AUCKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 70, 13 June 1846, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

Natives.—ln the native war, about one month since, between the Ngatitipa and the Ngatipou tribes, several chiefs and their relatives were slain, on both sides, and among'the allies of the latter tribe, the Ngaiiteata, Te Itopiha, a nephew | of Kawau, chief of the Noatiwatua tribe, at present resident at Hokao and Orakei, was killed. During the last fortnight, the Ngatiwatua went to Manukao, intendmg tu.cross the harbour to,the ground where the battle, was foagiiT, jn order, as they, declar.d, merely to fetch the boly of their relative, and convey it to Orakei for interment. The Waikato tribes ofN-a-tuipa, Ngatimahuta, Ngatitamaoho, &c, entertained .opinions that the visit of the Xga.iwatua was hostile, aad to demand utu, or satisfaction for the death of Te Kopihn, and they assembled in numbers, on the southern shore of Manukao, and threatened thatif the Ngaiwatuasaiterapted to cros*, th .t they would meet them midway, in the harbor, and d.strov them. By the persuasion of Wetere and Jabez Bunting, the desisted from their purpose, and leaving their large war canoes on the beach, near Onuunga, as pledge of their desire, apparently, to p eserve peace and Iriendiy connexion with the Waikato tribes, they departed f.,r Urakei and Hokao. But on their raurn, in revenge.for the conduct of the Waikato tribe?, they placed a tapu On all the roads leading from the interior, through their district into Auckland. The Waikato tribes, during the last we. k, hearing of the scarcity of pork in Auckland, bay« driven in numbers of On their arrival at the spot und. r ta r v, three pigs were taken In the Ng.tiwatua, a« penalty f-r breaking the tapu The Waikato, enraged at this conduct, did no;, by oree, resist the s izure of the pig--, but have n> turt.ed to th ir own country, threatening vengeance, by imm di.ie return wi.h afi' their jfri.-nds, to expel the Ngatiwa ua tribe wiiolly from their present abode .o Kaipara. Urakei and Hokao are not the rightful inheritance of the Nga iwatua, but they dwell there by sufferan ■ c from Te Wherowero, and other Waikato chiefs. The occupaiion of that valuable sp.>t so near the town of Auckland, has long ben the jealous envy of the Waikato people, and now that they have been so insulted, as to turni-h plausible plea for possession ot their lands, there is no doubt whatever, but they will promptly avail themselves of it. The elder chiefs of ihe Nga'iwatua, Kawau, Tinana, Kaipuke, &c , disclaim any participa ion in laying on the tapu, ascribing it to the younger chiefs, and they have appealed to Te Whero-whero, 'O interfere and prevent ho.tile collisi-m. However desirous the latter sensible, peaceable, chief may be to promote such result, we very much doubt whether he will be able to restrain the restless warlike spiriis of young New Zealand.— From the New Z alander, April 25. Scoria Building.—ln the barrack ground, Britomart Point, there is in course of erection a mo*t superior structure of Scoria, intended for quarters of officers, stationed there. The building consists of four rooms, two on the ground floor, and two above; each 18 feet by LQ, and 10 feet hiiih, with passage 7 feet wide, The outer walls are twenty four inches thick, and the masonry is higbly*^preditable to the soldiers of the 58th IreViment, whom we presume have been emulated to excel in their work, the scoria barracks erected by the "al'ant 80th Regiment.—lbid. Mimtaiiy Band, —The present monotony of Auckland, is much relieved, twice during the week, by the kindness of Colonel Wynyard, permitting the excell" cnt band of his Regiment, to perform in the lawn before Government h >use, on the afternoons of Tuesday and, Friday. The very considerate acquiescence to requests for attendance of the band; and the very prompt attention lo complaints, so as to preserve, the,comfort and ; peace of the inhabitants of.Auckland, from being in the least degree disturbed, has secured to Col. Wynyard an 1 the officers of the gallant Five .and Eight, the deep ; respect, and

