THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES x/ COLONIAL NEWSPAPERS. EDWARD STANFOBD begs to draw public attention to the following Colonial Journals. MELBOURNE ARGUS, the leading Melbourne Journal, published daily, with a circulation of 20,500. Copies received by almost every mail. Quarterly Subscription, 1 ; single paper, 7d. ; per post, 3d. " The ARGUS, in point of dimensions, number of advertise- ments, and extent of circulation, may worthily be called ' The Times ' of the Southern Hemisphere." West garth's Victoria, 1853. LYTTELTON TIMES, published semi-weekly at Canterbury, New Zealand. Copies received by every mail. Annual Subscription, l. Us. 6d; single copies, 6d. ; per post, Id. GRAHAM'S TOWN JOURNAL, AND CAPE OF GOOD HOPE REGISTER. Annual Subscription, 1 . 8s. Advertisements received, and every information given at the LONDON AGENTS, EDWARD STANFORD, 6, CHARING CROSS. ell Jisula, NEW ZEALAND: ITS PRESENT CONDITION, PROSPECTS AND RESOURCES; BEING A DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY AND GENERAL MODE OF LIFE AMONG NEW ZEALAND COLONISTS, FOB THE INFORMATION OF INTENDING EMIGRANTS. A LANDOWNER AND LATE RESIDENT IN THE COLONT. LONDON: EDWARD STANFORD, 6, CHARING CROSS. 1856. JVIAF OF ISTIBW ^TE ATT. ATOP "DLL 4*' I ADVERTISEMENT. THE groundwork of the following pages was a lecture on New Zealand, occupying about an hour in the reading. For the many delays which have prevented its publication, the author cannot consider himself as entirely responsible. However, the length of time which has elapsed has, perhaps, increased the utility of the work as a guide book, by adding to the sources of infor- mation at his disposal; for which the writer offers his sincere thanks to many kind contributors. In a book professing to give the latest infor- mation upon all topics which it discusses, there can, of course, be little that is entirely original; and, where much of the information given con- sists of almost verbatim extracts from colonial newspapers, the style must necessarily be occa- sionally formal. It is hoped that the numerous alterations and additions which the work has undergone from the time when the first lines were written 785464 IV ADVERTISEMENT. until the present day, may not have resulted in making it at last unreadable, or uninstructive to those persons for whom it is more especially intended. St. Erne, St. Austell, Cornwall, October th, 1855. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. FAGS. EARLY HISTORY OP NEW ZEALAND GRA- DUAL ARRIVAL OP AN EUROPEAN POPULA- TION ESTABLISHMENT OP THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT . . . , ' . . 1 CHAPTER II. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OP NEW ZEALAND FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY THE CLIMATE AND SCENERY OP NEW ZEALAND THE Six PRINCIPAL SETTLEMENTS .... 25 CHAPTER III. FULLER DESCRIPTION OP THE Six CHIEF SET- TLEMENTS OF NEW ZEALAND AUCKLAND . 48 CHAPTER IV. WELLINGTON 88 CHAPTER V. NELSON 118 CHAPTER VI. NEW PLYMOUTH 145 CHAPTER VII. OTAGO .... ... 174 CHAPTER VIII. CANTERBURY 192 VI CONTENTS. FACE. CHAPTER IX. THE PASTORAL OCCUPATIONS OF NEW ZEA- LAND SHEEP FARMING CATTLE FARMING DAIRY FARMING HORSE BREEDING PRICES OF STOCK 216 CHAPTER X. OF OCCUPATIONS CONNECTED WITH THE POS- SESSION OF LAND, AND OF AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS GENERALLY IN NEW ZEALAND- DOMESTIC LIVE STOCK 244 CHAPTER XI. DOMESTIC LIFE IN THE COLONIES INFLUENCE AND OCCUPATIONS OF FEMALES LADIES' PUKSUITS MEANS OF EDUCATION . . 269 CHAPTER XII. OF THE VOYAGE TO NEW ZEALAND OUTFIT AND PREPARATION FOR COLONIAL LIFE CONSIDERATIONS PREVIOUS TO EMIGRATING THE PROFESSIONS IN COLONIES WHERE TO APPLY ON ARRIVAL TRANSMISSION OF MONEY 275 CHAPTER XIII. LABOURING CLASSES ASSISTED EMIGRATION . 290 CHAPTER XIV. PRICE OF WASTE LANDS IN NEW ZEALAND . 322 CHAPTER XV. CONCLUSION . . 350 NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER I. EARLY HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND GRADUAL ARRIVAL OP AN EUROPEAN POPULATION ESTA- BLISHMENT OP THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. THE following pages are not intended to con- tain a detailed history of New Zealand ; or to describe minutely every particular locality and branch of occupation among the present inhabi- tants of those Islands. Such descriptions may be found in numerous publications bearing upon the history of New Zealand, and the early days of its colonization ; but are, I believe, of less interest to most per- sons intending to emigrate, than books of more modest pretensions and less minuteness of de- tail, which treat more exclusively of the matters of immediate interest to the Colonists estab- lished in the country. The chief object aimed at in this book is, to endeavour to give, in a small compass, such information as I have thought most valuable 2 OBJECTS AIMED AT IN THIS BOOK. for persons who may have looked toward New Zealand as a future home for themselves, or some member of their families ; and who are desirous of knowing what the prospects are of people now reaching New Zealand, as emigrants from England, without any previous colonial experience ; as well as the present state of the country, and the condition and occupations of the inhabitants of the various settlements. With these objects in view, I have not hesitated to transcribe into these