WANGANUI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 30, 23 January 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

WANGANUI.

The Natives.—Tt may be remembered that, some time ago, a deputation of three or four chiefs was sent by the Wanganui natives to Waikato, to ascertain the position and intentions of the king natives. This deputation returned last week, having left the Waikato about a fortnight ago, at which time Sir G. G rey was daily expected. They report that, when they arrived at Waikato, a discussion was going on as to the giving up of the king movement. Some of the Upper Waikato chiefs wished that the movement should be discontinued. While the discussion was going on, messengers arrived from the Southern tribes in Wellington and Ahuriri, bringing £3OO toward the support of the Government, strong representations as to the policy of upholding the king, and promises of men as well as of money for this purpose. Thesedeclarationsandproniisessettledthequestion; the opposing chiefs were silenced, and acquiesced in the general decision to support the king. It was resolved that natives should be brought from the southern tribes to act as soldiers in upholding and protecting the sovereign, and a requisition has been made to that effect. It was also thought that if war should begin in any part of the island a general rising should take place. The deputation brought a flag from the king to Kanini, a place up the river aboet 16 miles from this, just on the borders of the native territory, but it has not yet been hoisted. The Government chiefs at Pufiki consider this intelligence very unsatisfactory ; but as the \\ aikato, at the time of the discussion referred to, were unacquainted with the Governor's intentions, it remains to be seen what effect his visit may produce. Some of the Xgatiruanui natives have been in town this week. They declare that it is not their intention to give the Taranaki settlers any compensation for the injury inflicted on them, or to restore the plunder which they still have in their poss ssion. They consider that it was fairly taken in open warfare and rightfully belongs to them. If any attempt should be made to punish them it will be resented by all the King natives, who have promised their 'assistance in the event of Government inflicting any punishment. One of our settlers, who was at Taranaki immediately before the war broke out, on his way down the coast, thought it prudent to return, and left his horse in the care of a chief. The chief was killed at W aireka, but his son brought the horse down on Tuesday with the view of restoring it to the owner. This is an act of honesty which deserves record.

(From the Wanganui Chronicle, Jan, 9.) The Wonga Wonga, which arrived from New Plymouth yesterday, does not bring any intcllifrom the north of a definite character. \V hat there is agrees with the native rumours, in regard to the Upper Waikatos having rejected the Governor's terms. It was rumoured at Taranaki, when the steamer left, that 2000 troops had gone into the In wer Waikato. If this is correct, the movement has been made, no doubt, with the consent of the Lower Waikato, and is not in itself any indication of the probability of hostilities, although no doubt the King natives would at first be inclined to regard it in that light—hence the rumour that hostilities had actually commenced. Sir Geo. Grey had returned to Auckland and was about to come south by Hawke’s Lay, leaving Taraukias the last place to be visited. The 65th arc to occupy Mahoetahi and the other outposts at Taranaki.

Native Repoets. —While reports from the Natives are not to be fully relied on, there is generally some foundation for them, and they are valuable as an index of native opinion, if not as a correct statement, of facts. A native from Patea, ■who was in town this week, gives the information that the Ngatiruanui are desirous when the Governor comes to Wanganui, that ho should go to New Plymouth overland, and if he will do so, they will escort him on his journey. Before lie left Patac two Waikatos had arrived, who said that Sir Georr-o Grey had Ini la large meeting in Wrdkato, at. w ieh William Thompson and other natives wi re present—we presume they referred to the nice!’ll' which was to be lull at Archdeacon Maunsell’s. His excellency informed them that he required them to pull down their flag—about the King himself he did not care a great deal. The reply from William Thompson was that the flag ■could not be given up. The Governor had also asked payment of the houses they had burned at Taranaki, and to this they agreed. lie did not ask restitution of the plunder. ib# Wanganui River Natives have intimated to

