AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 350, 15 February 1866, Page 1

AUCKLAND.

DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN THE THAMES DISTRICT. {from the Dally Southern Cross, 6th February.) The native difficulty to prospecting in the Thames district appears in a fair way of removal, and recent results confirm our opinion, more than once expressed, that the precious metal is to be found in that district in. at least payable quantities. A parcel of bla!ck sand containing gold was left yesterday morning with his Honor the Superintendent, a small portion of which was washed, and produced about 30 per cent, of fine gold. A few of the larger particles stood the test of nitric acid. The locality where the sample was found is situated between Mercury Bay and Wangapoa on the east coast of the promontory at Cape Colville. Alluvial gold has also been discovered at Mataharakiki, about four or five miles north of Kennedy’s Bay. Some of the native owners of land have agreed with Mr Mackay, Oomoiissioner, to permit Europeans to prospect on the same terms as those proposed in the Coromandel district, and, should a payable gold-field be | found, to make arrangements for working it. 1 We shall be in a position to . give further j particulars in reference tq the go3ld discovered in our next publication*

NATIVE LANDS. (From the Daily Southern Cross, 6th February.) Two native meetings of considerable importance have been held lately in the Thames district. A correspondent, dating Eauaeranga, February 1, says:—'‘ln my last letter I informed you that Mr Mackay, Civil Commissioner, had arrived here for the purpose of holding meetings of the natives. The first of them took place at Eauaeranga on the 21st January, when a considerable number of natives were present, mostly from the estuary of the Thames. I understand that Mr Mackay was well received, as he always is, by the Eauaeranga people. The nest meeting took place at the Piako on the 27th January. I think I mentioned in a former letter that a large number of the Waikatos had come down the river, and Mr Mackay took measures, by sending messengers in all directions, to get as many of them together as possible. William Thompson, however, did not choose to put in an appearance. He has been in the Thames valley for some time, and I am informed has been acting as a kind of Pai Mariri priest, making converts, and ordaing priests by laying his hands on their heads and intoning something or other. When he heard that Mr Mackay was coming, he went up the river in his canoe, his conscience having, I suppose, made a coward of him. However, a large body of Waikatos assembled at the Eirlpehi settlement, who were warned by Mr Mackay of the consequence of making any disturbance. One of them said that as the Waikato had been taken from them, they would have to make cultivations on some of the lands on the Thames belonging to Europeans, and Mr Mackay answered that all who choose to go back to the Waikato would get land apportioned to them. He also told the Thames chiefs that if any of them went to Taranaki to fight they did so at the risk of losing their ’ — land, as the Waikatos had done. I have no doubt that the interview will have a good effect. Mr Mackay has arranged the difficulty between the New Zealand Flax Company and the natives with regard to the price of flax. They agree to deliver it at Eopu for JSI2 per ton. The dispute about the land at Tangiaro is to be arranged on on the 26th inst., at Cabbage Bay. It is expected that a very large number of natives will attend the meeting.”

From KawMa we learn that Eewi and Matutaere had left that district and gone to Hangatiki, a place only a short distance beyond our advanced posts in the Waikato. Whether the long talked of meeting is to take place is not known. We leam from a private letter received from Taranaki, that Te Ua, the prophet of Hau-hauism, has lately shown symptoms of getting into his right mind. He has expressed severd times to Mr Parris his wish to come in and live quietly in some of the settlements. But he seems alone in this determination, and the more zealous Pai Marines of the district, disgusted at the apathy of their former leader, have put forward a Ngatiruanui chief as the new head of their religion.