pages, observations and descriptions already published by persons who have written on the subjects to which I have to refer, where I believe such remarks to be of advantage to the reader. In such cases, I have generally preferred using the actual words of the person whose authority I quote, rather than transpose into my own language, ideas for the suggestion of which I have been indebted to others. In several parts of this book, allusion is made to publications treating of various topics of interest in New Zealand, which persons desirous of minute information may do well to consult; but, it is hoped, that this little volume will be found to contain all the information required by any one de- sirous of ascertaining, generally, the mode of OBJECTS AIMED AT IN THIS BOOK. 3 life, and daily pursuits of New Zealand Colonists of the present day. It must be borne in mind, by persons in England, and by those who have hitherto formed their ideas of a colonial life from ac- counts they have read of settlements in the vast districts of North America, or of the still unoccupied territories of Australia ; that New Zealand, although but very recently much no- ticed as a field of emigration, is of small com- parative extent, and is already so fully explored, that, but a small proportion of the whole amount of its soil which is available for European colonists is, at the present time, altogether unoccupied, either as grazing land, or for the purpose of cultivation. I mention this thus early in the book, because apparently a rather general impression prevails at home, that extensive tracts of land in New Zealand, which might be advantageously occupied by English agriculturists, have never yet been ex- plored or entered upon ; and I hope in the fol- lowing pages to give such an account of the general mode of life, and pursuits of the various classes of Colonists, now established in New Zealand, as may serve to assist persons in Eng- land in forming their opinion (if still undecided PAST HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND. in the choice of a colony) respecting the advan- tages offered by New Zealand as their future home, as compared with other more easily ac- cessible countries. Before entering upon a description of the mode of life and occupations which will proba- bly fall to the lot of persons now emigrating to New Zealand, it will be well to inquire a little into the earlier history of these islands. I do not however think it advisable to enter very deeply into such matters, or to discuss the political history of the country, about which much has been published both in England and in the colony itself during the last few years. The reader will, I think, have little reason to regret a scanty outline of the past history of New Zealand until a very recent period; for the fragments of truth collected from the va- rious traditions of the natives respecting their earlier annals, are so mixed up with falsehood and absurdity, that all that can be relied upon with certainty is nearly as follows : FIRST ARRIVAL OF INHABITANTS. It is pro- bably at least two hundred years, since a party of islanders from some of the numerous group near Torres' Strait, on the east of Australia, or perhaps even more northerly islands near the NATIVE DOGS. 5 Chinese main land, arrived on the northern- most of the three islands, forming the group now called New Zealand. They appear to have brought with them nothing but the roots of a sort of potato called the " Kumera" or sweet potato, to the cultivation of which, even at the present day, when they are well skilled in the planting and harvesting of wheat, maize, and all the European fruits and vegetables, they still devote a considerable portion of their time and labour. In addition to these roots, which were perhaps a store of food accidentally remaining in their canoes on their debarkation, they brought with them neither animals, nor apparently any knowledge or art, beyond that of weaving rushes into mats for clothing, in which all the islanders of those seas are very expert, and also a knack of rude carving in wood for the adornment of their clubs and canoes. The natives declare they have always pos- sessed a few dogs ; but this is very doubtful, at all events the renegade curs, which now haunt the unfrequented parts of the mountains and the stony river beds, and are dignified by the name of " Wild Dogs" by the English settlers, are evidently the neglected produce of some European mongrels, and are perfectly distinct, b EARLY HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND. not only from the Dingo or native dog of Aus- tralia, but also from any of the indigenous dogs of the Polynesian group of islands. The basis of the language of almost the whole group of islands between China and New Zea- land is the Malay dialect, to which the Maori or native New Zealand tongue bears a strong resem- blance ; and this affinity of language, in addition to their bronze colour, and general personal ap- pearance, has been considered a distant connect- ing link between the inhabitants of the main land of Malacca and the New Zealand natives. It is at least tolerably certain respecting the original people of these islands, that they did not come from Australia, which is the nearest main land to New Zealand. They differ from the native Australians in stature, complexion, and the texture of their hair ; being tall, active and intelligent, with fine straight hair, regular features and mahogany or bronze complexions ; and have always been skilled in, and fond of, the management of boats on the open sea; while the Australian aboriginal is swarthy, and stunted in his growth, and scarcely ever uses any kind of canoe except for the temporary purpose of crossing a river. The cause of their arrival in the islands was NEW ZEALAND ABORIGINES. 