tha Resident Maistrate here, that on the anniversary of the raising of the King flag at Otaki on the 12th March there is to be a large gathering there, at which a considerable number of them will be present. They go armed, and as they intend passing through the town, in order hot to alarm the outsettlers, they wished to know if he had any objections to their doing so.' lie replied that he would think of it. The Ngatir.uanui and Ngatiawa also propose send’ng armed deputation.-, who will pass through this settlement. The flag which we mentioned last week as haring been brought to Kahinihini by the deputation that had been at Waikato was given to them by the King himself with the appropriate quotation, “ Silver and gold have I none, but such as I imve give I unto thee.” He enjoined them not to hoist it in the immediate neighbourhood of the settlement, as that might give offence to the Europeans and not nearer than Athens which is 12 miles distance from the boundary. The River chiefs, however, offended at not having been first consulted, and anxious to avoid giving any offence, have resolved that it shall not be raised. Geological Survey. —We mentioned last week that the Hon Mr. Crawford had not been successful in attaining the object of his expedition up the river. This was principally to explore the valley of the Tangarakau, a tributary of the Wanganui, which is supposed to have its source near that of the Waitara, and joins the Wanganui about 40 miles in a straight line from this, and at more than double that distance by the Wanganui. From the Tangarakau specimens of coal have been brought, which look well, but it is impossible to say of what quality it may be throughout withput seeing the seam ; and it is said that there is copper in the same valley, which, however, is very doubtful. On Mr. Crawford s reaching Utapu, a pa distant by the river 80 miles from this, he was informed that the Tangarakau valley was tapu to the King, and that he could not bo allowed to proceed further than its month. The following day a message was received from Pelii, prohibiting his proceeding further than Utapu; but the natives overruled this interdict, a-ul were quite willing, not only to take him to Tangarakau, but up that stream, if he paid a toll of 30s. at its mouth. Mr. Crawford reasoned with them on the absurdity of this exclusive conduct, showing them that if he discovered minerals, it would bo for their own interest chiefly ; but they remained obstinate ; and he, unwilling to set a bad precedent by giving in to their demands, and conscious that the toll might be repeated in any part of the stream the natives choose for its exaction, resolved to return. lie arrived at Utapu on the 28th, having taken a week to go up from this, and came back on the 31st, in two days. The river consists, for the most part, of a succession of rapids, with reaches of deep water between, and of course there is both difficulty and delay in ascending some of the rapid . The valley of the Wanganui and those of some of its tributaries, bear marks of disruption by earthquakes, &0., hut seem principally can-cd by the cutting of the streams into the ground —what is called denudation. In the bed of the Wanganui there does not seem to be any gravel brought down from its source, the stones in it having apparently come from the drift through which it has cut its wav. They consist chiefly of portions of igneous rock, trap, lava, and basalt, but probably a tenth is crystalline sandstone. These stones are for the most part traversed by quartz veins, but only one boulder was found of the slaty rock, with iron pyrites through it, which in this country seems to indicate the presence of gold, in the whole course ot the river the strata lie quite horizontally, and resemble the section which is visible on various parts of the sea-beach to the north of its mouth. There, a bed of sand 50 to GO feat deep lies on the top, in which are found Moa bones ; below is a bed of forest trees mostly lying horizontally ; (hen comes 20 feet of drift gravel, below which is four feet of yellow sandstone, and below that again GO to 70 feet of blue slate, containing marine fossils, ostraca, pecten, involute, terebralulata, &c. The horizontal position of the strata throughout the whole course of (lie river up to Utapu has made it quite impossible to discover what deposits there are beneath. Rut it is possible that, owing to this feature of the country, the coal which is said to crop out at Tangarakau may be aecessib’e by sinking much nearer tlie sea, and it would be desirable to ascertain the dip and strike of the stratum, so that if it is not tilted in such a way as to make its existence nearer the coast improbable, it mav be sought for in the neighbourhood of Wanganui. For present use, if found only in or near the Tangarakau valley, it would be of no value as the expense of bringing it down to the river would be too great.

Tlic exploring party speak vciy favorably of the natives’ honesty and civility, the latter characteristic becoming more marked the further they went up the river. They wers also struck by the populousness of the Wanganui Valley, and by the number of canoes in the river, carrying produce aad goods from one place to another. The temperature was high, averaging 100 to 120 degrees T ahrenheit, and they felt none of the high winds which prevailed hero during their absence. They found a lemon tree at Ohinemutu with a large quantity of ripe fruit, on it, and the maize was growing in all the cultivations. Ploughs and harrows are used, and cows regularly milked, at all pas,but the system of cropping is wretched—the land being completely exhausted, and a new plot of ground being then cleared to be dealt with in the same way. We understand that a full detail of .Air. Crawford's observations is likely to appear in the Government, gazette. He started on yesterday morning for the Rangitikei district, and" we await with much interest the result of his exploration in that quarter.