AUCKLAND

Otago Witness, Issue 560, 23 August 1862, Page 8

AUCKLAND

(FKOil THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.) Auckland, 7fcb August. j It is now very nearly a month since an opportunity 1 lias occurred for sending you Auckland news, a misfortune which, I suppose, is owing to the loss of the White Swan, although that scarcely accounts for the loag and apparently, objectless detention of the Queen at this place, in this ca.se-, however, the want of opportunity is of tho leas consequence, as, owing to the continued bad weather, since I last wrote you, news has Jiofc beon very rife in Auckland. This state of things, however, cannot possibly be of much longer continuance now, and it is much, to be wished that, for the future, no such long detentions as that of the Queen may take

puce. Of all our news, of course, our divine; news is most liable to be affected by tli : \sedihoi-. ami this has been the cisc in no ordinary d<vre3. Even continued and considerable -uceess is hardly ouou.'li to keep up men's spirits under the (kpve-'ing inlhunci of almost unbroken bad weather, t.iuy tiit'ui'-oU-e li.iv« in a constant, state of damp, day ti'ul ni^.ii, — i\\r\; mniuds and embankments curiea a'vay by a suci'e.v.ion of "freshes. 1 ' The roads over vhich they must bung their food i, in such a state as to he almost impassable to mm or bus*-, and a large pr 'portion „f their time, such a^ to prevent tlum from woikiu^ at all All these combine 1, make up ;. i.itnl of din'rultie*, such as would not be contended a;, r u->t for a nay for the sake of any le~> powerful iv.l" -enieat 1 lan that of gold, and cjol'l, too, in c^iwdei i >le quantities. That this inducement does exist .it 0 om mdcl is undeniable, ia spite of the dU'jomiiije'neiifc to its Hale, wh'uh is cause I byawa'it of'ouvfrs. Sp"»;iin?n god his continual to be brought in foe s.de in laiy: q'tmtitie^, bufc, o\viu£; to the same evil— alrealy a ciyinj: om — -\vlt'iout any |>>v it shccjs ■. The sjullj on Paul's land, from wiii.'li ail the lanje specimens !n\e been o'>tai'i'd i, its-e'f a vci-y sir. ill ono, and O'lly one p:rfc of it ii , , boon v.wrkul, tlio claims < \ton li'nj, 150') feet by \i fe -t in width, yet in spite of this very sin'dl o\tent of ili^ihE; around, the quantity of >?old taken from it,, ten dayi azo, hid certainly p mounted to one thousand ounce-:, which i? reckoned tj he of the value of ii'mut L' 2 per o/. Thi^ although be'uiT a small proportion to tlie quantities obtainpil from some of your own irullie*. is certainly (or at least appenib to v-) a ;;o >d substantial fact upon vhl *h to bu'd'l h ipe-- aud ccpe^UtinrH for t.he future, when instead of one little cju'ly, hundreds mof bworked, not by one hunlred and fury men, but by some thousands. At piwiit tho work of pro.-pcctiir;-the district is all bu f impossible m accomplishment, from the fact tlia! it ii all foi\.st of t'.ie ilt»ns>°sL an.i inj.-t impassible character, which combined with th' 1 weather makes th 5 ta-k one whifh fe.v indeel would attempt. One or two fuhenturous me;) have iuddd tried, and one of these, with whum I v.a-. ttlkinga day or twi n^<», I 'll c uic tliat Ii' 1 -aw -x >oJ. icason t ) conclude tint Paui'- .'uliv was uuth a r tit. 1 oiu\ noi the riehe->t gold producing i<i the district. * Ie al^o showeA mf niuiy -p i ciitieo.s uliidi he hud picked, up in his w tnd^riii'is, aa I fima their v.vuht and .ip,ieiirance I should say he held a vdunbh row iul !*>r his exeitions, which had c\t-Hi !e 1 ovor a- formica r, but over Oiih -a sm ill porliuu of the distii -t. Although no ot'i ■!• pljcj I'nuil m size and riebni.ss t) the " Welcome" has since been found, \.-t s>.u>> of littb, if any, inferior value are beii.^ chipped ofFsumeo the (juutz lea lers ".•hich stn<:e Paul'-. trully One urn brought to Auokiand a (Vu d:ys si,i,;o v,.M.'hm^ 18', lbs, which upo i hAm cni-ii" I in fii-, city \!ei W dl otiiic «of pure yold. Now r ■;%, 0" unre pr>jl) iblv spurs of ror>f= am boi-i i' found every !,iv, and piei'tM sent up to Auckland t> be a>-ay3l, \icldiiv, r in e\ery else an amount of gold wiiien if ivi v ««■• a fai." .sp^^ituen of riu j present reef wo.iM ijj all • (lately f ib.il m-,, b'lf" w Itch can se ircely lie snppos Ho be buch" Tiic* Mercury RivPKiilorin'j; jmi'Ly, to v.hoj" b'illiant butda-np prosp cis [before ivi'i-nel, have lvtunwl to Aucklandj having" found tiie wei'Jier t"o ha I tor thk purpose. They r 'port a country \.M-h. jiuui*. a perfect wilderness of qiuut'/ locf-j :ui'l liouKics in the *liij;her level', and at present a hwampor som"tlii:< ' Jikc ii in th Q lower ones ; so that nLuoiiLjh they in. c brou-iht liomc many -nccimen-. oi qu uti for the a \aver, they have beeti unsucoesjfal in their mis-ion nh'ch was principally to tc-t the lower for alluvul deposits. This ,ilv> will doui.t'ess cot a fur Ma! in spiiiiq or summer. One pait, indeed, they wpie not alloy.M to piosppct, \>)k;v i;nld lias alrcidy bnen found, but which is jeal'iu-lv- d by the'ni'ivo owners, hbo warn otf all wliite iatrulcrs \ipoa their domiin; this v\ ill not, ho-vner, la t lon', oxnmjjle beiii-j vei> iulcciioas to a >i ; s ,'t to Ivim iea,n, mid already sUa<i of .such an <.'■ vt aie \i-ibic at Cor>mandcl. IV-ti-r, who-o hnd ndjolns L'aul'-, ins jil-,1 entercl into an yiivvnont \.i'h the (xo\ eminent' for the di'-^in»- ovfr his piopei v an I tint of his til! o. This will yt furtVr extend the held oi operations whet: tfpiiutf arrives, ;n<J \,ill moicover M-t a j;ool example to others. Mr. Made m has Jike^eWceedevl in biiMiiR 1 abont I'2,o'i'J aere^ on the Mercury Bay side of the r.mw., although of what character is not yet known. From aH Jrit I hue paid it will be evident that success, althoa^h <l:>.v, niiu'upou our^old scekiny; c\erti"iis. is noi, yi t uf so hri!li mt a chancier as to be a, proper induu-uicnt to men win are doiii" aiO tiling e'-c^herc- to i ash thither; on the contrary that until (-prim? is well al'.-.uicoda I ' .