7 perhaps the desire of escape from slaughter or slavery to hostile tribes, or possibly an unex- pected storm at sea may have driven the first canoes with their occupants to their landing- place upon some portion of the northern island. But, whatever may have brought them to the islands, the earlier inhabitants appear, at any rate, not to have left all feuds behind them ; and, if they brought little else with them, they imported to their new habitations a mutual ani- mosity, and eagerness for the extermination, and flesh for convivial purposes, not only of such neighbours as happened to be located near them, but even of more remote ones, who were of suf- ficient importance to be worth plundering or ex- tirpating. And their history, if it could be clearly unravelled, would probably be little more than a series of alternate warfares and banquetings, and the retiring of the weaker or vanquished tribes or families to other more remote districts. This turbulent existence eventually scattered the population, not only over the whole of the north island, but also drove some of them to seek shelter in the large plains and wooded dis- tricts in the less genial climate of the southern portion of the islands.* * For a detailed history of the aboriginal New Zea- landers, see Sir George Grey'a recent work, entitled 8 CAPTAIN COOK'S VISITS The first Europeans who visited them were probably the Dutch ; we know, at any rate, that the Dutch navigator Tasman touched at the northernmost point in 1643, and the name of New Zealand has been given to the group, in honour of the country to which it owes its dis- covery. The visits of Captain Cook, which first attracted the attention of Englishmen to New Zealand, threw but little light upon the past his- tory of the then Cannibal Islands. The earliest visit of Cook took place in 1769, during his first voyage of discovery. He made the land at Po- verty Bay, to which he gave that name from the apparent sterility of the country ; and after- wards, proceeding on a southern and western course, he passed through Cook's Straits, thus ascertaining the fact of there being more than one island in the group. On a second visit, in the year 1773, he approached the islands from the south, after a cruise in the Southern Ocean, and, after passing up the whole west coast of the middle island without finding any harbour, he sailed on a northerly course again through " Polynesian Mythology and Traditions of New Zea- land, by Sir George Grey, late Governor of New Zea- land," woodcuts, post 8vo. 10s Qd. Also "Traditions and Superstitions of the New Zealanders, with illustrations of their manners and customs, by R. Shortland, M.A.," &c. &c. TO NEW ZEALAND. 9 Cook's Straits from the western side ; and later in the same year, after visiting the Society Islands, the Friendly Islands, and the Mar- quesas, he came down from Otaheite, lying north-east of New Zealand, and touched at the Bay of Plenty, so named by him from the ap- pearances of fertility being greater there than in his former landing-place. And thence steer- ing south and to the eastward of the middle island, he saw in the distance, the lofty and well wooded promontory, which he named Banks' Island (after Sir Joseph Banks). This supposed island was afterwards found to be a peninsula, connected with the extensive level territory, now so well known as the Canterbury Plains, and containing, besides other shelter for ships, the harbours of Akaroa once a French settlement in New Zealand, and Lyttleton the port town of the Canterbury settlement. The favourable reports of Cook respecting the harbours to be found in many parts of the New Zealand coast, induced many whaling vessels, who frequented those seas, to visit the till then almost unknown country ; and it was not long before adventurers established melting houses and boat stations in many of the small inlets, for the purpose of capturing and trying 10 EARLY HISTORY OP NEW ZEALAND. out the oil of the whales, which were in those days very often, and are even now occasionally seen within a very short distance from the shore. And it is to these pioneers of the mul- titudes who have since made their homes in New Zealand, rather than to any regularly or- ganized expeditions of discovery, that we are chiefly indebted for the first knowledge of the most available harbours and inlets of the coast. The example of these rough sailors, who were themselves not much less uncivilised than the savages among whom they were located, can have effected little towards introducing Chris- tianity, or abating cannibalism. But, if the natives received little moral im- provement from these hardy seamen, they, at least, learnt from them the cultivation of the potato, and the use of iron for their imple- ments, as well as the advantages attending the rearing of pigs, as a stock of food available at all times, in preference to the precarious banquet afforded by the victims in an occasional hostile foray. And it was not many years before the keeping of pigs became very general among them ; and also the cultivation of the potato and American maize, were added to that of their own much esteemed Kunaera. The pro- NO INDIGENOUS QUADRUPEDS. 