AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 687, 8 June 1859, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

By the Henry from Auckland, we have news from that province to the 27th May. The Henry brings no mail, but Captain Wallace has kindly handed us a file of the Southern Cross from which we make the following extracts ,:—-.-.

Melancholy Occubkence. —It is our painful duty to record another melancholy and fatal accident by which four more of our fellow-citizens have perished in an untimely manner. From the evidence given before a Coroner's Jury assembled at the Koyal Hotel yesterday morning, to inquire into the cause of the death of Diigald Fisher, we learn that the deceased left Auckland on Good Friday along with, Mr. Finlay McMillan, with the intention of proceeding overland to Mr. McMillan's farm at Wangaprahu, to search for coal. Having crossed in the Pilot's cutter to the North Shore, they landed there, and in company with Mr. Thorburn proceeded together about three miles on the way. Mr. McMillan at this time perceived his boat coming from Wangaprau to Auckland, and expecting her to have letters for him, he returned to town, leaving Thorburn and the deceased to contiuue on their way. On the 24th of April, Mr. McMillan left Auckland and walked home, and on'his arrival, found Fisher and others at his house; the others were Captain McLean (well known as a pilot for Kaipara), Mr. t)avid Crosbie, and a Mr. Barclay, or Bartley, a seafaring man. These took their departure from Wangapralm for Auckland on the evening of the 25th of April, in the Otea, a cutter of about eight or ten tons burden, belonging to Mr. McMillan. The weather at the time was moderate. They were all sober ,and Mr.McMillan expected they would reach Auckland that night, but he saw no more of them. Corporal Scott, of the Armed Police, deposed thafc he went to Waiheki on Thursday last in consequence of information received from the Natives of a dead body having been washed up on the island. He found the body buried about a foot and a half under sand, and .disinterred and brought it to town. —Hugh Fitzgerald, the son-in-law, and Agnes Fitzgerald, his wife, identified the body then lying in the dead-house" as that of their relation, the deceased Dugald Fisher. They last saw him alive shortly before he went to Wangapralm to search forcoal on Mr. McMillan's land. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition, the features of tha face being altogether destroyed. Verdict, " Found drowned."—We regret to say that two of th« unfortunate deceased have left large families to lament their sudden and melancholy end. Another body has been recovered and landed at.Maraitai, but had not been identified.— New Zealandcr, May 14.

Another Eoat Accident.—There has hecn an unprecedented series of casualties within the hist, fortnight. Yesterday morning a boat belonging to Marshall, the waterman, was picked up, bottom upwards, with her mast standing and sticking in the mud close in on the North Shore; her stretchers, stern boards, and various other gear were gone, and there were no traces of the lads who worked her. It appears that about eleven o'clock on Thursday morning, Mr. Blake and some other, person employed Mr. Marshall's son—a -very smart intelligent lad— and another lad of the name of Calinan, to take them from the Queen-street Wharf up the Waitomata to Mr. Brigham's Mill. The. boat was seen to depart and to row up the harbour, but nothing further was known of her movements until she wnS

/jficked up yesterday in the condition above stated. #<§o;6ke'anti"'soflie-other watermen immediately went ■ up the- fiver to make inquiries. They searched every bight ami bay, proceeding beyond Kanri Point as far - as Mr. Fitzpatriek's, but nothing could they hear ot the missing, boys.- Whether they reached the Mill, which as they started with -the flood tide is highly ; probable,'or whether :the'accident occurred on their -return; are mere matters of conjecture; under either -circumstance, it is nmclrto be feared that the poor ki lads, at least, have metwith a watery and untimely •■ gvwe±-mw ZeaUnder, 'May 14. [We are happy * to state that, since the above was published, tidings • of the safe arrival of-Mr. Blake and his party, at Deacon's Inn, have been received. The unfortunate accident must therefore have occurred whilst the bont, with two boys, on board, was returning under sail to Auckland. Neither of-the bodies has been . xecovcred.—Southern Cross,] Tub Scientific Expedition.—Dr. Hochstetter and party-arrived on -Tuesday in town, from their - expedition to the interior. The party consisted of . Messrs: Hart and Koch, the former of whom had been specially.invited to join 'the expedition, the latter assisted as sketcher and assistant meteorologist, Mr.

. Hamel, the photographist, and Mr. G. D. Hay, who '• did the honors, of the country on the part of the .New Zealand Government.. Dr. Hochstetter has -; visited the. Waikato, the Waipa, Whaingaroa, Kawliia, Mokau, Te Hua, Taupo, and the lakes at Eotomahama and Rotorua, whence .he proceeded to Maketu and. Tauranga, returning by Rangiawhia. He has thus explored the whole of the Southern boundary of the Province of Auckland, from the East Coast along the boundaries of the New Province - of Hawke's Bay to Taupo, and the head of the Wauganuiriver, on the boundaries of the Wellington Province, and has collected materials for a '- complete geographical and geological map of the ■ country. He. has collected valuable specimens belonging to all. departments of natural history, and . ..Mr. Hamel has brought back some sixty photogra- j phic plates .of landscapes taken during the expedi- j * ' -:tion. Dr. Hochstetter expresses himself .as. highly i ■; gratified by the courtesy and kind reception he has met with during his journey from Europeans, settlers, missionaries and others, and from the-native ■ population. We hope that a report of this expedition will be shortly before the public. Dr. Hochstetter proceeds we understand almost immediately ! v to Coromandel to examine the goldftelds.—/foe?. J . The long talked of importation of sparrows will | - shortly take place.. Mr. Brodie has shipped three i hundred on board the Swordfish, carefully selected . from the best hedgerows. in England., The food j - alone, he informs us, put on board for them cost ■-.'£lß.- This sparrow question has been a long standing joke, in Auckland; but the necessity to the farmers-of small birds to keep down f the grubs is - admitted on all .sides. There is no security in this country,against, the invasion of armies.of caterpil- '"' lars, taking off the grain crops as clean as if mowed by a scythe. Mr. Brodie has already acclimatized the pheasant, which is abundant in the North. The descent from pheasants' to sparrows is somewhat anti-climax; but should the; latter multiply, " the greater benefit will have been conferred on the country. There will be much laughing about the sparrows; but we are glad to see that Mr. Brodie inaintains.his reputation, even in trifles, of always doing what he has once said he will do.— lbid. The Queen's Birthday.—Tuesday, the 24th, was not so fine a day as we generally expect to have, from old associations in England, when Her Majesty's anniversary comes round. In the absence of the Governor there was not the usual levee, but the parade in honor of the occasion at Albert Barjacks came off as on other anniversaries. The Auckland Rifle Corps, a very young corps in the service, had the honor on this occasion of being - drawn up in line with the 65th, joining in the feu de joie fired in honor of the day, and they certainly waved their caps with equal enthusiasm when -Colonel Gold called for three cheers in honor of the Queen. At the close of the parade the band of -the 65th reg., accompanied the volunteers to the -head of Shortland-crescent, where the corps was drawn up in line, and Colonel Gold expressed himself in; highly complimentary terms as to the very creditable manner in which they had gone through their evolvtions. We congratulate our adjutant of - militia, Captain Balneavis, on his success in organi- •■ zing this nucleus of a local force, a task which is nowise easy, and at the same time must mention the able manner in which he has throughout been supported by his drill-sergeant of militia, Mr. Mitchell. The soiree at the Mechanics'lnstitute in the evening, went off well. The speeches were what were to be expected from the gentlemen who had pro•mised to address the assembly, and the dancing .proved a successful and popular finale to the general -holiday.— lbid, May 21.