TARANAKI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 212, 11 January 1865, Page 3

TARANAKI.

Tus Natives. —A large party of natives came up on Monday in the Flying Cloud from the Chatham Islands, including Te Rakatau and other leading men of Ngatirahire. It is understood their object is to endeavour to sell certain lands to the northward of Waitara, in the neighbourhood of Mimi and elsewhere ■ but some of the resident Ngatirahire, we hear, are not as yet willing to sell, and propose to let the land instead. The 30, 40, or 50 of the Taranaki natives who have been coming in to surrender for the last fortnight have come so slowly that they are not yet here. We hope to have something more definite to give concerning them next week. WAHNiif& to Bathers. —Duncan Cameron, the Coxswain of one of the Government boats, reports that when returning from the visit to the Sugar Loaves on Tuesday last, and when close into the shore, opposite Ward’s Bay, a black shark very nearly thirty feet long, seized his steering oar and nearly wrested it from his hands: the monster, foiled in his first attempt, made a second charge, so determined and formidable, that lie actually drove two of his teeth so firmly into the blade of the oar as to leave them embedded there. The water was only six feet deep where the attack took place, and the terrible creature, we are informed beat the sea around him into a perfect foam and stopped the boat, which was going at the rate of four or five knots It is a matter for regret that the boat’s crew had not harpoons with them at the time. —Taranaki herald. Proposed Habboe at Taranaki. —The Herald of 21th ult. says : —“On Tuesday last Mr. Doyne, in compaoy with the Superintendent, the Collector of Customs, the Harbor Master, and others interested in the matter, went down in one of the boats and inspected the Sugar Loaves, taking soundings, etc., and examining the quality of the stone, which is pronounced to be very good. Mr. Doyne is, we bear, favourably impressed with the natural facilities offered for making an excellent harbor among, or rather on this side of the Sugar Loaves. The general plan of the propoeed harbor is to connect Moturoa (the pointed Sugar Loaf) with the shore by a sea-wall and cause-way, the water there being not quite three fathoms deep at low water, and then to run out another wall for 800 or 900 yards in an easterly direction, but curving a little perhaps towards the shore; the latter wall would have to be built in six fathom water. This, when done, would enclose, it is estimated, about 60 acres of still water varying i« its main depth from three to five fathoms at low water, but by carrying it a little farther six fathoms could be got if necessary.