LATEST FEOM THE NORTH.

Southland Times, Issue 704, 2 August 1867, Page 3

LATEST FEOM THE NORTH.

BEPOBTED GATHEBING OP EEBEL NATIVES AT BOTOBUA. (From the " Southern Cross, July 15") By the arrival on Saturday evening of the steamer Tauranga, from Tauranga, the very startling news was brought that a large body of "Waikato rebels had gathered in the Eotorua district, and had stopped communication on the road between Eotorua and Maketu, It was said that the rebels numbered some hundreds, and that they were determined on sparing no persons who fell in thier way. They had, it is said, received their commission to fight direct from the King. On the inquiry as to how the above news reached Tauranga, we learn that it was brought there on the day the steamer sailed, from Maketu, by Retreat Tapsell, who had got it from the Eotorua mailman. So far as we can learn, no official communication has been received from Mr. Clarke, at Tauranga, or Mr. Mackay, who is at present at Maketa. "We may say at once that we quite disbelieve that parb of the story about the shutting up of the "Waikato and Eotorua road. The track through the forest from Patatere, over which the rebels would have travelled, enters the Eotorua district behind the old pa of Puraku, and from that place to the nearest point of the Maketu road is twelve or fifteen miles, passing close to the loyal settlement of Kaikaitahuna and the pa of the Ngatipikiao at the Eotoiti. As to the fact of the gathering, we have little doubt that at all events the numbers are greatly exaggerated. We have no news from Waikato tending to confirm the statement; indeed, what we have heard is rather of an opposite character. Perhaps the report originates from the Npatitengakaus and Ngatirangiwewehis having come back to Eotorua from Patatere, with not the most distant idea of fighting. At all events, the friendly Arawas in that district are quite able to take care of themselves. "We have no doubt that in a very few days we shall learn the real facts of the matter from Maketu. GOLD DISCOYEBV IS" THE THAMES Bv I'nt- arrival of cao utt-M' W.im Ler-r iVom O':ronv<.iiik j i, ye.-steivluy nio;uing, we have been placed in possession of the following- important information : — " A native had arrived at Coromandel from Kauaeranga, Gulf of Huraki, to inform the Chief Tikaha that some natives of his tribe had discovered gold in one of the creeks running through his land. The gold is reDOrted to be coarse and water-worn ; and so valuable was the find, in the estimation of the natives, that no time was lost in making the matter £nown to their chief. Mr. Lawlor, the Eesident Magistrate at Coromandel, proceeded at ( once to the locality — about forty miles distant — accompanied by Tikaha, and had not returned when the "Wanderer left." In a few days we hope to be able to furnish our readers with a report that mav be relied on as coming from an official source; and in the meantime it must be borne in mind that natives are apt to be more sanguine in their ideas with regard to gold than the experienced miner. "We may, however, state that the locality — the Karaka creek — is spoken of byexperienced'miners, who have attempted to pospect the district, as most likely ground. BEPOBTED GOLD PIELD AT NAPIEB. Some weeks ago we reported that several miners had gone out from Napier, and were sanguine of obtaining a good gold field on the place which they had selected for their operations. "We are informed by Captain Bendall, of the s.s. Star of the South, which arrived on Saturday evening, that three men came down to Napier on the day before the sailing of the steamer, supplied themselves with the appliances for working on a somewhat extensive scale, and started off again. Considerable stir has been caused at Napier at the prospect of a gold field in the Province. . The locality of the prospectors' labors is not definitely known, although understood to be at the rear of a run in the occupation of Colonel Whitmore. The party only left Napier a week previously, and returned with samples for the purchase of stores and tools, and appeared confident of further success. OPOTIKI. The cutter Bessy arrived yesterday from Opotiki, having left the place on Thursday last, but brings no further news. Scouring parties in charge of Major St. John had been out almost daily, but nothing further had transpired respecticg the whereabouts of the rebel natives. »