ALEXANDRA.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1274, 28 August 1880, Page 3

ALEXANDRA.

I am informed that I was gather premature, or rather my informant was, in saying that our Road Board's balance when audited waB found correct. It appears that the auditor, not having been properly instructed, had not examined the accounts up to the time the books were handed over, and that a balance of some £<5 still remains unexplained on the wrong side of the ledger. Business still continues very dull, few natives coming down. The children of the settlement had a great gala day on Saturday last, the whole of the school children being- entertained by Mr and Mrs Pinch, of the Alexandra Hotel, at a birthday party. Rounders and football and other sports were kept up in the daytime, winding up •with a ball and supper. F. H. Edgecumbe, Esq., District Surveyor, and party has been here this last fortnight surveying the Mangapouii bush and other lands lately sold by the Government. Notwithstanding the eevere weather we have had, Mr Edgecumbe and party hardly lost a day at the work, which says volumes for his energy and perseverance under difficulties.

The Native Murder at Huntley. Your report concerning the murder of the native Hone some time ago is quite correct. Hone was well-known here some time ago, when he was working with a European named Uoore. Hone was not an old man, but of a bounceable disposition. It appears that the natives he was residing with had determined to get rid of him for some time previous to the murder ; their intention was to kill him "accidentally" by capsizing him in a canoe, as he could not swim. He, however, must have got some knowledge of this, for he invariably took his place in a canoe where there were children on board, amongst whom he sat himself, or otherwise declined travelling, He had on more than one oocasion, the natives say, said he would makutn (bewitch) people, who shortly afterwards died, but what determined them to have his life, and was tfje chief cause of their killing him, was OiaTHone desired one of their woman for a wife, who would not, however, consent to take him for a husband, but married another man. Hone swore revenge ; that he^fould makutu her so that she would die. It happened that she did so. Then it was that Eapoto and Tohinga determined on his death, which they perpetrated as described by your correspondent. Another native, who was in the murderers' confidence, let the secret out some time afterwards, and the affair being talked about, got frightened of bis own life and cleared out to the Hauhaus at Hikurangi, where he now is, not so the murderers, who are still residing with their people in the vicinity of the Whangape Lake, where the murder was committed.

The Late King Gathering. There were a large number of natives assembled at Tawhiao' s meeting on Friday last, most of the principal tribes being represented. Tawhiao's speech was to the old tune for all the natives to assemble and live together under him at Hikurangi. " Come here all the tribes, and cover the hills; then all troubles will cease in the island," were his words. He would also have a strict aukati kept, and perfectly isolate themselves from the pakeha. Strange to say, he did not refer to the Waimate difficulty, and up to yesterday was not aware of bo many nativ.es having

been arrested for fencing the road there. In f aot, the Southern difficulty does not appear to concern them whatever. — [Own Correspondent, August 24th.]