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Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 7003, 1 March 1886, Page 2

Pigs and Maoris are always associated together in the European mind as being the principal inhabitants of the Maori pahs, with of course a few mongrel curs thrown in to fill up the pictiire. It seems, however, that in some parts of Taranaki the Maoris do not keep pigs, owing, no doubt, to the close proximity of European settlements. Such a thing as keeping their domestic pets penned up in styes never occurs to the Maori mind, and the consequence is that unless there is a large extent of country for the pigs to roam about in tho Maori caunot keep them at all. Ratapihipihi is an inetance of this, there not being a single member of the porcine family to be found there. In other settlements further away from Europeans the natives have so many pigs on their runs that their riches are really untold, and tho gentlemen who recently took tho Maori census found, it is said, great difficulty in getting even an approximate statement o£ the number of stock owned by natives In some of the pahs the pigs went into the hundreds. Besides pigs the Maoris have great numbers of cattle and horses, and according to the best authorities the horned cattle of Upper Mokau total up to fully a thousand. Ownership, however, with the Maoris is not such a substantial thing as with ourselves, for Maori cattle see very little of their owners, and may more properly be classed as wild. Our Waitara correspondent writes: — " The Gairloch did smart work here on Friday. She crossed tho bar inwards at 2 p.m., discharged 5 tons cargo, loaded 50 bullocks, 1 horse, and about 5 tons of luggage and cargo, and crossed the bar outwards at 3.15 p.m , being but 75 minutes in all. Inside the bar is in good order. It was lowest neap tides yesterday, and fully 9 feet 6 inches of water on it." Our Breakwater is becomiug of great use to the Waitara traders. The Gairloch arrived on Friday at daybreak, landed her passengers and cargo at New Plymouth, and waited till the tide at Waitara admitted of her going in, and then made the quick despatch as reported above. It is impossible for anyone to watch tho men at work at tho end of the breakwater without feeling that it will bo a great pity if these men are allowed to disperse through the stoppage of the work, as is to be the case when the present credit is exhausted. To see them carrying on their operations so smoothly in the face of all the disadvantages that working in the opon se.i and some twenty or thirty feet of water means, must impress the spectator with the idea that only long practice could have given such exper.ness and efficiency. Oc course there van be no doubt that tho works will be stopped, that these men cannot be retained, aud that when operations are re-commenced in future others will have to bo trained, but among other matters to be regretted when the last shilling ia spent will most certainly bo that the training thesb men have received will be totally lost to ub in future. Mr. Bryce has Bubpcenaed Sir Dillon Bell as a witness in his libel case. When Bryce called at Victoria Chambers Sir Francis asked him whether he wasn't beginning to feel just a wee bit sorry hs had brought tho action. " Would you have sat silent under such imputations V" said Bryce. The Agent-General thought he should. <% ono could scarcely" he opined, "call a few newspaper extracts loosely strung togethera history of New Zealand," and lie had a lively recollection of the costly nature of legal proceedings. The New Plymouth Fire Brigade will hold its annual meeting this evening in the Council chamber, at 7.30. The vital statistics for the mouth of February for tho Borough of New Plymouth wore ;— Births, 15 ; deaths, 8 j marriages, 4.