AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 35, 26 August 1867, Page 212

AUCKLAND.

(from our own correspondent.)

August 17. The gold fields form the general topic of conversation here. Boats are running backwards and forwards to the Thames nearly every day, so that we receive news pretty frequently.. All parties on the land seem to be very well satisfied with the place, though, little of the precious metal has come to light. The latest to band is that a party of four, Messrs. J. E. White, Clarkson, Cobley, and Hunt, have struck upon a reef, beai’ing gold in‘large quantities. Yesterday Mr White arrived in town with samples of quartz, having specks of the bright metal pretty thickly covered all over it.. The party have been down, there some, time prospecting, but only came across this place on Friday. Immediately they discovered the rock, they went in search of Mr Maekay, who at once gave them their miners’ rights. They returned to the place in company with the warden, and got 300 square feet marked off as their claim. It is said that the first piece of quartz knocked off by a pick, showed clearly visible signs, of gold. Directly it was known, that a payable place-bad-been found, ah made a rush to the spot, and various were the opinion^'passed upon it. some affirming that. it. was the real stuff, and others as firmly declaring it was mica. However, after being- fairly tided; it was proved that it was gold, to the satisfaction of all concerned.

Different specimens. have been sent to town during the week, but none so rich as this last. A previous sample of 2 lbs of quart? was melted down by Mr Beck, and the'-gdld obtained from it was 5 dwfcs. 10 grs: Supposing that the quartz was the same all Through, somethingrlike 220 ounces: of gold;Cq,uld lie obtained.from The ton of quartz/;::.',. ~,, -<"• ; A / Another, party says^that lie.was working a. payable prospect,: but '. on forbidden ground, and.was ordered Off at ten minutes’ notioe, although within the.. Government boundary. Mr Maekay : is doing, all he Iqan tq qQine Tq so'ifte teyn&s with the na-;

lives, so that more of the placed may be thrown open. There is plenty of wood and water in the Thames district, and those who fool-' ishly forget to/ take: tents; can possibly build a whare of some kind to protect them from the wet and cold, for if the rain continues for any time longer, it will not be very comfortable for the gold seekers. It is , stated that there are also plenty of wild pigs, and any quantity of peach trees in the neighbourhood if this is the case, the population is not in much fear of starvation. The natives, I believe, are pretty reasonable in their charges for any commodity they have for sale, and are rather anxious that the ground should be worked. The papers here strongly advise people against “.rushing” the new field, as so contradictory reports daily come into town that scarcely any can be relied upon. No doubt a rush will .be made after the news that has been received from the Thames, but I think it better to wait a little longer, for all the claims may not ?urn out as favourable as this one, though the general opinion seems to be in favour of it.

Mr Maekay, the Resident Magistrate, oeard the first criminal case on Wedneshay last, at Shortland Town. Two men were sentenced to one month’s imprisonment each, with hard labour, for stealing a pig, the property of some aboriginal natives.

The affair at Matamata, with respect to Mr Firth’s cattle run, has terminated satisactprily, that gentleman, in company with Mr C. 0? t Bavis, as interpreter, having paid a visit to the natives, and clearly informed them of the agreement entered into between William Thompson and himself for the - possession of the land. Two! meetings were held, at the opening of which the Hauhau prayer was chaunted Tana, Thompson’s son, is rather inclined to be on the side of the Kingites, jet the natives listened very attentively while Mr Davies was speaking to them. Mr Firth deserves credit for acting in the manner he has done; had he been intimidated by the threat of the natives, and taken his cattle off the run, no doubt the parties who have adjacent runs would have been compelled to do the same, and there is no saying what the natives might have felt inclined to do. As to the murder of the Europeans, lately reported to have occurred, there is no proof, and the natives disbelieve the report.

A serious accident occurred on Thursday last, at the new Supreme Court Buildings. It seems that whilst some of the plumbers were engaged upon the roof, part of the scaffolding gave way, precipitating a man and a boy to the ground ; the latter escaped with a slight injury, but the former had a fracture of the ankle and leg The sufferer lies in a very precarious state.