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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1182, 27 November 1871, Page 2

The Ohinemuri correspondent of the Southern Cross, under date Nov. 17, write? at follows :—Since my last letter. Mr Mackay has returned from his visit to Waihi, Mataura, and Wangamata. Mr Mackay is reported to have found a line superior to the one through the Ohinemuri Gor^e; hut T do not think that this is at all likely, to be +he case. I was over the country less than a. month since, and the geological and physical changes can hardly have occurred -within that period that the. reports of some qf she very- -well, say Sanguine —correspondents of your contemporaries would indicate. On the route via the Gorge there is a mile and a half of bush, and the rest open land; the line would at once be available should the Upper Thames country be. opened, and the communication with the Waikato is within six hours ride. The line by Whangamata i.s along the. coast; communicates with nowhere. There is nine mile* of bush (heavy bush, too) country to be passed through; and it is much longer. I think Mr. Mackay can get either line he likes, and I am clearly of opinion that he o'ight to get that by way of the. Gorge Late on Thursday evening the native chief Puiaha Paora Mataetuere arrived at the settlement of Te Moananui, front Coromandel. He was then almost dead, and died during the nightThere will be a gnat cangi, as native* are arriving from all parts with kai.1 see that it is stated in the Thames

that prospecting is going on here. This is not true. The boat which carries this despatch will take with it the last of the original diggers—Dan Leahy. Dan has hung on for two years and a-half. The fact of his now leaving tells its own tale. We (New Zealand Herald, Nov. 10) jregret to have record an accident which took place in a stone-quarry near the H'irpofErin, yesterday afternoon, by which a man named Simmonds was instantly killed, ami another named Conway so seriously injured as to be expected not to recover. It seems that the two unfortunate men were at work at a quarry near the flarp of Erin, setting: out stone for (he foundation of a new roadway. They were engaged about throe o'clock, blasting the rock, and were in the act of "tamping" when the powder ignited, and an explosion instantly occurred. Simmonds was holding the tamping iron, and Conway was striking when the explosion took place. The stone was split into pieces, and was dashed with great violence against both men, striking them for the most part in the face. Simmonds was instantly killed, and Conway horribly mutilated about the head and body. Two other men were working at the time in the quarry, one of whom imme-,-diately ran across to the race-course, where (he Volunteer review was taking place. Drs Hooper and Wright at once accompanied him. back to the scene of the catastrophe, when they found Simmonds dead, ancl Conway in a deplorable .condition. They did what they could to temporarily relieve his suffering, and then despatched him to the Hospital. We understand that Simmonds lived in Wakefieldstreet, and that he leaves a wife and three small children,