11 geny of some of these pigs, and also of others more recently imported by the settlers, escaping into the unfrequented districts in many parts of the country, have increased amazingly, and be- come perfectly wild, and in some places very mischievous, by uprooting and devastating un- fenced cultivated portions of land. There had been, previous to the arrival of the English, no quadrupeds whatever in New Zealand, either in a wild or domesticated state, excepting perhaps the dog ; but very soon after- wards, not only dogs became numerous, but also the common ship-rat, which has now pene- trated into every part of the country, and is very prolific and troublesome in all buildings, especially near the river-beds. A few goats have also, like the pigs, escaped from their owners, and bred in the mountainous districts; but excepting these fugitives, there are iu New Zealand, even now no wild animals of any sort no reptiles, but a small sort of lizard, and, excepting on the sea- coast, no fish, but eels, which are plentiful in all fresh- water-pools, and which the natives are very skilful in capturing. There is on all parts of the sea-coast a great abundance and variety of excellent fish, which 12 EARLY HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND. are easily captured, either with nets or hooks, but none of them penetrate more than two or three miles up the estuaries of the rivers. The birds, especially the water-fowl and marsh-birds, are in some places both numerous and tame. The singing birds, of which a few have very musical notes, are only found on the outskirts of woods and small patches of bush. Notwithstanding the cannibal propensities of the natives in their relations with each other, the Englishmen from Sydney and elsewhere, en- gaged in the whaling-trade, kept up a tolerably frequent intercourse with the tribes on the coast ; exchanging iron and trinkets, and lat- terly guns and ammunition for supplies of whale- bone, obtained by the natives from carcases thrown upon the shore. And when the possession of pigs and potatoes became general among them, many of the bays on the coast, both of the north and of the middle island, became the perma- nently appointed rendezvous for the refitting and provisioning of the large sea-going whale-ships, who purchased such supplies as the inhabitants could furnish. By these means, not only did the natives become acquainted with a system of barter, but the language of both parties began to be mutually understood, and a few of these WHALERS AND NATIVES. 13 intelligent savages even joined the whaling crews, and became skilful, not merely in the use of the oars, but also as "headsmen" in managing the boats, and harpooning and killing the whale. This increased intercourse with the natives gradually led to a more extended system of trade between Sydney and the mixed population, consisting partly of sea-faring adventurers, partly of missionaries, who presently made their appearance, and also of some natives, who had made their head-quarters in that part of the north island, now called Auckland. And the attention of the British Government, at first in Australia, and afterwards of the Home Au- thorities, was drawn to the growing community, as well as to the lawlessness and frequent tur- bulent outbreaks among the natives and the Europeans, who had taken up their abode in the country. Occasionally, in later times, before the ar- rival of a British Governor, large tracts of the country were purchased from the natives, at almost nominal valuations, by such visitors among them as anticipated, that a day might arrive, when land in New Zealand would be valuable. This practice of land barter, at last, 14 EARLY HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND. became very general ; and, while all parties tried to overreach one another, the same portion of land was often sold several times over by different chiefs, each of whom pretended to be the real owner of the territory bargained for, to as many different purchasers. Such a mode of dealing soon gave rise to many violent disputes, until, on the establishment of the British Government in the islands, some sixty years after Cook's first visit, it was proclaimed, that, in future, the Crown alone of Great Britain should have the right of purchasing land from a native of New Zealand; and, while certain previous purchases by English- men from natives were acknowledged as valid, many others were disallowed, or much curtailed in extent ; and subsequently, by regularly con- ducted agreement and purchase from the na- tives, a very large portion of the land, both in the north and in the middle island, became the property of the British Government. The native population at the present day are very unwilling to alienate any portion of the territories which have been reserved to them ; however, within the last two years, a very fine district, the Ahuriri, in the north island, bor- dering upon Wellington, has been made over to NEW ZEALAND COMPANY. 