THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, June 5, 1851.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 4, Issue 64, 5 June 1851, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, June 5, 1851.

During the past week there have been several ships arrived from Sydney. These UNKNOWN bring the most important intelligence. Gold, of the finest quality, and ill immense quantifies, has beei. discovered. People who had taken their passages to Califrrni t liavo given them up; and the entire population of New South Wall's is in a state of extraordinary excitement. Men of all classes arc (looking to the diggings. Farmers arc leaving the plough—stock-keepers and shepherds arc abandoning their herds and flocks—-sailors are deserting their ships and all the usual pursuits of labour and industry are being sacrificed to the accursed thirst of gold. If the state of misery and crime was frightful in California, it will he tenfol.l worse in New South Wales ; for there the mines will not only be overrun with the dregs of its own convict population, but will also be crowded by thousands of the most depraved and abandoned villains from Van Diemen's Land a id Norfolk Island. Robbery and murder will, we fear, be of constant occurrence, and every species of violence and atrocity be recklessly indulged. No doubt* there will le some foolish people who will leave NevZealand in the hope of acquiring some of this gold. They had much better stay where tlicy are : for New Zea ami is happily, a land where honest industry aiul moderate toil will enable eveiy man to obtain a fair share of this, world's goods. We trust our native readers will not be deluded to go to these gold fields by means of any glowing statements they may hear concerning them. They have their own gold fields which they may dig much more happily and quite as profitably as those of (lie stranger. Let them '.isten to the counsels of true and disinterested friends. In New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, there will be little cultivation, because the labourers are leaving the plough and the fields will remain untilled- The gold, therefore, that these men gather will be readily given for bread ; and from whence can that bread be so pasily and so abundantly furnished as from New Zealand ? Already every ai tide of food is ri-ing enormously in piiec. Fh/ur is held in Auckland at £'lo a ton. Now is the time for the natives to become rich. Let them not lo«e a moment. I.et tlnm sow, wheat, barley, oats, inai/.e, potatoes, onions, carrots, peas, henns, ;indi'o forth, on every available spot. When the news of this gold discovery lvaclies England, ship after ship with thousands of people will p.air into New South Wahs. These wi 1 people require to he fed, but they ivili fii.d the land uiltiiled, for the larmcrs ill hedigging for gold. We are .sure you must see your' w:.V t<> Ull llllli'. iio up anil doing, oil natives. Now is | 1 (.* time to show the true w atli of your character, and to prove to Hie world that the gold li"W)s of Nu\v Zealand lie ill her fettile soil and abundant produce^

Sinck we last appeared before our readers, another return of (lie day, which gave birth to our beloved Queen, Ims been 'clebra'.ed with that deep anil all'ctionalc !o\ulty characteristic of British colonist's throughout il.o word. And, as now appears to be an almost unfu'ring comomilant, the day itself was one of serenity and beauty. I>ut the liritish-horn subjects of Queen Viet >ria were not the only peop'o ill New Zea'ami anxi us to manifest I heir joy <ai the auspicious occasion. I'V'ini an early hour, group after tzr..up of merry natives passed a'ong the slice's at'iied in every variety of colour and costume; each nnvious to 'earn from his neighbuur the intei ded p'easures ami proceedings of the day:—for, if militaty display bo attractive to Kuropean eyes it i* 110 less so to those of the Native iNcw Zea'ander, who experiences as much gratification at beholding the mamouvivs of the troops, as in listening to the delightful strains of their inspiriting bands. Of Military Spectacle, the 2-lthof May invariably furnishes its cottlingi ut ; but to Military display there was. this year, supciad led that of the Navy—the temporary and casual presence of three men of war having Mignientel the .nanifi stations of lova'tv by the beautiful salutes of twenty one guns each, de.ivered from the broad-si Its of Her Majesty's ships ' Mavamiali" and " Fly." The great nttracfinn of (lie day, however. was that presented at the Annual Nati-e Dinner, prepared, as usual, at Mr. Robertson's Hope Work. Thither, a* Ine hour of two, our Maori fi'ien Is were observed to be eagerly repairing. Shortly after that lioar there was a general rush to the dinner tables, but the eard-iakers were too vigilant for our eager visitors ; they were consequently obliged to ha e pa'ieii'-c, each lady and gentleman entering the avenue, one by one, and presenting a', the same lime their respective cards. When the privileged were thus comfortably seated, tliev looked round on the relentless crowd, an I sung Ibc folio .ving lines in honour of Ilis Kxcefeney the Lieut.-(.iovcrnor. " Oh I'nru th'iu art firm— I'irm as the moiitit lin rock oi Takat .k.i That laughs at all the effmts of its foe--. All, woulil ymi hasten to tip? baitle liohl And irv your skill web tln'su? Know tins tli it Auckland's sons are v.diaut, Nor may ilio sound ol'w.ir npi>r<Mch her bhnrts. Tlie people of llotorua—bonded by their Chief Marsh, were, evideu l\ very desirous of e.ouipli.nei.liiig t>efair sex. Throwing down t icir knives and forks, tliey sprang upon the form-, and danced, and sang in In/noiir of Mrs. Wymard, and the ladies of Auckland to these lively strains : " We conic to you To greet von and a'bni f your bi'auteius face«, Our I.ices are unlovely i look not on in, Hut let us look on ymi. For ye arc ever charnihiir, ever lair." Marsh having resumed his seat, a deafening peal was heard from another portion of the company, as follows:—■ " Ah me! »|iy tantalize me so While the proud maekiel play below ? Tha* from my i-iiger i>ra-;p ye liaite, I A o'iii -ball of your sweeMien time; Anil yon inv IViimkls, wlnna nmv 1 greet, The S'vccter kuinera shall e <t." The Na'ivcs occupying the centre talil 's appeared not le s enxions to display their prowess in dancing. Kiare, their leader, threw hi'm-clf among the tdates with a long spear in his hand ; lie and others shouting forth, — " Eat mi—i re long lou'll want "gahi; fiat on —cat every p iriiele, Nor let a solitary scrap be left To show that viands ever lined this hoard." During the dance, slice after slice of pudding came tumbling to the ground, the dancers eyeing their comrades, and looking upon the prostrate luxuries with apparent indifference; it was we'l understood however, that all wa* to be collected ' in and other articles of w earing a, paiel, which serve as baskets on till such occasions. A fter this kindlv interchange of feeling, the j cuud guests ran off with a long loud shout, leaving their less plavful fellows to gather up the fragments. This

tin-j* promptly did. bcsirin" twiii tiwny witii tlicni in their well linctl/gnrmcntsAnd thus tcrminntcil the Native Dinner of 1851. /