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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1499, 6 December 1872, Page 2

Some few months ago (writes a correspondent of the Southern Crops) a native at Mercury Bay, named Mark, imagined he had been bewitched (maknlu) by some other native. Dr. Agassiz went to see him, but he would take no medicine or nourishment, and said the doctor could do him no good. In fact, he got in the sulks, moped, and starved himself to death. A few days ago his son's wife died. She had been ill for the last three months, and, during her illness, young Mark left her, also taking their child, sayiug he did not want a sick wife ; in fact, she was of no use to him in consequence. On the second day following her death, Mark's mother upbraided him for unnatural conduct; in consequence, he retired to an adjoining hut and shot himself, the ball entering the abdomen aud lodging iu the spine. The native* hearing the report immediately rushed to the hut, when, to their great astonishment, they found him quite dead, and weltering in his own blood. The natives have been making great preparations for the tenehana (crying match), buying quantities of flour, sugar, &c. They are expecting large numbers of their friends from the neighboring districts. The Maoris are rather peculiar as regards their sick and dead : when sick, they are very negligent, and, in a great many instances which have come under my notice will do nothing in aid of their recovery, more especially as regards buying them a few comforts and necessaries; but, when dead, they are most lavish, flour, sugar, tears, and rum pouring in to overflowing. "We take the following from the Bay of Plenty Times:—A large number of chiefs, representatives from all the principal hapus residing in the Tauranga district, meL at Whareroa on the morning of the 19th Nov., at the invitation of Hori Ngatai, one of the leading chiefs of the Naitirangi tribe. After discussing the question of an additional Maori member in the General Assembly, to represent the Tauranga native interests, it was resolved to petition the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council separately to secure the desired object. While this übject was being discussed as rather amusing incident ocurred. A large shark, attracted by the entrails of the fish which had been caught the night before, came into the narrow channel in front of the Whareroa pa, and lingered too long consistent with its own safely, for as the tide went out, it was left embayed in a long strip of water, varying from 2ft. to 6ft. deep, and about 4=oo yards* long. The ehief

called oat the younger men, "If you can catch thai shark and draw it on shore it will be a favoiable omen as to the result of the petition we have decided to send the Parliament. If you let it.go, it will be a sure sign that our prayer will be rejected.'* The young athletes directly stripped to the waist and prepared for the contest. Some armed themselves with tomahawks, spades, poles, and any other convenient weapon that picsented itself. The bolder spirits relied upon their bare hands and strength of muscle to grapple with the monster. After an exciting chase, and various vicissitudes, the shark was caught by one of Hori Ngatai's young men tin owing himself boldly on the fish, and grasping it in his arms. Others came to his assistance, and the monster was despatched and drawn to the shore amidst the cheers of the bystanders—"Hurrah for the petition!" The shark measured about 9ft. long, and about sft. in circumference. At the close of the meeting Hori Ngatai said in reply that he had laid it down as a rule that no intoxicating drinks should be landed at his pa, for he had seen the evil of drinking. At some meetings at which he had been present, spirits had been allowed to be introduced, and the consequence had been much noise and excitement. They had seen on this occasion that no disturbance nor noisy wrangling had taken place, and he attributed it in a great measure to the rule he had laid down that no spirits should be landed at Whareroa.

The Evening Star, 27th November, says :—lnformation having been given this morning that a man named Fox, who, with his wife and child, had booked to San Francisco as intermediate passengers, Messrs E. and H. Isaacs procured a sheriff's warrant for his arrest. Captain Harding was apprised of the circumstances, and consented to detain the steamer for a short time to enable process to be issued. It appears that the person had, a short time ago, left Melbourne after contracting a liability with a firm there, to the extent of ,£BOO. It is believed he arrived at Hokitika in the A 1 ham bra, and came to Auckland by the Wellington, steamer, yesterday. During the time that Messrs Isaacs' were obtaining the capias at the Supieme Court the party named remained under the surveillance of Detectives Ternahan and Jeffrey. The time Captain Harding had agreed *o wait had nearly expired when an officer of the Sheriff proceeded on board, and easily earned his caption fee. The debtor was brought ashore amidst great excitement on the wharf, and conveyed to the debtors' jail, Mount Eden. His wife accompanied him ashore voluntarily, bringing with her all their baggage.

The Northern Wairoa correspondent of the Southern Cross writes that on the 22nd November two men, named John Eyton and Edward M'Adam* gum diggers, living at Kaiwaka, about seven miles up the Kailiu river, were having an altercation respecting a whare which Eyton accused M'Adam of having wilfully set fire to. took up a loaded gun or rifle, which Eyton took from him. M 'Adam wrested theweapon away and gave Eyton a blow on the right side of the head. The unfortunate man fell, and expired about half-an-hour after receiving the blow. The body was placed in a coffin and taken to the Kaihu store, where. Dr. Bestie held a post mortem examination on the following day. On the 25th ult. an inquiry was instituted before T. S. Webb, Esq., Coroner. The widow of the deceased and other witnesses deposed to the facts. J. G. Bestie, Esq., M.R.C.S.D., deposed: On the 23rd inst., T made a post mortem examination of the body of the deceased. As the Nikau whare was inconvenient, I got the body removed to the Kaihu hotel. I found no external marks of violence. The liver was much contused, and a large effusion of blood into the abdominal cavity had taken place. Tlio liver was much diseased and ruptured ; a slight blow would have been sufficient to rupture it; the blow which deceased had leceived might have been a slight one. The stomach was full of alcoholic liquor. All the internal organs were in a highly diseased state. The death of deceased was caused by a flow of

blood into the cavity of the abdomen » from a rupture of the liver. The rup« ture of the liver must have taken place from some external violence.—Edward M'Adam, the accused, after being duly cautioned, volunteered a statement, in the course of which he said : " I gave him a slight blow. I did not think to hurt hint when 1 struck him; I only wanted to drive him off lest he should get hold of the gun. The gun was loaded, but not capped."—The jury returned a verdict of "manslaughter" against Edward M*Adam, who was at once placed in the custody of a special constable.