CATTLE FROM HAWKE’S RAY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 85, 30 January 1863, Page 3

CATTLE FROM HAWKE’S RAY.

(From the Daily Southern Cross, Jan. 12.) Ox the 24th November, Mr. Hunter started from Hawke’s Bay, in charge of a large herd of cattle for Auckland, he being the first to attempt the overland route. This fact was recorded by us in our paper of the 4th December, it being coutained in the letter of our Napier correspondent. In the interval no tidings were heard of this gentleman nor of his men and cattle, and Messrs. Bethune and Hunter, of Wellington (the latter being a brother of the adventurous stockowner) wrote to their Auckland correspondents, Messrs. Brown, Campbell and Co,, inquiring whether they had had any communication from him. Some anxiety was felt for the safety of the party owing to our unsatisfactory relations with the natives ; but these fears were groundless, seeing that Mr. Hunter arrived in town on Friday night, to make arrangements as to the disposal of the stock. He reported only having lost five head. The country is most difficult. The natives were moro troublesome iu the neighbourhood of the Waikato than elsewhere —the nearer Auckland the worse. The herd have been placed on the lands of Messrs. Brown and Campbell, at Drury, and in a short time will be brought to the hammer. What effect the overland route to Auckland from Wellington and Napier may have in “ equalising prices and putting an end to a most grevious monopoly ” remains to be seen. We do happen to know that prices of cattle and sheep are depressed at present, on account of the scarcity of feed, which causes them to be sent in to market from all quarters ; but we fear there will be a reaction ■when the ruins set in. ~W r Q hope, however that imports will be quite equal to the demand’ and keep down.