THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL SERVICE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1068, 29 April 1879, Page 2

THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL SERVICE.

MELBOURNE, A| ril 26. It isf understood that the Cabinet have telegraphed to Mr Berry to obtain a definite prop isal for the mail service to Mnbourne from the Orient Company before returning.

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

[From our Special Correspondent. j ALEXANDRA, last night The Road to Kopua has been so much traverse 1 that it is m a bad state. In spite of this, however, sotne wrnt up, amoufc others M.V.B Weir, frirn Australia. Tho scene at Ko,iua U ?ery animated. » Kopua is a lirge flit, so r-hab encampments are somewhai scattered, but the numbers there may safely be put down ab • five, thousand.

'IWhiao's settlement is apart from the rest. His house is surrounded constantly by six een men od gnaid, His veason for this is that, whereas at the Hikurangi tima meeting only Waikatos and Nganiapotos weie present, there are at this meeting tribe 3 who have been at war with the Waikatos.

Te Wneo:o and about 250 Lowt,r Waikatos are encamped opposite Mangoihihi, abous a mile and a qturtcr fr.im Alexandra. They g> oil to-morrow after the arrival of another canoe. The Ngatipoua are encamped m the township.

Id is understood thab about 40 more Ngapuhis are on their w<y m a steamer, coming up the Waipn. Che meeting will nob take placo foi a day or twb. Distribution of fool will take place on Wednesday, all jireperabions being finished t>inorrow.

Tnursday will probably see the fo-mal opening of the discussion. Inviiations have, been sent from many leading chiefs to Sir George Grey and Mr Sheehan to be present, bub ir. is not known that a direct invitation has been sent from T vwhiao , who appears to consider that an invitation was given at the last meeting. Ib is probable that both will be present on Friday next, though this ?s not absolutely certain. Tawhiao keeps dark upon the subjects he intends to touch upon. No one, even his best friends, can fithoui the intention of the wily Chief. He says that be wll spe-ik when all the tribes are assembled, and not before. Certainly no.prognostications can be nude with any degree of certainty.

Enormous quantities of food are provided. Tne town is very quiet, considering bhe number of natives aud Europeans at present assembled here.

[press agency. I ALEXANDRA, Sunday. Yesterday thore arrived , here about 700 natives from Thames, Fauranga, Raglan, and Kaipara. Che Waikato ch : e& m Alexandra, Te Heuheu, Hauaura, and others, challenged the Ngatiwhatuas to h ngvri. or war dance. The challenge wis led off by Te Peuheu and thief itbers advancing, all naked and oainte-1, with but a piece of » calico round their lions. Te Heuheu led, .idvancing an«l throwing a spear at, the Ngaliwbatus, who were all kneelina; on one kuee, ready to start pell-mell after the one that would . brow the spear. In the chase to a :iven point, where the bulk of the Waikatos were, some Ngatiwhatua-j fell, and were trampled on. If ihtvy could h.-ive seized Te Heuheu m the run it would have been an ill omen, and something wrong would happen to the Waikatos- Three large war canoes, with six ordinary canoe-, arrived to-day with Te Wheoro m charge, from Lower Waikato, It was a grand sight, as fully 300 men were paddling them. Wiien parsing up the falls above here, oue of the canoes came to grief. She grounded, and the swiftness of tb-.* current turned her rouud and upset, her and all the natives with their baggage and guns. I notice bh ib all the/ natives 'bat ure passing through here are unarmed, with the exception of Ngatihaua. This is Te Nga- I kau's tribe.

KOrUA, 12 p . m . No business here to-day, waiting for one grand advance of visitors from Lower Waikato and Hori' Kukotai's people from Waikalo Heads.

The natives are here m lar^e numbers ; they are hard to be csunted. The King and his party went up to Hikurangi this morning to bring down more supplies and delioacies m the shape of sharks and other kinds of fish. Paul Tauhere and party have nob yafc arrived here, or Major Te Whero and Waikatos The Ngatinaiapoto's with their canoes, still remain at vVbareowohi junction, as Tawbioa declines receiving the visitors, except all-together. The grand war dance and receotion will take p'ao«?, it is expected, to-morrow at 11 o'clock. Sir George tfrey and Mr Sheehan are now fully expected to attend.

AUCKLAND, last night. Sir George Grey and the Hon. Mr Sheehan visited the Waterworks to-day, and. were much pleased with the workings. They will not go to the Native Meeting without Special invitation from Tawhiao, and unless this is forthcoming the Ngapuhis and other Northern natives will leave m a body. Ir. is said however, that invitations are intended fo be, gejafc w^en Kbytes VQ

settled preliminaries and , determined on tho program mp. The Arawata, which arrived at the Bluff, brought the Suez Mail. NEW PLYIMOUTH, Saturday. The Akateo Redoubt, near Stoney Rivor, was strengthened by six Armed Constabulary from Wellington yesterday morning. Mr J, M. Vivian shipped a quantity of iron sand to the order of the Government per the Taiaroa, con, signed to a snvlting firm of repute m Great Britain, j WELLI NGr6S; r Saturday. An amusing judgmonb summons case was he.ird yesterday, whon a cabman sued a young fellow named Buruebi for 413 7s, the bailance of cab hire. Erom the account given of defendant of himself, it appeared that he had engaged a haudsora at 30d per day, for eighteen days. He was simply amu-uur himself. He lived during this time at the rate of over £5 a-day. He drank a good deal. He was now staying at the Melbourne Hotel. He would have jto pay £2 a-week ab the hotel, but he had no money except 9.-J 6d. When he arrive! m Zealand, two weeks before Christmas, he had at least £250. All this was now spent, except a solitary half-crown. He had" no means of living, except he - hoped to gab employment as a surveyor's ohaiaman. He expected to receive £100 from his father four mouths hence. He had no promise, however, from his father to that efty-ct. He had gone m ior amusing himself, and had"' not looked forward as to where he might g',6 the means to pay his Jehta. He was only a new chum, and did not know his way about. He knew he could .get board and lodging at £1 a- week, bub he preferred the higher style of living, He could pay half-a-urown a-week towards liquidation. He was ordere I to pay £2 a-week or go to gaol for fourteen days. . WELLINGTON, Saturday.

The Government intend to bring m a Bill to prohibit solicitors from acting as barristers without the latter examination.