-.uicod :> large influx of digger-* would ce'tainly be a misfortune, as dis uv pointment^ would beiMjaily sure to follow; and indeed, despite of all hithetto discovered and said about Oorom-ndel, I still imlinc io Ihe opinion, thai although much prolil v. ill ceitainly be found there, 'it 'n ill never be a place for nishel, n«ver, in shoit! a poor man's divings. Im i\ mention li.to before closing the subject, that some jmre u'old Im, been washed in more than one instance from the aliuviuni in the claims now being worked in Pauls Gvdly ; one t ,arty in what is called the junction claim, .-re said to have washed thirtj ounces of pur gold out of their claim airi otlieis following tli'3 ■ xampleaie lvpwted to have had cot'siderablo success tlie^e statements fionewr I caniiol vouch for, as I Invenosure intelligence from reii'ible soiucls. Ne\t to our uold fields, our native matters are to us, and will I suppose be 1 > other-, the most, interesting of our news. In this the most important foituro piobtbly i.-, tlie .state of destitution to which a variety of caiisu- lmve i educed iaost of the uns. tiled or Kin; tribes in this neisjhboiuliood. Thc-e are credibly reporte 1 to be all but stmed. livini: indee 1 chiefly upon fern root, U which they werf only occasionally reduced c\cn in 'J.cpt.iiu Co >k's time. This ot ihina ? may be distinctly traced to the Kirn; movtment itself, bee ui-e there is no doubt that the constant excitement produced by the arrangements for thi, liow government, which wei e carried out much after the fashion of children, formed a complete bar to their settling domi to any steady or usd'ul work ; while on the other hand, their constant fecliii" of antagonism to the Biit'bh made the cultivation of their lands appear almost a waste of time when a war might at any moment destioy all tlie results. William Thompson, and pel haps a few others .saw the danger, and strove, as- it appears in vain, to avert it. Of Thompson indeed it is said, that w hon called upon for his quota of men for the Kind's body guard of household troops, ho refused to sand any amnniii',' that planting potatoes w.is gieatly more piolltable work, lie the reasons however, what they may, we are now rat'icr concerne I with tiie rcdilfs of the state to which these Ihii-ps have bronijlit them. And here it it, a cr^-.t satisfaction to know that Sir George (ticy, who kne\\ sow -11 liow to deal with the starviti"- Cailrc, at the Cape, will pr< luldy m ike any tfood use that c m be made of this -tatc of thni£;s in New Zealand. In yas-e jou should not think it of suttici'jnt interest to your rcalcrsto publish tlie ieports obtained by Government fioni tlnir Native Commis-,ioners and M.i','isrrat"s, I Wl n ea(leavour to give you -oiuc kind of idea of the state of things which tlipy disclns-e Mr. 'Joist's, which refers t) the upper w.-itkato tribes, contain,,' an able sUitcment ot tl lc nature, workina:, and reasons of the Kin ? movemenr. In it he plainly shews how powerless for any "ood purp-se the whole thing i-. even ainon^- those* mo^t devoted*to its maintenance, ltunai.^is are hukl an l aws of severe and jcrious cli uaeier passed, all in the manner of schoolboys, and vhh e\ en less p.actical result, becm-e scarcely any one takes any furfhfinotice of tin ona;tm<Mits thus pastel The impi a siou left iv on the mind after leading this report » that the Kini movement has degenerated into a mo-.e-ment for unbounded license to make laws and an equally unbounded license to break them when made Ihe only other yet publishel i.s Mr. Turlon's reporl, and lias reference to the state of the NatH'Ps, prindpilly on the Thani"'- mil south eisi c. .t'of this i'nnince. [n it he gives mmv very arious and sometimes amusing evnmplcs of tlio" Uiuiauga or Native Court :md puliament system, for it ap°)"arsto combine both in one. IVrh ips the most aniusin" ease was one which happened in tlie Thames Valley" Ami old woman was ami«ed of having slandered the daughter of a petty chief, by calli:^ | ier a taiuekareka, or slave. A ltunan^i wns held at once, and an old chiof appointed .iud^e. Two yoiunj men were employed a, itoias (Aiif-Uee, lawyeis), v ill) a f,. 0 of 10s. each. Ihe couusj! for the pluintkr opened the case, and in a very few minutes succeeded in efteetually purlin • the poor old jud-o. Thtreupon, the other bc^in also.and both pai lm vociferated at the fop of tlieir voices, .accomp myin^ t!u ir speech by horrible Srimaoes at one another ; putting out their tongues, shaking their fists, and indeed, all but fi^htin" The darnaue; had been laid at fifty puiinds, aud^a lar^e iamily jnrty were present to support by their presence and assistance a cause which seemed to promise so good a thing for the family. Excited by the lawyers' animated di-cu«.-ion, nil the^ be^nn likewise to" life uptleirvoijcsinsappo.t of their relative's cause. M one tune it appeared as though they would eortainly v/mby ihntof meie Routine; ami but suddenly the defendant hers-Jf, ai oid woman cleft her way tin ou-h the cro-vd, and taking her stand ia the middle, began a harangue in such a key as commanded attention. She abused the lawyers, the Judge, the company in Rcneinl, and the plaintiff in particular, repeated with si run- assertion and marked emphasis the libel comphiued of, and fliallen^ed the whom Runanga to silence I er. Uoon this confusion became worse confonnde 1. ' A host otfneid.unmcdiiitulyspiangnpto support one s> w«U able to uphold bei ohh ri-lits, and as everyone elt it nundtnl to express hn or her feelinys by shouting am making liorriblo grimaces at the opposite party the scene must be rather mummed tha.i described; nor could any approach to order be restored until Mr. Turton consented to act as judge, to the & r f , H7 anCe n the ] ™* m > "doubtless! feared tint he would not be quite an f,dt to their iTifelff I>! ,r ! r'°- Ue fiuilli^ judurnentfo ti e p..untift, KJ.s dnma-cs, a result which pleased all |iat-tw,-th 0 plaaiti : f- ; |, e< . ftUae tl,»y l,.td Muxe <lc 1 o some cxfr'iit at least ; ilie clcfen lant, because uT a' I proceoiiod to inform the assembled ri'.uw'w she never had hud, and ,ieyer was likely to have such a sum. Loud applnuse followed this statement of her aflau-s, and an extempore collection was made of small coins, clothes, &c., to an amount greater than the

