locality. It appears that the last bone of contention is the Victoria Valley ; and the Victoria natives and Aliipara natives are likely to come to blows about it. Some ore for selling Victoria, and others are for retaining it. One of the Government interpreters at present here started for the locality yesterday, to . ascertain the extent of the disagreement. Movbmknts of Tin; Tiioops.—We understand that a strong detachment of the 70th regiment marched on Monday to the Queen's Redoubt at Maungatawhiri, from Baird's farm, where they will be posted during the winter. The head quarters of the 40tb regiment have taken up their quarters in Auckland. On the same day a small detachment of the 05th regiment marched from the camp at Baird's farm to the stockade close to the Waikato river, which Avill form their quarters for winter. 140 men and officers of the llth regiment also marched on Monday to the Queen's Redoubt from the Pokino camp, an I were replaced at Pokino by detachments from the 12th, 14th, and4oth r-jgiments. On Tuesday, the head quarters of the 2nd battalion of the 14-th regiment marched from the Pokino camp to Baird's farm, and on Wednesday resumed their march to Otahuhu. —Daily Southern Cross. June 13. COROMANDEL. A letter appears iv the A Tem Zealander of the llth inst. from the Resident Magistrate at Coromandel, transmitting a claim ou behalf of Mr. Keven and party for the £2000 reward offered by the ProA-inciai UoA-ernment lor the discovery of an available goldfield. We quote the following remarks from the JVew Zealander respecting the reef upon which the claim is based:— "The 'reef is in apiece of a land about 120 acres in extent, belonging to the Government, and forms the out-crop of that or those reefs .which exist on Paul's land. It is gratifying to find that the discovery I 3 of a character so' promising, but, as our readers will no doubt observe, Mr. Tui ton's statement of the productiveness of the quartz is qualified. He wiis informed by some diggers that the ' prospect' was ' splendid.' " The account of what occurred in Mr. Turton's presence, which appeared in print yesterday, differs from Mr. Turton's own account, and our own enquiries as to the truth of the statement given as'evidence of the sudden productiveness of the field, that " at hi3t gold has found its way to the banks,'' have resulted in the discovery that a quartz specimen weighing, gross, about oue ounce and three-quarters, was offered for sale at the Union Bank. Neither the New South Wales nor the New Zealand Ranks had any offered. We have no reason whatever to doubt that Keven's reef is all that it is imagined to be. When Aye have ascertained facts respecting it, Aye will be forward to publish them. Another 'rush' of-diggers and another disappointment may bring calamity, and must tend to damage the reputation of the district; we have recent-experience to guide us, and think it best to be sure that the field is open and the harvest ripe, before we call upon the reapers. We give al_-o the letters of our own correspondent at Coromandel :—

On Monday Inst, when Mr. Fox left Coromandel, aft^r spending a week in endeaA-ouring to come to terms-Avith the natives, and with little effect, Aye were all proportionately discouraged, little thinking how soon the arrival of Governor Grey would open up the . probability of a speedy and satisfactory settlement of ihosaleof Paul's land. The diggers themselves, meanwhile made some very liberal oilers to the natives for permission to work, but Avere no more successful than the Government had hitherto been. The natives are gathered in considerable force on the boundary of Peter aud Paul's laud, and ifc is evidently tlieir intention to allow nobody to work their ground until a full.consent shall have been given by every proprietor .interested in its sale, though they seem to imagine, that the miners intend to do so, and have, I hear, sent to the natives up the Thames for reinforcements, in case the diggers — allowing themselves to be made the tools, and ultimately the scapegoats of " party. machinations''— should rush Paul's ground. On Monday night they ' danced a war dance, and though this is,- of course, all bounce, still it shows they are determined not to let the land be taken from them by force. - The miners seem to be very peac&bly disposed, and to have no inclination to " rush " the land in question, until the purchase shall have been fairly effected by the Government ; their conduct throughout has beeu most praiseworthy. It was, even before Sir George Grey's arrival on Wednesday, the opinion of everybody here, that in less than a month Paul's land would be in our possession, as the natives Avill he glad to come to some arraugement with the GoA-ernrnent, and to take a ioad off their shoulders, whioh time Avill make irksome to them; they say that watching their ground by night is almost more than they can stand. June 7th. On Thursday afternoon, shortly after the departure of H.M.S. Harrier with Sir George Grey on board, Lydia brought the Resident Magistrate, Mr. Turton, a letter addrsssed to herself, which she requested him to read to her and to the Natives residing at Kapanea. The contents of the letter were to the following effect :—" Friends, let the Pakeha dig on your land, and do you take notice of the day and the month Avhen they begin to work that I may know from when to commence to pay you in compensation for their work. '' From your loving friend, "G. GREr." Peter of Kapanga on hearing this letter read, said " The Avord of the Governor is good; do you Lydia let the Pakeha work on your ground, and trust in the ■word of the Governor." Lydia then spoke, and said, " My mind is very dark about the fheft of the money (i.e.. the gold taken by tbe miners off Paul's land). Let me be paid for that bad deed that my mind may bo clear, and then when I see Te Hira, I will do all I can to show my love to the Governor." Very little more was said on the subject by either party, nnd I have since heard (hat Mr. Turton has offered Lydia £100 as compensation for tbe gold already taken off Paul's land. I believe that on the arrival of Te Hira this affair will be settled and the consent of all the natives connected with it will be giren for the ' sale or lease of tliis block of land to the GoA-crn-ment. Watson's party haA-e been compelled to leave their shaft on account of the (jreat Quantity of water; it is sunk to a deptli of 146 feet, and as soon as the spring comes, they will make another attempt to bottom

The GoA-ernor took his departure,-in H: M. s.s. Harrier, ou Wednesday, for tiie Bay of Islands, -with the intention, as is supposed, of bringing the influence of some of tlie Bay natives to bear upon the parties now in conflict at Kaipara.— Aucldander, June 11.

I'IRK AT AVANGAREL " (From the Correspondent of the Southern, Cross.) ■~'i On Tuesday, 3rd instant, about i) p.m., the barn .-.- ---011 the farm at Ratu, Waugarei Mains, belonging t0...' W. A. Porstou, Esq., M.D., was discovered to boon -. fire. The flames were first seen issuing through the . roof near the east gable, aud iv a quarter of an hour; ' afterwards the whole buil.iiug wjis in- one sheet of ■ fire, illuminating the couutry for miles round. The -.-; neighbors were promptly on the spot to render Avhat assistance iluy could. Among- tho first on the ground ' were Messrs. M. Laughland, F. Dent, G. Ross, Ri Mair, &c", &c, who, together with the Doctor's ; workmen, had the satisfaction of saving several arti- •' cles from the burning barn; and also sa\-ing the. •; dwelling-house, which must also have been destroyed ' bat for their exertions, it being situate about a chain from the barn. The shingles *ou the back kitchen were curled up with the' heat. At one time tlie heat ' was so great that those engaged in saturating the > dwelling-house could not remain in ono spot for any . t length of time. The fire originated in the loft,1 which was packed full of sheaves of wheat. It is not known in what way the fire originated. The horses were turned out of the stable, •which was in danger,--, aud previous to the pig-styes being burned, the pigs . were removed.

The damage is estimated at about L 250. The building was hot iusured;