LATEST FROM AUCKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 2820, 8 April 1869, Page 3

LATEST FROM AUCKLAND.

TE KOOTI AT RANGITAIKE— SHORT OF PROVISIONS AND AMMUNL TION. CAPTURE OF THREE HAUHATJS BY THE FRIENDLIES. A VESSEL SEIZED FOR SELLING POWDER TO THE NATIVES. IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES AT THE THAMES. FEOM A CORRESPONDENT. Auckland, April 3. The s.a. Tanranga returned from the East \ Coast at 4 p.m. to-day, with his Honor the j Superintendent. She brings news from Tauranga up to the 2nd instant. Te Kooti is said to be hard pressed for ammunition. OnWednesday.hedeapatelied I two of his men to Kaiterere, a place about twenty miles from Ohinemutu, in order to {ret ammunition from the natives there. They, however, immediately took the two emissaries prisoners, and forwarded them to I Maketu. Te Kooti is still in the neighborhood of Rangitaike. The excitement at Tauranga is somewhat j subsiding. The women and children no i longer sleep in the redoubt at night, although ; the aspect of affairs has in no way altered. I The cutter Providence arrived at Tauranga from Opotiki on the morning of the 2ndinst, bringing three Hauhau prisoners two of j them are referred to above as having been taken prisoners by the loyal natives while endeavoring to procure ammunition, and named respectively Tiniona and Coffin ; the other, Tenuti, was taken prisoner a few days ago. It is said that this man was once in the Auckland police, and belongs to the Ngatipoi'au tribe ; the other two belong to the Ngatiawa. An examination, of these prisoners took place on the afternoon of their arrival at Tauranga before Colonel Harington and Mr Clarice, Civil Commissioner, but the result is not known. It is supposed they will be fomvarded on to Auckland. It is quite clear that Te Kooti must be very hard up. for ammunition. It is well known that when he first made his appearance at Ohiwa he was short. At Whakatane he obtained three kegs of powder at the mill, and an approximation to the quantity of ammunition, arms, &c. acquired by him from Rakuraku and other traitors can possibly be arrived at by the authorities who supplied them, — his great want appears to be caps. Major Mair arrived at Tauranga from Opotiki on the 2nd. There is no news of importance from that quarter. It is reported in town to-day that the cutter Mary Ann, Scott, master, haa been seized by the Customs authorities at the Thames for smuggling spirits. It is also rumored that the same vessel has been employed carrying powder to the natives. Another vessel of larger tonnage is also implicated in the matter, she having brought the powder from New Caledonia and landed it on the Cmst. Further particulars will no doubt be elicited in a few days. $* The s.s. Hero is doing a good trade between Sydney and this port. She arrived here last Saturday with upwards of 500 tons of cargo, and about 70 passengers ; and left for Sydney and Melbourne again to-day with about 60 passengers. The s.s. Star of the South will leave here for Napier to-morrow. The s.s. Wellington is advertised to leave for Napier and Wellington on Tuesday next, and will carry a supplementary mail for England. The John Perm and Royal Alfred have just arrived from the Thames. To day's " Advertiser" gives the following items : — THE KURANTTI CO.'s SPECIMENS. For quantity and quality the most magnificent show of specimens we have yet seen on this gold field were shown yesterday by Captain Ninnis, manager of the Kv.ranui Co.'s claim. There were altogether about 10 cwt taken out during the last two days, and amongst them were a number of large blocks weighing from 141 b to 201betich. The stones were completelypenetratedwith coarse gold of a very superior color, and we have not the slightest hesitation in saying that some of the stone will yield three ounces to the pound. The specimens were taken from the leader known as Barry's lead. BATTEKT RETURNS. The undermentioned figures will speak most eloquently for the increasing prosperity of the district, and also serve to show the strong claim we have for consideration from the Government for the large amount of export duty drawn from the place. souter's battery. Through the courtery of Mr John L. Stevens, manager of Souter's battery, we have been furnished with the monthly and and half-yearly returns from the stuff crushed at this machine. For the month ending March 31st the number of tons crushed is 417, and the yield of gold 40320z Odwfc 13gr, or an average of 9oz 13dwt 9gr to the ton. For the half-year ending March 31st the quantity crushed amounted to 1920 tons 6 cwt, and the total yield of gold amounted to 22,4140z ldwt, of which the value, at the rate of £2 10s per ounce, is £5G,035 2s Gd, and the export duty, at the rate of 2s 6d per ounce amounted to the sum of £2801 15s. KURANTTI'S CO's BATTERIES. We are indebted to Mr J. Brown, the manager of the Kuranui Compan's batteries, for the monthly return of amount of stone crushed and quantity of gold obtained therefrom at this machine. During the month ending March 31, G2O tons of stone were crushed at this machine, and yielded 1200oz of gold, of which the value at £2 10a per { ounce is £3000, and the export duty at 2s Gd per ounce is £150. FIRE IN AUCKLAND. A disastrous fire occurred in Queen street on the 2nd, by which the Wharf Hotel, Orpheus Hotel, and Taylor's Dining Rooms were burnt down. The origin of the fire is as yet unexplained. Mr Weir's premises were insured for £1200 in the Royal and New Zealand Insurance Company, and the Victoria Insurance Company will lose £200 in the Wharf Hotel. THE DAYSPRINO-. The " New Zealand Herald" furnishes the following items : — The Mission schooner Dayspring, Captain Eraser, will take her departure this morning for the New Hebrides with a quantity of cargo and the following passengers : — Rev. Mr Watt, Mrs Watt, Mrs Logan, Mr and Mrs Morrison and child, Rev. Mr and Mrs Inglis, Miss Clark, Miss M'Donald, Mrs Fraser, three children, and nurse. A MAN BURNED TO DEATH. One of those dreadful occurrences took: place on Monday night, on the island of Waiheln, "which happily seldom take place, but which are so revolting in their details as to be painful to chronicle.

