THE MAORI CENSUS.

Colonist, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4399, 15 March 1886, Page 3

THE MAORI CENSUS.

The task of obtaining returns as to the Maori population having been imposed on the police, the census was taken a few days ago, and the returns for the Nelson Police District have just been made up. From these we find that the number of Natives in the district named is 493, as against 580 in 1881, when the previous census was taken, but this decrease of 37 is accounted for in the remarks attached to the returns sent in by Mr Inspector ; Atcheson, who states that he does not think it is attributable to any special i or serious disease or epidemio, but ' that it may be accounted for by the | fact that a number of Natives left [ their abodes in this Island about the i end of 1881 for Parihaka, and have ' not since returned, The papers show ] that in the Waimea County there are ( 96 Maoris, the whole of these being ' distributed between Wakapuaka, Croix- , elles where there are only three now living, and Motueka. In the Collingwood County there are 25. In the ( Sounds—Pelorus Sound and Queen Charlotte Sound — there are 185, 1 and there are 38 at D'Urville's Island. , In tbe County of Marlborough there are 87, and at the Kaikoura 62. Each of these localities show a slight decrease, but at Kaikoura there was a falling off of 22. The returns showing the amount of land in cultivation and the quantity of stock held in each district are interesting. In Waimea 1 County the Natives have 4l£ acres i in _ potatoes, _22 in wheat, 4 in \ maize, 63£ in other crops, and f 50 in sown grasses, whilst theypos- a sess 400 sheep, 114 head of cattle, c and 107 pigs. In the Collingwood County they have 4 acres in potatoes, 2f in maize, Bin crops not specified, j and 156 in sown grasses, and they i possess 21 head of cattle, and but two 5 pigs. _ In Kaikoura they have 5| \ acres in potatoes, 2J in maize, 1£ in \ other crops, and 10 in sown grasses, j whilst they possess 31 head of cattle and 53 pigs. In the County of Marlborough they have 48£ acres in po- j tatoes, 41 in wheat, 6£ in maize, 201 J in other crops, and they possess 84 J head of cattle, and 4 pigs. In the \ Sounds they have 25| acres in potatoes, i 8£ in wheat, 6| in maize, 14f in other 5 crops, 75 in sown grasses, and they * possess 2739 sheep, 117 head of cattle, and 285 pigs. At D'Urville Island t they have no cultivation, but possess i 150 sheep, 24 head of cattle, and 70 I pigs. The above figures give particu- J lars as to individual properties, but in j the County of Marlborough there are j 700 acres in crop, and in the Sounds I five acres, the common property of the ? tribe or hapu. Only a few years ago \ the Natives in some of the districts j enumerated were very numerous, I but their numbers have in the past 5 rapidly decreased, and at Golden Bay ]j and in the Croixelles, where they j WGre powerful, only a bare remnant remains. Still, the decrease that has taken place during the last five years is accounted for to a very large extent if not wholly. The report sent in by Mr Atcheson states:—" Deaths may be chiefly traced to pleurisy and consumption, but, on the whole the Native population appear to enjoy good health. The Natives residjng in and around Pelorus are reported as being (as a rule) industrious as far as obtaining work is concerned, but they are improvident, frequently spending what they earn in liquor."

Naval Aktilleky.—On Saturday last the monthly competition for this Company's second-class modal took place, wlien Seaman Folokmann was the successful marksman, with a score of 30. A Liberal Insurance Company. — Our readers will remember that on the occasion of the destruction by fire of Mr Jas Smith'g house in the Maitai Valley, it was believed that the insurance policy in the Northern Insurance Company would be of no avail, as the Company was protected by a condition that it bhould not be answerable for loss occasioned by bush fire. Mr Geo. Harper, the local agent of the Company, interested himself in the matter, feeling that the condition was not intended to apply to such a ease, and the result of his communications with the head office of the Company was an authority being given him to do anything that might seem to him strictly just. Mr Harper has handed over the insurance money, £150, to Mr Smith's representatives. Death Caused by a Safety Pin.—A short time ago, Mr W. Coleman, of Hope, sold to Mr Ellis, of the same locality, a good staunch draught horse for the sum of £20, and on Thursday night last, when Mr Ellis fed the horse in its stable it was apparently in perfect health, but on the following morning he found it quite dead. The cause of death was a mjstery, till Mr Coleman, for his own satisfaction, held a post mortem examination. He soon found evidence that the cause of death had originated from the heart, and after further examination he found thai a safety pin, which had become nearly straightened, had lodged in passing through the animal, and that a little more than an inch of the pin protruded through the passage, and had just reached-the heart. Mr Coloman says that the pin only just reached tbe hearo, &o that it must have, been the beating of the heart that caused the pin to slightly puncture that organ, for a turn in the pin prevented its going further. The crooked pin, which in thig case wai as fatal as a " bare bodkin," has been left at this office. It had evidently been swallowed by tha horse with its food. Our readers will agree that of all remarkable caiea of death thii ii ont Qf tht most •trangt.