fine These were laid .ir the feet of rho plaintiiVs mother, and all rrtire lin the highest state of <>ratwicuaon. Tlii.s, although absurd enough, is the un>t harmless view of tie worldly of this sys'em with whic'i Mr. Turton's rcp.ut pre-ents lid. In general, its results seem to be tho utmost oppression to individi-..>1-) where it can be enforced, and utter contempt wii^n it cannot ; in some eases a man Las been known to constant.' himself a rmumija for pas-nip: a prohibitory law concerning' some piece of ground ; so that ill trojp.is--ersi might be fined. In another, .1 man has been fino 1 a young Homo for merely carrying a pistol contra-y to regulation. In &omo places :i law has been passed forbidding any sale of vheat under a cci tain price pjr bushel, and grain has evon bec?n .seiVd in Uig trader's lands, in accordant wich tlii- law, and forfeited to tlie use of the nt hi ni/a. o;is"s even worse than tliesj often appjar ti grow- nut of this system, t'ure.ueuiiu' a wide spread iinm>;;ali!y amongst them. From all the facts 11 irlated iv these two reports, it sejms pretty clear that the o'llv hope for the .Maori lie, in his l>ein« by s>;uo iue:ms brought under oar laws as administered by oui-bolves ; the pie-ent system id clear! v infinitely \vor33 than useless.

