COROMANDEL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 52, 26 June 1862, Page 3

COROMANDEL.

Public attention has been specially directed during the past mouth to the negociations which have been in progress for completely opening up the Coromandel Gold Fields to the enterprise of the diggers. A small portion, comparatively, of the land has been acquired by the Governmaut; arrangements have been made with the Native t>roprietors, for liberty to prospect a large district, but there remains a block of about 70/ '0 acres known as Paul’s land, which, in obedience as is said to.the dyinginjunction of that Chief, Las been, up to this time, reserved. The object which Paul had in view in advising his people to retain this land in their possession was that gold might he worked by the Maories themselves without contact with or interference by the Europeans. Prospecting and digging, in their desultory

fashion, were indeed attempted by the Natives, and the result of their labours proved only the fact that gold existed upon Paul’s land, and that they were incapable or unwilling to undergo the toil of turning their opportunity to any profitable account. The whole number of Natives interested in this land amount to about forty souls —thirty men, six women, and four children—the remnant of a once numerous and very formidable hapu or subdivision of a tribe. At the head of these people stand a chief named Te Hira, an old Maori lady of the bluest blood, who rejoices in the name of Lydia. The hidden wealth of this land, which imagination has most probably greatly exaggerated, and the prohibition to touch it which this Maori dragon seemed bent upon maintaining appear to have exerted a kind of fascination upon the diggers, whom the fame of Coromandel has attracted by hundreds to the spot. A wide district was open to them, but, as a body, they would see nothing, believe in nothing, but this forbidden ground. We have had occasion to record the fact with pleasure that, under circumstances of great temptation the property of the Natives in this land was respected; the new-comers looked at the manger in which the churlish owner sat, and then took their departure. With reason or without, the shutting up of Paul’s land has postponed the development of the auriferous resources of the whole Coromandel district. A “rush” which brings many hands and eager eyes to the work of prospecting is the normal mode of establishing a'gold-field, and the first “rush” to Coromandel was turned back peacefully by an old woman, and her handful of people. Those gentlemen in England who imagine that they see in the colonists of the Northern Island of New Zealanp men bent only upon depriving the Natives of their land will, we hojre, remember this fact at least to our honor. The situation became one of great embarrassment, and even of some danger; every effort was made by the Government to overcome the obstinancy of the Maoris; <£lo,ooo —a sum five times as large as that which was paid for the pu;. chase of all the millions of acres contained in the southern Island—was offered for the fee simple of this patch of mountain land at Coromandel, and refused ; a license fee for each digger, was also declined. A very numerous deputation from the King-party of Waikato are known to be in the Upper Thames district, and there is good reason to believe that emissaries of the land-league have been endeavouring to obtain the adhesion of the Coromandel natives to that federacy. At his recent visit, the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Mr Fox did not see the Chief Te Hira, and did not succeed in altering the determination at which the majority of the Natives had arrived, to hold this piece of land absolutly closed. On Wednesday last, however, Sir George Grey unexpectedly presented himself at Coro mandel, having come up from Wellington by H.M.S. Harrier. His Excellency on landing sent for Lydia and her people and again endeavoured, at first in vain, to convince them that the course which they were pursuing was a foolish one ; in was only when Sir George Grey was about to leave, apparently in dudgeon with their obstinancy. that madame Lydia and some of her people rushed into the water, drew the Governor’s boat back to the shore, and there promised him that all should be done as he desired. We have recently published extracts from the journal of a prospecting party who explored the Mercury Bay district on the eastern side of the Coromandel range, and who appear to have proved the auriferous character of the whole of that country, and the richness of the quartz indications upon the Government land in the vicinity of Cook’s River. In the spring, then, we may look forward to see Coromandel assume the proportions and present the results of a “ payable ” gold-field. —New Zealander, June 7. We (Daily Southern CrossJ have received a private letter ironi Coromandel, dated June sth, from which we extract the following:— “ Eeeson’s reef is beyond all controversy. Six additional claims have been taken up and men set to work. It is easily worked. It may, and I think will, he a fortune for every one of the fortunate claimants.” The following is an extract from Mr. Keven’s letter to his wife in town : “ The reef is wonderfully rich. The last crushing staggered us—from 150 to 200 ozs. to the ton. Claims on both sides taken up.” Mr. Woodin writes to us thus—- “ This morning, the 6th, we crushed about lib of quartz before Mr. Turton and some diggers, in fact the diggers brought it down from the tunnel, and I could not describe the excitement, both of Mr. Turton and all hands at the result. I believe Mr. Turton is ■writing to the government about it.”