The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 600, 14 January 1852, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Bo iust ard fear not: Let all the ends tliou aiirr 't at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14, 1832.

King Gold is a mighty monarch indeed ! The very shadow of his sceptre — although not improbably as unreal as the visionary dagger of Macbeth — has wielded a marvellous sway over our townsfolk during the few days since the rumour of a gold discovery at Waiheke obtained circulation. Amongst almost all classes, sexes, and ages, it has been the first topic of conversation ; and so strong has been the influence that the most sanguine expectations have been built upon the most unsubstantial foundations; and even when one ground of confidence in the genuineness of the alleged discovery has been removed after another, many would still hug the vestiges of the air-built fabric, and "cry to dream again." Up to the hour at which we write, although no specimen containing the smallest quantity of real gold has been submitted to the examination of any competent judge, numbers cling to the belief that the metal not only exists but has actually boon found; and readily receive any tale however improbable which professes to account for its not being publicly acknowledged and exhibited. It may be well, however, that we should briefly state the history and progress of this excitement, so far as we have been able to gather it from trustworthy sources. We may be permitted to say that we have neglected no means within our reach to obtain correct information. As we mentioned in our last, one from our Establishment visited the Island for the purpose of ascertaining the origin of the rumour ; he conversed with the parties on the spot, without reference to any official or other source of information ; and we have therefore more than mere hearsay or indirect grounds on which to rest our statements. We have also called at the Colonial Secretary's office to examine for ourselves the mineral specimens sent up •by the Lieut.-Governor, and to make a few inquiries, which, it is bare justice to say, we fouud Dr. MNCLAIR most willing to answer in a manner so frank and ready as to exclude all idea of " mystery" or reserve on the subject on the part of the government. We shall now state what we believe to be the real facts, and thus enable the reader to form his own judgement. A former resident of this town, Frederick Mosheim, who has been living for about a year on the island of Waiheke, reported last week to Lieutenant Ward of H. M. Brigantine Bramble (while that vessel was at the island watering), that he had reason to believe that two men named Parker and Coombes, also inhabitants of Waiheke, had found gold, and were privately hoarding it up. The grounds on which he formed this opinion were, in part, some expressions which he had heard from one of them three months since, to the effect that although they were poor in that place then, they would soon be rich ; — but principally on the statement made to him by a Native Chief, George King, who gave rather a circumstantial account of their having found what he believed to be gold. Lieutenant Ward deemed it his duty to report these statements to the government, which he formally did on Wednesday morning last. His report arrived just when his Excellency the LIEU-TENAnT-Governor was about to sail for the Southern Settlements on a tour of Military Inspection. H. M. Ship Calliope. in which he was to proceed was, according to previous arrangements, to call at Waiheke to take in water there, and by this coincidence an opportunity was afforded for an inquiry into the matter under the Lieut.-Governor' s immediate observation. Accordingly, on Friday, his Excellency, with Sir Everard Home, Commander of the Calliope, and Mr. Johnson, Native Interpreter, examined the parties named by Mosiieim. They all positively denied that gold, or anything like it, had been discovered by them or to their knowledge; and Coombes gave the Lieut .- Governor some pieces of the only mineral which he acknowledged to have found. These specimens were forwarded to town by his Excellency, and have been seen by many, and tested with much care, the result being, beyond all doubt, that they do not contain gold. This was all the evidence the Lieut.-Govfrnor could obtain upon the subject during his visit, and we are fully convinced that the Local Government are not in possession of anything more. The conclusion therefore must so far be— that the report

