out his wife, when Pukenui ran up and down towards him with a large knife, threatening to kill him on the spot; and this sort of thing went on for some time, when ffirai, finding the quarters rather too warm for him, returned. Pukenui followed him for som« way, and told him that if he came to the place again he would kill him. This man Hirai told me that Eereopa had been there on Thursday last, the 19th inst.; he had gone there to get all the people to attend a meeting of the King natives and Hauhaus now being held at Te Okangamutu, to decide upon the question of when and where the fighting is to commence. The King party, however, are averse to fighting, and Eereopa has lost a good deal of his influence. I do not think the King party would commence fighting, but they wish to have nothing to do with Europeans, and the only danger is that they may carry out their threats towards any traveller passing through their territory. The natives look forward to the sitting of the Native Lands Court here with some interest. The claims advertised for hearing comprise a large extent of country. The opening of the Court will I think have a good effect in bring ing together the friendly and disaffected natives, thereby turning their thoughts from the small compass in which they have been hitherto moving. The report current some time ago about the discovery of gold in this district is incorrect. The only foundation for it was that two men had found some gold in a creek between the Mohaka settlement (in Hawke's Bay) and the Haroto, a settlement inland at a distance of some sixty miles from Napier. There was conse quently a small rush to the spot,but most of them have returned, about a dozen only remaining. The only attempt at prospecting anywhere in thii district was made by two men who were armed with revolvers and breach-loading revolv ing rifles, having in all thirty-six barrels be tween them ; they were prospecting for a short time near Tongariro, but were sent away by the natives.
