AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 115, 15 May 1863, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

The Schooner Mavis. —Wednesday considerable excitement prevailed at the Wynyard pier, regarding an attempt to re-take the schooner Mavis from the Maoris, who recently took her away from Auckland. Mr, Alfred Edmonds, it will be recollected, has a lien of <£l4o or thereabouts on the schooner (which debt was lately the subject of enquiry before the Resident Magistrate), and

he went down in a cargo boat, with 18 men to enable him to take and retain possession of the vessel. An application had been made to the Resident Magistrate in the morning for a warrant, which Mr. Edmonds expected would have been served on board before, or about the time of his arrival, but thej warrant was not issued, as it afterwards turned out. The schooner lay in George's Bay, and the cargo boat went alongside. The schooner was full of natives, most of them armed with spears or tomahawks. Meti, a native, told Mr. Edmonds that he had been despatched from the Native Oflice to try and settle the matter amicably, and asked what he claimed. Edmonds replied that he had a claim on . the vessel fox’ the amount which he had spent putting her in repair. Meti asked Edmonds to go ashore and settle it, which he declined to do, as he could not take Meti’s word that he had the authority of the Native Office. Meti at the same time told Edmonds that he must not come on board the schooner. Two or three Europeans then jumped on board the schooner, and one of them attempted to take a hand-spike out 3of the hawse-pipe, which attempt the natives resisted, but no blows were struck. The natives then told them that if they laid a hand on anything they would take their lives, and the Europeans speedily withdrew. The natives, who held possession of the vessel, said they were willing to abide by the decision of Meti, and it was finally ai’ranged that the parties should go to the Native Office to adjust the dispute. This was done ; but nothing came of it, and the schooner w r as cleared at the customs in the evening, so that for the present ill’. Edmonds has little chance of Ins money. This is clearly a case for the Government iutei’fei’ence. The Maoris, after being non-suited in the Court went on board during the night, gagged the watchman on board, and put him ashore, x’etaining his clothes which they still keep, and now they come into the harbour and hold armed possession of the schooner. —Daily Southern Cross.