Local and General Epitome.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 32, 5 August 1867, Page 193

Local and General Epitome.

The inontji ending 31ß.t, July has.been. particularly “barren of, anyth (rig in .the . shape of .news. , The most., noticeable ..events which , have come under our observation will be found belo,w. ~ . . ,> The Englislf mail via, Suez .was.delivered .in Napier on Wednesday, July 24; and that via Panama on Friday, July 26. A great deal has been said pnd written lately about the rather important question, of an ’available’ gold-field for the province of HawkeV BayjJ Several .parties—composed principally of old diggers—have been out prospecting during the ’ past month. As yet, however, their efforts'have hot been crowned with success ; but it must be admitted that they have had great disadvantage's to contend with—miserably bold weather, and natives who will dot themselves prospect for the precious metal nor let their European brethren do so. This is a state of things much to be regretted., The discovery of a payable goldfield in this province at the present time is “ a consummation devoutly to be wished,”

Great excitement has prevailed for some time past upon the subject of the reported gold-fields in the Thames district, ; in the province of Auckland. Eor mai>y months rumours, more or le.-s exaggerated’ have been current in Auckland : and , the .issue >»f a proclamation.,offering a reward of £3OOO for the discovery.of a payable, goldjn the province gave . additional strength to the various, reports. LatteHi these accounts have been. atrengtheued by more circumstantial . statements-, from Various sources, all fending. : to the ; same. point, namely, that gold exists ,in payable quantities iu the Thames,. ,but that the Maoris will not allow.. prospecting, any circumstances. It is a positive fact that more than 0119 party is out endeavour irig to prospect ; the leader of .one of these parties haying such confidence in ultimate success that lie has the necessary funds for tile enterprise. , It remains to be seed how long Maori doniiuation will In-, allowed to interfere with wtjat only can prove thb restoration of Auckland’s pros perity—a payable gold-field. _. A fire occurred on the morning of Monday] July'22,ln Hastings-street, , f»y which, the‘Albion Hotel and three other buildings were' totally destroyed. The fir,e,engine was promptly on the spot, but owing to, a .lilfieuity experienced in procuring,a supply uf water, it was compaiativelv u-eiess. A number of persons t urned out and rendered useful service insaving furniture, &«. from'ti e burning buildings,' and iu, preventing' the fire extending to tlie adjioeu. ■premises. Aii.enquiry into the cause ,ol the lire was held bn Saturday,. 27 1 h .July, but 1 nothing was elicited ivsp-otiag its ori-, gin. ' Happily these occurrences are rare in Napier. The knowledge of this fact, however, should not prevent precautionary measures being taken. The four gentlemen who represent the Province of Hawke’s Bay in the New Zealand Parhanient. left Napier on Monday, loth July, for Wellington. ~. . The exportation of live stpek from the Port of Napier for the month ending 3.15 t,. July, amounted to 95 head of cattle, .and 1857 sheep. These figures show a mate: rial decrease from the numbers shipped during previous months. Intelligence has been received during the mouth 1 of other brutal murders by the Hauhaus. ' The scene of the dark deed was between Opotiki and "Wliakatane, in the province of Auckland, and the victims were Mr. Bennett White and a native mailman. The murders were committed under'circumstances of the most revolting brutality—Mr White’s head having been cut oil" and his eyes gouged out I When will the “ noble savages” of New Zealand cease to perpetrate such heinous crimes ? Let Exeter Hall answer the query, we confess ,we are unable to do so.

. The Provincial Council, which was. in session at the time of the departure of the last mail via Panama, cibsed its, proceedings on Saturday, 13 li July, alter a short session of fourteen sitting uays; and now stands adjourned until. Tuesday, 10th Sep-, ternber. A digest of the business. transacted during the session will be found in another, column.

We have now to touch upon a painful subject—the’ prevalence of,' sickness in Napier. Measles, and fever of a malignant deseripton, have laid low numbersauf men, women, and children ;• and,’ we are sorry to add, camed.:off.many—principally the latter. . Napier hitherto lias enjoyed such ah immunity from disease of u,ny kind, that the present , visitation comes upon us with , a heavy! hand. £he same diseases, we regret.to,say; have visited:the provinces of Nelson u ahd Wellington. Sydr ney .papers, too, record numerous . deaths from, measles. Sanitary- reform.'is,, dally, necessary as far as the town,of Napier is.concerned ; and; we sincerely!trust .that the Government will not lose sight of the matter] '... By-the arrival. ; o£ the English mail we were-gratified on;learning .that the.Reyi Petierißarclay, for bo many, years, pastor of chePreabyterian Church iu this town, had. safely ' reached, England; ..We. trust >ere long;to chroinule his return to New Zealand. . .

.From the “ far north” ‘intelligence of, a painful nature hds reached us. ! The Ven. Archdeacon Williaths, for 44'years a niissionary in this colony,' is no more.’ The deceased minister 1 of God I 'was' 'the elder brother of the Bishop' of Waiapu, now residlng’in Napier, and father of'the Bev. Samuel Williams, of Te Ante, 1 in 1 this pro* vince. The Bussdll (Bay of Isl'ahdk)'. correspondent'df our Auckland cbhtemporaiy, the Daily Southern Crdss,' alluding, to‘the death of the' aged pastor, thus'writes to that journal under date of the 18th July I regret to have to' anhoimee the death of the Yen. Archdeacon Williams, which occurred at his residence, at Pakaraka, on Tuesday: evening’ last: The" Archdeacon was one of the earliest missionaries to this Colony, having come here' abo'iit" 1821. His life has been a more than Commonly useful one, And the energy arid coiisisteney of his character gained him Very great influence both with Europeans and Maoris ; •and though latterly the infirmities of age have compelled him to take a less active share in the concerns' of his “district, he will be very greatly missed. ; As a proof of the respect which was ’entertained for him by .the; Madris, I may mention that upon hearing of his death—which was rather sudden—the belligerents l iat Waimate suspended hostilities Until-after his funeral, which is to take place this afternoon. We are all now looking forward to the establishment of telegraphic couim unication throughout the colony. • The survey, we believe, has been made for extending the telegraph from Opotiki to Taurariga, in connection with the line from ' Wellington to Castle Point, Napier, and Opotiki. The telegraph works between Wellington and this province are being vigorously pushed forward, and as’soon ais may be deemed expedient theline of telegraph will be cori tinjued in a northerly disection, thus linking: Auckland in the telegraphic chain of the-colony.-

; The embers of rebellion are hot y e t extinguished, and another ' Outbreak looms ominously :in - the distance. It appears that the .fanatics have drawn a sort of boundary (the extent of which, we presume, is only, known to themselves) close by Cambridge, a small' settlement in the Waikato country, and they insist upon all Europeans keeping outside the boundary —the penalty for crossing it being, we apprehend, a bullet, or what is worse, a tomahawk. These natives also prohibit the leasing of land ; and are going ‘about the interior (under the leadership ’oi llukaraia and Eereopa, two of the greatest villains in the colony), between the confiscated boundary in the Auckland province and Haivke’s Bay and Wellington, keeping the country in a state of- anarchy and' confusion; iiis Majesty King Matutaere and Rewi are said to be against any overt acts of rebellion being committed, but doubtless, if such be the ease, it is done from prudential motives. However, Kereopa and ins ally pay no attention to His. Imperial Majesty nor to his Prime Minister. A • feud between two native tribes js also going 011 in the Bay of Islands. Land is again the bone of contenion.