Iv Auckland, tlie Ga s Company to which I referred inrajh.tas beiiK; likely to be formed, is no.v in actual existence, with a capital of £20,000 in jCS shares. C'onsi loiib'y more than the full number of shares was applied for at oncj, so that it will iuve a most pr.v,ui-ui)s{ start : it is hopjd tvut active preparations for li^uunn the city will not be ihlayel m,r* than a very few mont'is fiom this time. I don't know how Duuodin may he situatt d, but I should think no city iv tlie wjrld could po^ibly 1)3 in need of iijit for ifcs strests by night than Auckland.

Our population hi,- tvcenv.i i smil! nccc^ion during 1 i,fc week, by /lie arrival of f,W- En rli*Jj ship,-— tin* Queuuoftho North, liSdays; tlu Boval Cnariie. l^Tilivs; an,!, lastly, tho loli^-pxppp'iid Blunde^ 1-j7 i'.iv-. out. Tv,'etliei- tlip'.r |us,s'iii£i'ts amount to h-t-rt. •> i .v.o and tluvc hundred,— t, sm.ilt number, if jiulsroJ by a q jl<l eolouy «fi-id u- ', hut yet by no means despicable iv itself. Aw i»- the pa^en-i^ wore a con-.i Lvable number of :' -uh i)am vstic servants brought out by o.iv Provincial G.ivovmnent. Such a ruin was can-.e J by the announcement of tho arrival of th'ssru-ce-t of all articles in our market that tho ;j<w u;-!! Is hir.lly kmnv how much waijrs to a,k, or Inw little \.urk tiny should eiiff.ue to do. T11.7 \mv, very quickly disposed of at g.n I jivices. Auck'au Tslitt'ivvry iiPtiviiy. vhish &howeJ sio-ns oflia: ! it.i'y in the establishment oi'a daily paper, has budde 1 .i'j,,iin in tho production of Mr. (Jiiap.na \\ New Zoilaud MayazMie— the fir,fc niiinbar of which w.i* f )ii!)i;>.:ie.l on 0i» l>t of Aiv^u^t. I suppose some •will ii'nl tilth' way to your market, so I need not entir into any uUcu^ioT of ity merits lice.

You tt'ilboglad to heat- that our Customs' Ticvenue has Ih»u givat ly O n the increase of late, so mil '"i so iadeoJ, t'i'it despite die non-arrival of t'i • «c ovcrdiij ships, the ivmvihic colic -ted during the niont!- of July asrnuntud to ,£3373.

Som" liuu riio you publish^ I in ,i letter from a di^ijov :.i Auckland to h s friend in Ota'< ), complaini'itf, infer a?m,o f the diilnos, of our Northern Cipi'a' w'th rrspixt to fimuseni»nh,. If I ran -inber rip-it, ii" pronounced it to he : 'as dull as a corrin " Iflio ha-> not bjon driven away by our vet w<\irlicr aid la.-k of " I'ree-an l-easi?s," ho must have channel !ih mind by tlr's time, as for many wrcka back there has h^on a cjnstiiut 'succession of cnlertamini'iiu, music il, th.'aU'ieal, &c , &c., of various do^i'Pea of cceelleu ••> '• and excel^nt fiey would r.quiie to be to induce liiiho-, and 'GUli-ruon to wad.) t'irotigli tha mud iv moonless nights.