i -was destitute oi «'my solid foundation. Several of tho parlir-. who have visited "Wailickc have returned to town, and whatever may ho their suspicion, or conicctnrcs, have brough no containing gold. The ccnirc-facl oi" the ease then 'stands prominently ibnvaivl — lh;>t whefher or not gold e.nsis at 'W'yiheke, no yibiblc .or tangible proof of its existence ha-; liitherto been produced. But, as we have intimated, many arc unwilling to relinquish the hope ; and there certainly are considc.'-iti >ns which seem to throw some doubt over the case so far as ifte iviinesses arc concerned. We are told by those who have questioned the reputed finders of the treasure that their statements appeared confused, he&itating, and by no means .so consistent as might have been looked for trom men who were telling a straightforward story without reservation. MoSHEIM has incurred the displeasure of the Native Chief, by reporting the matter to Lieutenant Ward, and has been ordered by him to leave the Island with his family. — a mandate with which he has deemed it prudent to comply. The motive for this proceeding on the part of the Chief, though ostensibly a dispute about timber, is believed to be an apprehension that the Government might take possession of the' land (in which the Natives claim property) if Gold were found in it. All these and other things which have been discussed, however, amount at most to no more than a ground for Supposing that the parties on the Island themselves "think that they have found, or may lind, some treasure which they desire to retain in their own keeping J3ut we need scarcely point out how impossible it would be that such a secret could be kept for any great length of time by them or any other parties. We allude to the supposition only bccau&o it has had some circulation and credence. We may mention that Parker, CoCftißhS, and George King all declared to tho Lieut.Governor not only that they knew of no mineral except that of which he got specimens, but that if they should find any, they ■ would inform the Government, — Georgk King expressing his confidence that the Government would take care that the Maoris were not wronged. We have dwelt upon the details of the case at a length which the sensation produced in the town by the rumour fully justifies. Our own conclusions have been made sufficiently apparent as we proceededWe shall most gladly bo convinced of the existence of a gold-field at Waiheke, so soon as any reasonable proof is before us. But we cannot admit that we have anything approaching to such proof, until at least one specimen of its gold shall be forthcoming. Of course, wo do not venture to assert that gold will not be found there, — although, we are informed, it is not amongst the parts of Now Zealand which geological observers would consider most likely to contain the precious metals. But the attention directed to Waiheke now will, not improbably, induce many to visit it on " prospecting tours ;" and it may bo a healthful and agreeable occupation for a short time to those who have leisure for an engagement which may not issue in any pecuniary advantage. We shall anxiously watch and honestly report any results that may be arrived at ; but — while we shall be willing and even csi o or to announco/acte,--wcdonot conceive that we should promote truth or advance the real interests of the district by giving undue weight to mere speculations and conjectures.

H. M. Ship Calliope sailed on Saturday from Waiheke for Wellington, calling at Mongonui. Some have connected this call in their speculations and guesses (we do not ■well understand how) with the rumoured gold discovery; but we are satisfied they have done so without any foundation. We have heard that the Native Chief " Noble" has been recently giving" some trouble by his opposition to the Customs' Duties, particularly the tax on tobacco, and has with his thirty or forty followers threatened further disturbance ; and it is very likely that the Government have thought it expedient that a ship of war should be seen at Mongonui and that, as the Lieutenant-Governor happened to be in the neighbourhood, his Excellency should himself remonstrate with " Noble" in such a manner as would tend to bring him to order and submission. This would sufficiently account for the Calliope's call, and we have little doubt will prove to have been substantially the true and only reason for it.

Concert. — The Concert advertised in our last took place in the Hall of the Mechanics' Institute on Monday eveniug, and was attended by a very numerous audience, who throughout the performance greatly enjoyed the entertainment provided for them. A principal object was to show the progress Mr. Barry's pupils had made, and it is simple justice to say that their several performances bore high testimony to the attention and skill bestowed on their musical instruction. The Masters Hunter on the violin, Master Buckingham on the flute, and Mr. Lawrence on the flutina, all played with a taste, precision, and effect, which merited the warm applause with which their efforts were received. Miss Debus and Mr. Bird contributed the vocal part of the evening's amusement to the entire satisfaction of the audience. The " Kate Kearney" of the former, and the " I' ay of Biscay" of the latter were loudly and heartily encored. An Irish Medley, compiled and arranged by Mr. Barry, concluded the performances, which altogether passed off' in a manner very creditable to Mr. Barry's professional abilities, and, no doubt, very gratifying — especially to the friends of the juvenile performers whose attainments already give the promise and earnest of more than ordinary musical proficiency.

Lfttfus from Ffejee have been received in Auckland via Sydney* containing some interesting particnlais which has been kindly I communicated to us. The dates aie about the middle of November. The most impoitant intelligence in some aspects 1 elates to another of those aggressive attempts by the Piopagandists of Rome, backed by Fiench suppoit, winch vull occupy so marked a page in the lustoiy of the South Sea | Islands. In September last, a Fiench bngan-

