NORTHERN NEWS.

Southland Times, Issue 1231, 1 April 1870, Page 3

NORTHERN NEWS.

. «■ "Welmno-ON, March 2_th. A quarter of a ton of stone from the Never Despair claim, which was sent to Melbourne to be crushed, yielded 2dwts 21grs of gold of poor quality similar to Thames gold. March 25th. The officer who will accompany the English mails as far as New York is Mr Gray, Inspector of Post offices. He will make arrangements for the conveyance of future mails from Honolulu to England. Napieb, March 23rd. The Sturt's boiler commenced to leak while she was in the Bay of Plenty, and she was compelled to run for Auckland in consequence. The report of the massacre of women and children at Opape was unfounded, only two men being killed. Mr Locke has visited all the coast settlements in the Sturt. He reports that Mokenais collecting the Ngatiporou. women, and that after leaving a sufficient force to guard them, he will start with 200 men against the enemy. All these natives serve on the no pay principle. Kemp and Topia were at Opotiki last Saturday, and were to march on Sunday, at daylight, against Te Kooti, who is at the head of the Opotiki river. Topia has been joined by some Arawas, making his force 500 strong. Kemp and Topia say that they expect to finish Te Koot this time. No word yet of Ropata's whereabouts.