r Nelson Building Society. — The Man nubieription -meeting will take place tb = evening.' \ ' . .. Mining News.—Messrs Beeves & Co. ha ► received the follewing return! from the vai ous Beef ton mines for the past weeksWelcome, 3780z5; Venus, 3910zs ; Keep-i Dark, 328oz«; Inglewood, 200ozs amalgam We have been asked to draw attention i the auction sale of property and househp] effects to. be held by Messrs Smythe an Co, at Mr. G. A Mawson's residence i •■ Wakefield at half past ten this morning, a All Saints' Church. — The Rev A. ( s Wright, the new Incumbent of All Sainti preached at both; morning and evening sei vices yesterday, and "his good practical sei ' mona were listened to.with marked attention Ordination.—At Christ Church this morn ing the Rev A. P. Clarke will be ordaine ' Priest by hii Lordship the Bishop. The ser yiee will commence at eleven o'clock, 1 Gabdkk Party, Salb of Wobk, #c. .— I ) all Church members were as enthusiasts ; workers as' some ladies in Nelson very, mud . more practical good would be accomplished ' and to mention an individual object, shor ' time would elapse before the contemplated > improvements to the Cathedral Church wen effected. This afternoon a garden party and , sale of work will be.held »t the Cliffs, whilst tea will be provided, and in the evening, an open air concert will be given. A stroll in the shrubberies at the Cliff would alone be enjoyable, but with the inducements to do a little profitable business iv the way of purchasing useful articles or ornamental work, and then, having partaken of tea, to enjoy a capital concert, and stroll in the meonlight listening to the Battalion Band., the membera of which have kindly volunteered their services, the attractions must prove irresistible to great numbers. A bus will run ta the Cliffs, leaving town at intervals of an hour, and with the trifling bus fare and the small charge for admission to the grounds, it will be a matter of surprise if there is net a very large party at tbe Cliffs Jo-day, prtvidiag always that tho weather 13 fine. It ia needless to add that the gathering will be entirely' of a publio nature, but we may state that we hear that tea will be provided for at least 200. At dusk the Bhrubbery will be illuminated with numerous. Chinese lanteri, the effect of which may;,be imagined.: The whole of the proceeds are to be devoted to the Christ Church rebuilding fund. " Law sakes alive! "_ exclaimed Mrs Stubbins, as she gazed with a look of horror through her spectacles. " Now I knew why sailors as is starved to death at sea never dies. Here's Tom says as how in the yacht race the sailors on the Isca took a bight of a rops. It must be tough chawin' though. Then they has to sail in tbe teeth of the wind and go about on tacks—and perhaps some of tbe poar fellows has no shoes on their bare feet. Then, again, he says as hew the Xarifa walked away from the other with a long l«g and a short leg. Now, it ain't reasonable to suppose as how any one as has a long leg and short leg is agoin' to win a walkin' match. I don't understand it; but how I dees pity them poor sailers!" SYNOPSIS op NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. The following new announcements,-<feo., will be found in to-day's issue of this paper :— List of licenses issued by the City Council. Football Jerseys,' Ac., at New Zealand Clothiug Factory./ 1.0. R. Temperance Benefit Society fer Women. "^ Garden Party, Sale of Work, and Concert at "The Cliffs "to-day. Warner & Co have a new announcement. Bank Holiday on Wednesday next. The Wakatu Bua will run to The Rocks this afternoon.