tine hawng a Roman Calhoic Bishop and I'iKston boaid, ani\ed at Vewa, Inning for two dajs previously unsuccessfully attempted to gel tv [Jan. Mr. J. B. Wjiluws, the Anifiican Cont.ul, was also on board the \cssel. and seems to have manifested every disposition to aid in the attempt, although the Chief of Vewa had made him acquainted with his unwillingness to leceive the tuny-comeis. andenticatcd him to t. Ke no pait in endeavoiumg to inti ounce them. When the Bishop was bringing tin* Pnesl on shoie in the boat, Mi. Wiiliams was requested 10 desne them not to land, and, on itis lefusmg to do so, " a Native Chief gave the boat a gentle turn round, and all had to return to the bngautine." Upon this the Caplain, — whose name is stated to be Coonfy, " an Inshman," — letoided the affair as an indignity oileied to the Fiench flag, and peisisted in iegardmg it in this light, although he was distinctly assuted that nothing insulting to France was in the remotest degiee intended, but that the opposition of the Natives arose altogether from their fear and dislike of the ecclesiastics whom it was endeavoured to force upon them. Evi ence that this was a true representation of the case was afforded in the fart that, both before and after this transaction, the boat came to the shoie with the Fiench flag, without the slightest molestation or hindrance. No explanation, however, would be admitted as satiftfactoiy, and it was dpciared that two Fiench ships of war and a steamer would come at an eaily day to pumah the Islanders for then proceedings. We aie informed that the step was entirely spontaneous on the part of the Chnstiaii Natives, who, without any dictation 01 pei&iicisioii i'om iheir Missionaries or any others, lesolveu to oppose the introduction of Te ache is bent on sow ins l elisions divisions amongst them ; and smely the field of Heathenism to which no lay of Chmlian light has penetrated might be deemed wide enough to engage eveiy evangelistic energy, without any effort to sow discoid and bung the aitsof proselytism to bear upon those spots which have m some measuie been reclaimed fiom the woial wilderness. The conduct of Mr. J. B. Williams seems, to say the lea^t, very extraordinary. We are told that the pretext for his mteifeience in the affair was that he desited to obtain a Pnest tor white men on the Island. But further explanation than can be inferred fiom the statements before us will be necessary to exculpate that gentleman from a mischievous meddling in aid of a clearly aggressive movement, which is fai fiom creditable to himself individually or to the gicat and professedly übeial countiy whose lepresentative he styles himself. 'l'he attachment of the converted Natives in the Feejeo Gioup to the Christianity which has rescued t! em from a stale of levolting crime and degradation not exceeded by any in the black annals of heathen depravity, and their self-denying effons to extend to otheis the leligion which has done so much for themselves, aie illustrated in an interesting document which has also ju&t reached us. It is a Report of the Wesley an Mission in the Feejee District for the year ending June, 185 I,— fiom which we take the following extract •.—. — We giatelully nc!» now ledge llie goodness of God in giving to the etioits of his *eivants among this long-iiegli't ttd and niiich-uVgraded race. At present tlieie mo 50 Chapels, S2 other Preaching Places, 7 M issionaiK'N, 02 <_atc j c!u-(s, 3VO day-school Teacheis, 60 Local PuMcherh, I'i\ Cla-,- Leaders, 2322 Church ftlembeis, o'oj Candidates lor chinch member-ship, 110 Diy .Schools,, 3333 Day Scholars, and 5100 attendants on public worship. 'lbe i/'eejeeans have shown their gratitude for Mission labour, and their deposition lo help as their means enable them. At I3au a l,ua:e amount of nati\e curiosities and inanufaciure was obtained Inst ye'ir, and sent to England, by the " Wesley," lor sale for the benpfit of the Mission. At Vewa and Chalau tlie follovMng atticles weio given, and also sent by the " Wesley" :—: — il basLets, 6 |>iece> of cloth, 9'j mats, 6 pieces of sandal wood, fa fans, shflls, 7 leaf tiays, 90 clubs, and i'>o spears. At Lakemba, the contributions were libeial. Din ing the year the Lakemba Circuit l«as received the following additional articles: 643 pieces of native cloMi, 87 head droses, 357 yams, 118 lbs. cenuit, 63 hanks of ditto, 8 gallons oil, 79 mats, 86 bowls, 2-i spears, 10 clubs, 17 whales' teeth, &c. &c. Surely, we repeat, if Romish Propagandism would labour in Polynesia with a sincere purpose of converting savages from heathenism to the faith of the Gospel, it might find ample scope for its utmost exertions without intruding upon and striving to destroy the results of Protestant effort. It remains io be seen how far the threats of Fiench coercion will be cained into effect, and whether the scenes of Tahiti are to be re-enacted at helpless little Vewa. War continued to lage fearfully in many paits of the Islands. A vessel had been sent down to Vewa by Tur Viti (the King of Feejee) for 500 piculs of beche-le-mer; but, having obtained only about 150, she sailed for Sydney. It was by this vessel that the letteis from which we have derived our information were forwarded. When the whole quantity required was procured (if it cou*d \>e) another vessel was to be sent down.