AUCKLAND.

Wanganui Herald, Volume I, Issue 45, 24 July 1867, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

FIGHT BETWEEN' TWO HAPUS OF THE NGAPUHI TMBE.

CAPTIVITY AMONGST THE HAU HAUS. A correspondent of the Weekly News, says :—-" Some weeks ago two ha pug of the Ngapahi tribe had a dispute about a piece of land in the neighbourhood of Waimate, and had' a hostile meeting (I don't know whether I can call it a fight) on the subject, ht which no damage was done, beyond breaking an old musket. Mr. WilI liam% R.M. endeavoured to make peace between them, and thought he had succeeded, but yesterday and the day before they met again, and were either more in earneet or took better aim, for report Says that seven men were killed and several more wounded. I am unable at present to give the names, or any further particulars; but I believe what I have told you may be relied upon as a fact." The letter published by us on Saturday last from Mr. James Cur'ett, who has passed several years in captivity amongst the Hau hau?, is instructive as showing that, while the 300 military settlers of Tauranga were expecting nightly to be attacked, and, calling the Arawas in hot haste from Tarawera and Matata to help them to defend Te Papa, the people on the village* on the ranges were drifting about in small bodies of eight or ten amongst the Patatere settlements, with no idea of attacking TePapa, except by twelve unarmed men, operating kla Joshua. About 300 men, however, appear to have been gathered in the interior ready for mischief in any quarter, but' their design seems to have been put an end to by the King ordering a peace. The greater number of these men apparently dispersed about the Upper Thames. From the statement of Mr. Curiett it would appear that Kereopa is the foremost .man of the more violent patty, and it is certain that the influence of a few such men as he is, whose crime* the law cannot overlook, muht be most mischevious. We learn, however, from Waikato, that Kereopa acquiesces in the peace, and says that he will not do anything to break it unless attacked, or id attempt be made to capture him. — JVteklyNews. The half yearly meeting of the Shareholder* of the New Zealand Inturauce Company was held, last Wednesday, at the Board Room. A dividend of 5 per cent, for the half-year was declared. The Weekly Nevs say*:—-•• We under. | . stand that the survey has been made for extending the telegreph from Opotiki to Taurangsi in connection with the line from Wellington to Napier and Opotiki. The telegraph -works between Wellington and Napier are being rigorously pu»hed on. j The Northern Telegraph District, under the charge of Mr. Weaver, C.E.^the Engineer-io-chief, begins at Opntiki, as soon as may be deemed expedient, the line of telegraph will be continued from Tauranga to Cambridge, thus linking Auckland in the telegraphic chain of the colony. , ■-. We clip the following from the same paper:—"Mr. Peacock, philcsophical-in strument-maker, has now, in his shop in Shortland-street, one of those simple in- . atruments which have come so extensively into use lately at home by the great exten. sion of private telegraphy. The majority of our readers mut>t-be fully aware of the large use, made of the electric-wire now by mercantile houses a> borne. Tht manufacturer, in his counting-room in the city, communicates with his workshop in the I

suburbs by electricity; and, in the. large . towns, tha district police-offices send at once to the chiaf offices reports of robberies, fires, &c. The instrument imported by. Mr. Peacock is one of the most used, as it ; \% exceedingly simple, not; liable to get out of order, and can be u.«ed by anyone who knows the alphabet.. The electricity. Js developed by tmrning a handle, and the words are spelled by touching; keys which correspond to letters. The system is; of' course, not so rapid as Morse's and other systems used at home in news despatches, but is far better adapted than these for private tele^ graphy, or for sending messages short distances. The cost of the instrument is about £50. ■ :•■-■*: ■ . •■■ ■-'• . ■ •■. • ■ ;■'-■

Native intelligence reached town yesteiday from the Upper Waikaio which is of coi aiderable importance. It appears that the fanatics under Hakaraia an Kereopa have drawn an aukati close by Cambridge, antl insist upon removing all "Europeans outside that boundary, and prohibiting the leasing of land. These men are going about through the interior, between our con6sca ed boundary and Hawke's Bay and Wellington, keeping the country in a state of anarchy. The King and Rewi are against any overt acts being committed ; but the fanatic* pay no attention to the orders of the King. Matters had arrived at thia stage, that a great meeting is to be held at M aungotautari in the ensuing week, to de. cide what is to be done. The question to be discussed is whether the natives who own the land, and are willing to lease it, and have leased portions of it to Europeans, will submit to the dictation of Kereopa and Hakaraia, and drive off the Europeans and their stock, or whether they will, put down these disturbers of the public peace by force. The feeling amongst t.he natives generally is said to be very strong in the direction of settling ihe affair by an appeal to arms; and it would requ re very little.indeed to induce them to commence at once. Everything will depend upon the decision arrived at next week at MaungatatiUri, unless something precipitates a struggle in the meantime. We regret that Te Oriori is dangerously ill. His loss at this crisis would be serious. He has great influence amongst the natives, and it has hitherto been exerted on the ride of progress and set;lemeut.—Dai/y Southern Cross .-,.,;.