AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 48, 2 December 1867, Page 298

AUCKLAND.

(From tlie New Zealand Herald, Nov. 18.) THE THAMES. The steamers Enterprise and Midge returned from the diggings on Saturday afternoon. Captain Butt, who was a passenger by the.latter, brought up 200 ozs. of gold from Barry and Company’s claim. The Tauranga, which arrived yesterday, also brought 100 ounces from the same claim.

A most lamentable accident has happened, by which Mr Franklyn, a greengrocer, of Shortland-street, has lost his life. His body was brought to town, by the Tauranga last evening. We. understand that a large number of diggers left Kaueranga to prospect the land at Waikawou on Saturday. - FIRE. . , After another comparatively long internal of immunity from fires, another, and fortunately, small loss of property, has occurred from this cause. The scene of the fire is off the College Road, about 100 yards to the back of the Suffolk Hotel, where' stood a two-storey wooden cottage, containing some eight apartments, belonging to Mrs Mary Martin and her son-in-law, Richard Hawkeswood. Mrs Martin lives at Onehunga. Mr Hawkeswood, who formerly carried on business as a shoemaker in W est Queen-street, is at Hokitika. The house has for some time past been occupied by Mrs Hawkeswood and her three children, who were asleep in it at the time of the outbreak of the fire. The outbreak of the fire seems to have been first noticed by a lad named Meachim, who was going home by a lane leading-past the Suffolk Hotel. He at once gave the alarm to Mr Warnbck, who hastened to the house and aroused the inmates. With, the assistance of Mr Banks Mrs Hawkeswood and the children were removed, the latter by the window, and hospitably provided with suitable shelter by Mr Stichbury, jun. The furniture and other property, which, was very meagre, was also saved. The fire originated in the kitchen, in the northern corner of the house, the bedroom in. which they were sleeping being on the south-east. The cottage was totally consumed. It was built at a cost of something like £350, but under the pre c cnt depreciation in the value of property, it was worth not much more than £l5O. Mr Potter, of Epsom,- had a lien on the property, we are informed, having accepted it as security for a sum ef money which he had lent to Hawkeswood. The building, Mrs Hawkeswood supposes, was insured'for £250, and she surmises that the insurance policy is in the possession of Mr Potter. TT att,storm. —Hailstorms in the colonies are by no means frequent, and lit fie expected at this season of the year. A most unusually heavy storm of hail descended on the Epsom road at between three and four o’clock on Saturday afternoon last. It appears to . ‘ have commenced on the Auckland side of the Prince Albert Inn, Epsom, and extended to the. Junction Hotel —the settlers on either side of the locality remaining in perfect ignorance of the affair until their attention was called to the heaps of hailstones in the adjacent paddocks. The storm • descended with extraordinary fury, the hailstones being unusually large and plentifulindeed, so abundant were they that Mr Davis, of the Prince Albert Inn, was shown a dray halffull of hail stones ; also, beans and potatos in a field that had been riddled by the pitiless shower. Gold at "W angapoa. —Some fine sainples of gold were , brought, up from Wangapoa on Saturday, by tie schooner Aspasia. ' Tau'eakg-a. The prospecting party which left Tauranga under tie auspices of Messrs George and. McLean had returned to Te Papa,. .Tau Roa (the murderer of Campbell) and hiS party deterring them from continuing their researches; As they approached Akeake the* appearances seemed to be very good, and Mr George entertainied a fair hope of success.