sincere thanks of the whole commnnitv. — Ibid. J Ship Building.—ln addition to our former announcement of ship bui'dng in the harbour of Auckland, there is n< w on the stocks in the ship building yard of Messrs. Sbar ; .eand Nicho], in Mechanic's Bay, a schooner, to be yacht bni!t, of 33 tons old m- a-uieraont, for Ft. C. Barstow, Esq.- ~J.ler lenjr'h of keel is 40 fret, extreme- length, 45 feet six inche , breadth of be*in, 13 feet 8 inch-8, and depth of hold; midships, 6 Ket 8 inches. She is to be ringed as fore and aft schooner, with gaff topsails. From the acknowledged reputation of the builders, and the etiperior materials with which she is constructed, and which are exclusively indigenous in the northern district, we feel perfectly confident that this vessel wili prove a clipper, and induce others engaged in maratime commerce, to avail themselves of the peculiar advantages of Auckland, and the Waitemata for the construction of all description of vessels.—lbil.

■■■!■ COAL. [From the New Zealander, April 25, 1846] Now that H. M. War Steamers are likely to be permanently stationed in New Zealand, as part of the naval force, at the disposal and command the Governor, it becomes, more than ever, an ob * ject of importance, that the supply of coal for such vessels, should be the product of the colony. Lately, there have been 1500 tons of this mineral contracted for in Sydmy, to be delivered in Auckland, for her Majesty's service; and which wil 1 occasion an expenditure of above j£2ooo for the Government of this Cnlony; but, which, being paid out of it, will not in the least benefit th e native population or European setters. On the MiJdle Island there is abundance of coal,. at Massacre Bay ; but at vessels of some size are rquired to carry the material any distance b) sea persons could not compete from such source, with the collieries of Newcastle, in New Sou.h Wales whf re they have the aid of machinery for shipment' At Matakana, there is coal; but although so nsa r to Auckland we believe it will requira some considerable outlay, in sinking shafts, &c., before the product of mineral can be great and constant. In the river Mukau, about forty milas north Of Taracaki, on thu west coast, coal can bt obtained in abundance, from the very b3nks of the river about thirty miles from the mouth, and which is * good harbour, but sea carriage- will be required from such source to supply steamers whose depots w»uld, of coa.se, be at the principal settlements. It will be recollected, that last year some native ß from the Waikato, broUghc into Auckland several ba>kets of coal, which they stated existed, in great quantities, on the banks of that river. We mnderstand, that the Attorney-General, ia his recent excursion into the interior, visited the spot whence this Coal wag procured ; and we rejoice to state t that as Auckland progressts in piosperlty, regular abundant smppliss comld be obtained, —if the communication was, in some degree, improved,—and at a cheap rate. The locality Is a place called Kaikoto, on the river Wtikato, between the Church Missionary station, Tiboro, and the confluence of the Waipa and Waikato : and not above seventy miles from Auckland, by the rout* which travellers pursue into the interior; but, of course, that would not be the line for carriage of th 3 material. There is a mountain of coal within four hundred yards of the banks of the river, and the mineral can be dug out from the sides, aud run down the rive r without difficulty, and at little expense. It the Waikato wns united to the Awaroa, barges, holding many tons, could come direct from tba coal field to Oneunga, by watching the tides, in one day, and if natives accustomed to the Waikato, the return trip would not be long. However, although the existence of this valuable mineral may not be, for some years, available to the inhabitants of Auckland ; vet, it a matter of great importance, looking to the settlement of Europeans on the pastoral plains of. the Waikato and the Waipa. There must be an extent ive coal field, —and the natives confirm it,—in that district, and perhaps the bed on'the banks of the Mokau is part of this coal series: therefore, one of the greatest drawbacks to this settlement in districts deficient of wood, is removed by this discovery ; and the future settlers in that part of the island, can rely on cheap inexhaustible supply of fuel for their domestic wants and comforts.