LOCAL INTELLIGENCE

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 83, 29 July 1846, Page 3

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE

Wairarapa.—About.3o head ©f cattle were driven in from Captain Smith's station, last week. Wβ have frequently noticed the fine condition that stock acquire , by a short stay ,in that district; and it speaks highly for the: richness and .plentiousness of the. pasturage; particularly the sheep, which appear larger than those introduced, and like pri;ze fed meat at home. The lambing jeason is over, and we believe is generally satisfactory • but the extraordinary severity of the weatner, and the great-quantity of rain that has fallen laf ly, hassprhewhat deteriorated it. TheVoers are sanguine of .a good' crop of wool this season, and have been geiting in some grain for their own consumption. The natives were all,quie,t audpeaceably disposed.

• Sagacity pf Dogs.—A remarkable in, -stance of the attachment and sagacity of dogs occurred, in the. Hntt on the occasion .of the murder of I'Oth Gille&pie and Hush. Gillespie's dog wa9 severely hurt by the murderers of Jiis master, being cut by a -tomahawk.abouuheheadinseveral places, . (supposed to be done in offering resistance to the Maories) and the dog «as believed to be dead. Some days after, however, he was discovered ,on the bank of the ..river where his master used to cro*s, howling, and waiting;.for his return ; nor could he by any inducement be made 40 quit the.-epot. Subsequently he was taken hy one "of the neighbour's, and treated kindly, but he still retained his knowledge of his former owner. On the production of the cap which poor Gillespie .used io ■wear, (not thinking about the dog) aiit bad been washed, and similar 10 others that were there, the dog jumped up, .and snatched it away ; nor could it again be got from him. Poor Rush's dog' was equally sagacious, and it is a great pity that it wa- found necessary to destioy. its 4ife. There are many instances of this dogs sagacity known to numbers here. On one occasion, when his master had taken some corn to the mill Jo be ground, lie unconsciously left the sacks. Missing ■liia dog, two days after he came from the "Hutt (a distance of'niae miles) and discovered his dog carelully guarding them, nor would he allow any person to go-iUear him. Tie dog, by.himself, used frequently to go and drive the horse home. Many .other tales are tod of, this dogs sagacity; '.but his faithfulness equalled his sagacity ; :for on the body ot his master being found, »-he was seen caressing and licking his •hand, and prevented any person from ap.proching hini.by his growls and ferucjous /Conduct. The poor fajtliful creature was -of necessity.shot, to see if any fhiwg could be done for his mast r. It ia cenain that -such dogs as these are worth taking care «of, and are worth a color and chain; but M is equally certain, that the auperabun•dance of.Maori curs, and dogs •without owners, should be got rid of, ;for the projection, of those persons keeping stock, iiot rto say a wq,rd about,the cruelty of it. By suffering useless enrs to roam at large, and destroy sheep.and injure horses, the repudiations of good dogs suffer and in all pro. .tl)al»i!ity .the pockets.af their masters also.

The sohooner Susannah Ann, Hemsley, maeter, arrived in port yesterday moming, from the Kai Kfcra. By h O r. we learn that the whalers were still busily at work, Fyfe having procured 60 tuns of oil, and at Mr. Fitztierbert's station 50 tuns had been obtained.

The brigantine Scotia, Ward, master, arrived in port yesterday, from Sydney, •having been eighteen days on the passage. The Scotia encountered severe weather, and was three days in wiih the land, jforo entering the harbour. The Scotia has a full cargo of general merchandize. Capt. Ward has kindly furnished us with a London paper, the Morning- CbroJtij.cle of March 5, the most interesting extracts from which will be found in another portion of to-day's paper. '

There is a report that the Madras, advertized in the London papers for this place, has been taken off the berth, and that two vessels were laid on for Oiago.

> We have again to trouble Mr. St. Hill, in his capacity of P.»lice Tin carts have rendered the road.-way up, Willis.-street nearly impassable, and ihej* ■are now ciming up the f.»ot r path. We have seen chiMren an<l others forced. <>ff; the path juto the road, up to their knees in mud, and unless some attention is paid *o .the matter, it wjU be our melancholy duty to record the fact of some female or cfeild being.run over in the dark.

>lt is.to be hoped that some more effective superintendence will be given at next interval of fine weather, to the prison labour bestowed upon .the beach, At pre- , sent the distinction between those parts, of. the road which have been recently repaired and those which continue untouched is in the colour of the mud. After dark the benefit of this distinction is lost, and the soundings afford no guide the average depth being equal.

H.M, War steamer Driver, Comman. der C. O Haye?, with his Excellency Capt. Grey, and suite, on board, returned to port yesXerclay morning, Rauparaha ■and the other prisoners were immediately removed to H.M.B, Calliope. The Driver : visited Several places on the.coast after th-ir capture, but nothing was seen of" the body of,natives from Wanganui. vl'he armed police were landed, and.stationed, at Waikanae. The troops, bluejackets, and marines, were landed at Pαrirua. The Driver leaves again to-day for the-coast.

■Jjast week, one of the natives employed on the Porir.ua Road, was killed by a tree falling upon him, making two uaiives killed, on the same this manner.

The natives employed on the Porjrua Road decamped on Friday fight, on hearing of the arrest of Te liauparaha.

Birth.—At Wellington, on Saturday, the 2uih July, the wife of Mr. John Harding, turner, of a sou.