THE PROVINCES.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 40, 16 July 1874, Page 3

THE PROVINCES.

OTAGO. The “Bruce Herald” remarks:—“Messrs Kincaid and McQueen have just completed the putting up of the best sawing plant in the province, at Awake. It is all their own work, and worthy of the men, who deserve all the support that they get. It is capable of turning out from fifteen to twenty thousand feet a day. The proprietors arc Messrs Guthrie, Larnach & Co. “ It is said by a correspondent,” observes the “Bruce Herald,” “that our partridge will not have the same flavour as the Scotch bird, on account of the absence of heather. From the same cause our mutton suffers. This, however, will not be the case always, owing to the patriotism of a well-known Miltonian, who is sending the purple heather far and near.” Mr and Mrs Wiltshire, says the “ Daily Times” of the 15th, commenced their pedestrian feat last night, in a marquee erected in High street, just above the Princess Theatre. Mr Wiltshire is to walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours, and his better half has backed herself, or has been backed, to walk the 500 miles in the same time. A timekeeper and referee have been appointed, and as far as we can learn, both husband and wife mean to go through with what they have undertaken. A large landslip has again occurred, (says the “ Bruce Herald ”) in a railway cutting near Coupeithvvaitc's coalpit, about four miles from the Clutha, at the same spot where last year some 2000 feet of earth had to be removed from the effects of a similar occurrence. The height of the cutting at tho spot is over 23ft, and the quantity of earth which has just fallen is probably now 1000 ft. Seveial small slips have also taken place, and from the appearance of the larger cuttings, very extensive falls may be daily looked for, judging from the present aspect of matters, caused by tho loose sandy nature of the strata overlying the coal deposits. The “ Bruce Herald ” states that tho swamp situated about two and a-half miles from the Clutha end of the Southern Trunk line, which for two years past has formed so serious a drawback to the Railway contractors, still persists in subsiding towards the centre, and although now filled up for the third time, and the permanent way laid over it, it describes a Yankee incline, the downward force of the one gradient being expected to overcome the resistance of the up, AUCKLAND. The Hokianga correspondent of the “ Herald ” writes :—“ Great uncertainty prevails as to whether we may expect to see Whangape opened by the much-talked of Melbourne company. During the last year the land has been surveyed, the Maoris have disputed and next door to fought about it; Mr Manning has passed it through the Land Court, and everything is ready for the great company to appear on the scene and work the timber off this wonderful-timbered district. It is believed that the intention is to put up a large saw mill, and run steamers to and from Melbourne, as the entrance to the harbour is rather awkward for large sailing vessels.” The “ Herald” understands that recently a contract for completing the Kaipara railway to Kivcrhead was made by Mr Follon. The amount of the contract is stated to be about £13,0 0, aud according to its terms the work is to be completed within six months from date. Work will be commenced immediately, and as a large quantity of material is on the ground, there is no apparent cause for longer delay. It is understood that the criminal action for libel against the proprietors of the “ Evening Star” will not be tried this session, but is deferred to next session. The “ Cross” states that the New Zealand Insurance Company intend having the building lately occupied by Mr G. W. Owen restored. It was insured in tbe Victoria Office for £ISOO, and will probably be rebuilt at the expense of that company. The “Thames Advertiser” has a very strong article upon the Auckland fires. The article concludes as follows “ The first thing to be done is for the authorities to take special and extraordinary measures to discover the perpetrators of the crimes lately committed in Auckland, and then to make such an example of the scoundrels as will act as a warning to others. In the meantime the law might be changed, giving power to inflict sentence of death in aggravated cases. If this is not done, we fear that ere long some of the people in the city of Auckland will be burnt to death in their beds by the scoundrels who now infest the place.”

South Island and the N gat? man awns of the Middle Island may yet be found to bo real aWimnes, -and not ..degenerate or wild Maoris as has been supposed by many. This latter belief has arisen from want of evidence beyond the faint tradition of the Maoris. Such evidence I have been foilunate enough to obtain, and now submit to this Institute, trusting that the link thus supplied may be the means, in hands more versed than mine in the early history of New Zealand, of deciphering a page of its history, and throw light on a subject that has puzzled many. Heavy excavations have been carried on at and about the Albert Barracks by the Improvement Commissioners for the purpose of making new streets for the benefit of the city. During last March, while works were being carried on in Coburg-street, near the junction of VV cllcslcystreet East, the workmen came upon the stump now before you lying in the centre of a narrow track below the road level, and cut for the purpose of laying sewer pipes. Through the intelligence of Mr James Williamson, the contractors overseer, who at once recognised its value, it was saved. Shortly after, being on the spot, my attention was drawn to it. It being important that the discovery should be verified by undoubted authority, I immediately went for, and returned accompanied by, Theophilus Hcale Esq., Inspector of Surveys, who satisfied himself as to the the discovery and the undisturbed stratification of the volcanic debris of 25ft lying above. The place where the stump was found is indicated by the letter B in plan and section. In the section I have shown the stump resting on the clay. When found it was in its natural position—upright, with its roots penetrating the clay. The surface of this clay has some loam in it. The top of the stump was embedded in ‘volcanic mud, and above the stump there were 25ft of debris in perfect stratification.’ These stratified beds of ooze and debris can be traced till they reach the beds of cinders, and thence to the conglomerated mass of scoria and basaltic lava which occurs adjacent to the volcanic centre. The clay in which the stump once grew occurs immediately above the tertiary rocks, and is from ten (10) to fifteen (15) feet thick. Thisstump is asserted by those who have a knowledge of New Zealand woods to be of ti-tree —the wood that has been chiefly used by Maoris for making paddles. It has, undoubtedly, been cut down with some tool, and being so, must have been by the hand of man ; I leave it to any one to satisfy themselves by a personal examination, whether it be so or not. The cut seems to be too fresh to refer back to so remote a period as the volcanic era ; but with the evidence we have of the finest markings of fern, shells, &o, being preserved from ages vastly more remote, surely we may expect it in this, which, in comparison, is but recent, Undoubted as these facts may appear, it may yet be well to consider by what other means they may have been produced. The stump may have been lodged where found by a landslip. It may have been burnt off, or it may have belonged to a rotten tree, and been broken down by the wind, or by the flow of the volcanic ooze in which it iimbedded. The stump was not lodged there by a landslip, as may be seen by the section which shows the outlying strata perfectly undisturbed, .and it is further evident that it must have grown on the spot where found, r.s its roots were penetrating the lower clay. That it was not burnt off is certain, from the sharpness of the edge of the cut. the absence of charcoal, or even of a charred appearance and the presence of a projecting niece of wood in the centre of the stump, which must have held the tree upright to I lie last, and which would not have existed had it been fired. That it did not result from a rotten tree is equally evident, for the stump could not now be in as good preservation, the bark would not have remained on it, and Ihe sharpness of the cuts would not have existed, besides the wood would not be so dense. It is therefore beyond any doubt that we have evidence of the existence of man long before the period indicated by the traditions of the Maoris of their advent on this island, and at a period before what is probably the oldest volcano in Auckland became extinct,” Col. Haultain said he had seen at Awitu a variety of stumps, the remains of old Pas, and their appearance presented very much the same appearance as the stump found on the Barrack Hill. He did not think that the cuts in the tree had been made by prehistoric man, because in his opin.on it would not have been possible to have made a horizontal cut with a stone implement. Dr Purchas said that in the Lake district he saw a number of roots which had grown several feet beneath the present surface of the ground. In the Waikato stamps were known to be in an upright position 20 feet below the ground. He believed that the tree had been cut by a human being, as it could never have broken off transversely by any natural causes.