WHAKATANE.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume II, Issue 136, 20 December 1873, Page 3

WHAKATANE.

(FECK OUB OWN COBBEBPONDEHT.) rT! , Decamber 11. iHta settlement was honoured on the 6tli instant Willi a visit from the Don Donald McLean, t. Nitive and Defence Minister. He arr.ved th.fc moiniog early, by the Government rte.ira - Luna, from Ohiwa ha> hour and other *>■> the South, and landed about 9 a m , attended by his son and b* his private secretary (vyulimel «t. John) They proceeded to the school-house, but, being Saturday, they had not the opportunity of seeing the scholars, who, as usual o.i Saturdays, were not in session. On t;:eir ret urn to lb« port, where the party were the guests of mine host of iho Travellers Rest Hote 1 , tna Native Minister transacted sundry matters of business with the natives of the place as well a« wi«h the Constabulary force. These latter have since b -eo engaged in tnakingthe road he: w'-rn the port and the KSi«ool-bouse, which has hitherto been ui a send impassable state, especially during winter. *. sura or tn-.ney was promised to the Ngatipuk**ko and .\gatiawa tribes towards repairing tbe.r flour mill, which was destroyed in the late warfare by the •* patriot " Te Kooii A large quantify of telegraph posts and wire Wag landed from the Luna in the course of the day, a similar office having been performed at *‘potiki and Ohiwa. ** further quantity has, no doubt, since been landed at Matata and other points along the co.ist. These are for the new line of telegraph lying principal)y along the sea coast, a..d uniting the station at Maketo with the u. wstti.n at Opotisi The Luna must have had above 100 tone of posts in addition to wire and o*her apparatus. One of these posts weighs about 4-wt, and she ha« already landed about 500 of them along this line. The works are being vigorously prosecuted by a p-irty of Maoris and pakehas until r the control of Mr Floyd, electrician ol i be telegraph dcpsrtment. new officer, Sergeant Halletfc, ha# arrived to ’ake nv,-r the command of the AO Force at W hakatane. The festive Christmas season comes on apace. Almost the whole of our population—especially the yinji.g and g»y —will be found at Te Teko and Oj«>tisi at their respective horse races sod other festivities during th- holiday week.