A man named Jesse Weeks, about fifty yeai's of age, has been for about the last five months employed by Mr Edward Grey, of Waiheki, in wood cutting, and in pursuance of his avocation lived alone in a whare at Huruhi, about half a mile from any human habitation. On Monday evening the unfortunate man had become the worse for liquor, and was at the House of John Hawthorne, also employed by Mr Grey, whence he was escorted home by Mr Grey and Hawthorne, who left him in his whare at 10 p.m. About 6 o'clock on Tuesday morning Mr Grey visited Weeks' abode, and found the whare burnt to the ground, and the body of its late inhabitant charred and burnt lying in the smoking ruins. Apparently Weeks had tried to escape, for the body was found stretched upon the stomach, with the head on the doorway ; probably he was more than half stifled by the smoke before he became aware of the existence of fire, and thus failed in his,, endeavour to escape. The origin of 1 the fire is supposed .to have been caused by careless lighting of a pipe. An inquest was held on the 2nd. The jury without retiring, returned a verdict of " Pound burnt to death, but without marks of violence on the body." GOLD MINING. It would appear from our Northern files that, although nothing very exciting in the way of new discoveries is going on at the Thames, yet the operations are of that permanent character that must be gratifying to all. More than a dozen batteries of stampers are busily employed in crushing for different claims. On dit that a patch, the richest ever yet found in the ckiru was taken out of the celebrated Hunt's, on Wednesday. Its value is quoted at £1600. THEATRICAL. We observe that the lessee of the theatre has secured the services of Miss Joey Goughenheim, a favorite actress in the Australian theatres for years past, who will make her first appearance on Monday evening next. We have no doubt that the name of this talented lady will not fail to draw good houses on her appearance. The season of the Nathan troupe was to have closed on the 2nd April by a benefit to Mr J. Small.