THE OHINEMURI GOLDFIELD.

Thames Advertiser, Volume IX, Issue 2455, 27 October 1876, Page 3

THE OHINEMURI GOLDFIELD.

SUEYEYOBS STOPPED-EESOET TO EIREAEMS. (FBOM OUE OWN COEBESPONDENT). Mackaytown, October 25, The weather has been very unsettled during the past fortnight, and for a time the roads wero very greasy, but lately they have got into pretty good order again. The rain which has fallen has been a great boon to the farmers, and as tho moon changes to'day, we shall likely get another spell of dry weather, which will bring on the crops Jin double quick time. The natives are still busy crying for tho natives lately deceased, and another death has taken place at Te Moananui's settlement. A young woman named Marara, who is connected with the Ngatiwhanaunga, died on Monday, afternoon, of consumption, after a long illness. Tho most noticeable feature in connection with those tangis is the absence of grog. Tho Young New Zealand started crushing.at kick's battery yesterday, but I have not' heard how the stuff is shaping. The Enorgetic people are still getting good stone, and everything is going on satisfactorily in tho Waitekauri Co.'s mino and at the battery. At Osvharoa the works in the Annie, Smilo of Fortuue, and Morning Light claims are being pushed ahead under tho superintendence of Messrs Climo and Dunlop. It is expected that Mr Perry's battery will be ready to start crushing in a month's time.

There was a bit of a breeze to-day at To Awaiti, about the surrey of tho block of land lately purchased by Mr Mackay. It seems that the boundaries pointed out by Te Wikiriwki on behalf of Mataia's people had encroached on the land owned by the Ngatihako. Yesterday a number of the aggrieved natives went with arms and stopped the surveyors and threatened to shoot Mr Mackay or anybody else who would dare to carry on the survey. Messrs McCarlie and Caskell reported the state of affairs to Mr Mackay at once, and he went up to-day to give the natives a chance of carrying out their threats. Things at one time looked very ugly, and tho natives, who were fully armed, fired a volley over the heads of Mr Mackay's party, Mr Mackay, however, proceeded, and his intrepidity caused the natives to abandon their original intention. However, some of them went in for a good doal of bounce, but Mr Mackay showed them that they were in the wrong, as he was simply surveying ground according to the instructions of the owners of the adjacent block. If they could prove that the boundaries pointed out were incorrect he would have the matter rectified, Tukukino and others sided with Mr Mackay, and everything is satisfactorily settled.

Paeroa, October 26. On Monday news arrived that the surveyors had been stopped on the Waitino West block, which has been lately purchased by Mr Mackay, as agent for the (Government. The disturbance was caused by a tribe who have no claim to the land in question, but have a grudge against the vendors. They ordered the surveyor and his party off, telling them that if Mackay or Wikiriwhi had been present that they would have shot them, Mackay, on hearing this, started, accompanied by Gerald O'flalloran, they having armed themselves with a revolver each. They found on arrival two armed natives doing sentry-go on the lino. A discussion took place, during which shots were fired over the heads of the Europeans. Mackay explained to the obstructionists that their proper course was not to interfere with the surveyors, but to sottlo the dispute botween themselves and tho sellers of the land. Tho result is that tho survey is to proceed, and it is to bo hoped in the interests of the district that wo may not again hear of a similar attempt.