AUCKLAND.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 17, 19 June 1874, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

The “ New Zealand Herald ” says—We have been requested to publish the following :—We have been informed on reliable authority that the article in the “ Thames Advertiser,” in reference to Mr Mackay being engaged to purchase the Waiharekekc and Hunga Hunga blocks for Major Green is false—entirely founded upon fiction. He has never had anything whatever to do with any purchase for that gentleman. Certain arrangements for the investment of money were made by Major Green with Mr Alley early in 1873, for land in the Upper Thames, over which Mr Alley had claims of some standing. He had a lease of Waiharekekc block in 1872, having purchased it from Mr McOaskill, who was glad to find a purchaser, and this claim is undisputed. There is a petition to be presented to the House this session, shewing how badly Mr Alley has been treated in reference to this block. With reference to the Hunga Hunga block, Mr Alley had the refusal of it more than a year ago, but all negotiatious were stayed when Mr Mackay stated that the whole of the land would be purchased by Government. When this land has been purchased by Government Mr Alley’s interest will have to be recognised iu an equivalent, either in money or land. Some time since a vessel belonging to Captain Peacocke was stopped by natives, who refused to let her proceed up the Piako river. They insisted upon £SO payment to land her cargo, and offered to take it by land to the owner’s farm at £5 a canoe load, which would amount to about £IOO. There are many other settlers in the district who were liable to similar impediments to their operations. Captain Peacocke communicated with the Government, and an arrangement has been made by which the vessel and the goods of other settlers may be taken up the Piako upon condition that the eel weirs be not destroyed, or compensation paid for damaging them. The General Government have set afoot negotiations for the purchase of these weirs, so as to free the navigation of the Piako river. The citizens of Auckland gave a subscription ball to his Excellency and Lady Fergus Jon, on the 9th, in the Choral Hall. Upwards of 400 citizens were present. The Northern Wairoa correspondent of the “ Herald” gives the following account of three fatal accidents at Wairoa—The first was a boat accident. The facts arc these : Edward Cotton was the blacksmith at Tc Kopuru, and he was called on to go and shoe some horses up the river, a distance of eight miles from the mill. He left on the 29th May to do the above work, and after he bad finished he indulged rather too much in brandy, and started for home again. Ho had not proceeded far when they (for he had a native in the boat with him) were seen to upset. A boat at once put off and saved them, and they were taken to the Kaihu store, which they had left only a few minutes before. They got a change of clothing and started again, and had got about three miles down the river when the boat turned over again. The native tried hard to save the poor follow, and in doing so very nearly lost his own life, and he died iu the native’s arms. He swam with the boat and body for at least three-quarters of a mile before he reached the shore. On the following Monday a jury was called, of whom J. A. Walker, Esq., was chosen foreman, After hearing the facts of the case, a verdict of accidental drowning while under the influence of drink was given. The second case was a bush accident, which happened on the olh instant to a man known

as Denuic Sullivan. A jury was called on the 6th, of whom Mr M. Marriner was chosen foreman. The facts of the case are that he was felling a small kauriitree, when it fell. strik : r another tree, and the butt flew back an- 1 ■ > -iked him down, the tree lying on hi n. ' distance was at once there, and by means nr screw-jacks the tree was lifted and the body taken from under. He lived about throe hours in most frightful pain, and delirious up to the time of his death. The jury returned a verdict of “ Accidental death by the fall of a tree.” It was stated that he was a saving man, and had some £7OO or £BOO in one of the banks in Auckland. The third case was one Charles Shatworth, who was killed up in the Maungakahia, a distance of sixty or seventy miles by the river, where there is log-getting going on. It appears that he was killed on the sth, and owing to the distance the body did not roach here until the 7th. A jury of twelve was called on the Bth, of whom Mr E. Westwood was chosen foreman. The facts are as follow :—There was a small tree felled or cut a few days previous to the accident, and it lodged in another tree, and on the day in question the men and the unfortunate man above were felling a large tree, and when it fell to the ground the shock must have caused the one lodged to fall and kill him on the spot, breaking both of his legs in two or three places, also his neck. He was a man about 35 years of age, and formerly of Coromandel. He leaves a wife and four children to moifrn his loss. A verdict of accidental death while felling a tree was returned. We learn from the “ Herald”that a deputation recently waited on his Honor with the following object:—Certain residents residing at the Thames are desirous of forming a special agricultural settlement for themselves. These comprise fifteen families, numbering about eighty persons, and the heads of them offer a substantial guarantee that they will spend £IOOO within two years for every 500 acre block allotted to them upon such a system of deferred payments as might be agreed between them and the Government. What these families asked was that although residing in the colony they should be treated with the same consideration as is done in the case of immigrants arriving here by Government assistance. The block of land sought to be obtained contains about 10,000 acres, and forms pari of the Wairaka block, in the Thames valley. Mr Rowe said the applicants were miners who wished to remain in the country, and who possessed the means to settle upon and improve the land and form a flourishing and independent settlement. His Honor desired to know whether any of these families could occupy beneficially 500 acres of land. To which Mr Rowe gave an emphatic answer in the affirmative. Mr Rowe further stated that these families would provide education for their children, erect school-houses, places of worship, and employ their own schoolmasters and ministers. His Honor promised to give the matter his most favorably consideration. From the “ Poverty Bay Standard ” of the 6th instant, we learn that a report lias reached Gisborne of the murder of an old native] near Waiapu at Tuparoa. It seems a young fellow named Pehikuru was taken ill and died, his death being attributed to the witchcraft of an old man named Poihipi. Two men went to where the old man was living and found him sitting with a child on his knee ; one of them then shot the poor old fellow through the breast, but as he did not fall, the other fired and killed him. At a runanga held afterwards, 150 were for condoning the murder, and fifty for giving the murderers up to justice, but, in the meantime, the affair has been hushed up. The body was buried in the whare where the murder was committed, The murderers arc said to be well-kuown.