NEW ZEALAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3352, 6 January 1879, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND.

AUCKLAND. [special] Jan. 4. A telegram has been received from Melbourne stating that Messrs M'Lean and Go's entire hoi'se Musket had arrived in good condition by the Kent at Melbourne. He is to 'be sent on to Auckland by the steamer Hero. • Mrs Alley's storo and dwolling at Whangarei Heads wero totally destroyed by fire on New Year's night. The affair looks suspicious. Mrs Alley ia a widow, with five children, and iB at present on a visit to Auckland. r From various sofcfclomonfcs noivs comes that /the new harvesting maoliinos are working well and giving every satisfaction to the" ■owners of crops. Should , the .present highly favourable weather continue for a. fortnight longer the greater portion of the wheat in the Auckland district will bo secured in first-rate , condition. The crops at Whangarei and OtaVtuhu present just now a very encouraging spectacle. * The Native Minister proceeded to the Wai • ' kato to-day to visit Kewi, and will afterwards go aoross to Ohinomuri to have an interview frith Tukino, respecting the. land, and road question in the Thames district. Mr. Shcehan -will remain two days -at-Grahams-town, and will probably bo banquotted by the \leailing residents. Ho will also probably visit Warkwortli before returningj-o Wellington. During the month ending T)ec., 1878, there •were 22 deaths registered within tho City of Auckland. Tho number during the corresponding month of 1877 were 18 deaths. There were nine deaths in the Hospital in tho month of Dec, 1878. An inquest wa3 held on Friday aftevnoon, before Dr Gtoldsbrough, upon tho woman Bridget Connolly, who poisoned herself by taking carbolic acid. The jury returned a verdict that death resulted from taking poison, but there was no evidence to snow in what state of mind deceased was in at the time. Tho Waioharaka pumps at the Thames stopped work to-day. The Queon of Beauty will in consequence cease work, and a large number of men will be at once paid off, the mine being Hooded out. /"Messrs Stewart and Buro, engineers, are mow at the Thames, laying off the sections oi' /the Thames and Waikato railway. Various ( local authorities are working hard with the others to seoure the land free. Mr Mo3s; M.H.R., returned to Auck-** 1 land v last night froni Kotorua. The^ Maoris whom ho accompanied, succeeded, in ro-opening the old track . .which runs ' through tho Kobora bush' direct to Otopopa, and will effect a considerable saving in distance between the Lake district and Cambridge. .The track is one that has only been used by Maoris, but Bishop Solwyn and Sir George Grey both travelled over a portion of it on their journey to Hotoruamany years ago. The bush is chiefly riihu, and the land is rich ; and well fitted for ; settlers along , the whole line. Mi* Moss described the track as free from any difficulty in the formation of, a good coach road, placing Cambridge within an easy day's journey of the Lake district, ■which could then be more conveniently reached from Auckland than Tauranga.. The road dvor the new track would be much easier arid muoh leas costly than that of Tauranga. The now track is reached by Otepopa, toj which a good coach road is already, all but made. From Oiepopa the road would bo for 8 or ten miles of much the same character as the part now finished. The country then becomes much easier, and practically level, for the remainder of the distance through the bush, which is probably about 20 miles in breadth. The road would open at Awahou, and cuts tho Tauranga road to Ohinoumtu at that point, from which it is nearly level. Tho track is now quite practicable for footmen, who could go through in a day, as it has been cleared of vines and undor-growth, but it is still impracticable to horsemen. Mr Moss is of opinion that no timo should bo lost in undertaking the survey of this track, as ifc is of great importance to improve the present deficient means of communication between the valuable lake district and Auckland.