15 the British Government ; and there are, it is said, still some hopes, that a portion of the beautiful territory around New Plymouth may, ere long, be formally purchased by the Government from the native possessors of the soil. In this very brief narrative of the earlier events attending the colonizing of New Zea- land, I have intentionally omitted all notice of the proceedings of the New Zealand Company ; as their past transactions can but little affect persons emigrating to New Zealand in the present day, excepting that a portion of the annual revenue of the colony is appropriated for the liquidation of the liabilities of the Company, which are not yet entirely paid off. The New Zealand Company was originated in England about the year 1837, in consequence of the general attention directed to the evils arising from the frequently fraudulent and ill denned transfer of their territories by the native chiefs to adventurers, who attempted, by these means, to obtain possession of the islands. The original intention of the Company was, solely to act as mediators between the natives and in- tending purchasers of their territories ; so that a distinct understanding might be entered into by the parties on either side, which would 16 EARLY HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND. prevent a recurrence of the hostilities to which the land barters had given rise. Much opposition in Parliament having, how- ever, been experienced by the projectors of this intention, it was found necessary to organize a Company, in order to carry on the project, and, under their auspices, a large extent of territory was purchased from the natives, and many ships full of emigrants left England for the colonies, which were projected by the Company. Owing, however, to various impediments ex- perienced by the Company in endeavouring to carry out their operations, not only from want of the support of the Home Government, but also from the strenuous opposition of interested persons in New Zealand itself, great delays oc- curred in the adjustment of the various claims to, and subsequent instalment of the right owners in the occupation of, portions of land sold by the Company, to purchasers who had emigrated under their auspices from England. Very great hardships and disappointments, arising from these causes, were incurred by the earlier emigrants, and eventually the New Zealand Company found it necessary to abandon their project altogether, and to resign all future management and disposal of lands exclusively to MISSIONARY LABOURS. 17 the representatives of the British Government in New Zealand. The Company was finally broken up in 1851, having, however, previously established the colonies of Wellington, Nelson, New Plymouth, and Otago. A large portion of their debts still remains unliquidated, the payment of which has been charged upon the annual revenues of the colony, until cleared off. Meanwhile, in the early days of the whale- fisher's visits, the Christian Missionary had not been idle. In the year 1807, it was first pro- posed to send Missionaries to New Zealand, but a terrible catastrophe prevented their departure at this time for the intended field of their la- bours. Owing to some misunderstanding, very probably caused by misconduct of the white people, in their intercourse with the natives, the entire crew of a British vessel, called the Boyd, who had touched at a place, named from this circumstance Massacre Bay, were lured ashore in ignorance of hostilities, and murdered and eaten by the savages. This for a time put a stop to all hopes of missionaries taking up their abode among them. Nevertheless, in 1812, two missionaries ventured to go to these can- nibals. They settled at the Bay of Islands. c 18 EARLY HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND. The missionaries found the inhabitants as fierce as they expected, nor were they rewarded by any change in their behaviour during many years that they continued their labours among them. If there was any change in the ferocity of the natives towards each other, it was for the worse; for a chief called Hongi, who had ob- tained a passage to Europe, in one of the vessels that visited his shores, got guns and ammuni- tion from England on his return, and leading his army through the land, destroyed many thousands of his countrymen, who, with their spears and clubs alone, could of course make but feeble stand against the bullets of their as- sailants. Yet, notwithstanding these discou- ragements, more missionaries came. The New Zealanders were pleased at the arrival of their teachers, but would not attend to their warn- ings ; and a space of twenty years had made but little improvement in the religious condition of the islands. A few years more however had effected a vast alteration, and at the time of his death, which occurred nearly thirty years after the commencement of his labours, one of the same missionaries, who had first preached the Gospel among them, the venerable Mr. Marsden, had lived to know, that there were at MISSIONARY PROGRESS. 19 least 6000 Christian Maories to see the once barbarous district of Auckland, the seat of the British Government, and the centre of a nou- rishing trading community, and to learn that a Bishop of New Zealand, the present well-known Selwyn, had been appointed, to superintend the religious affairs of the islands of New Zealand and the surrounding seas. It is not necessary here to describe the pro- gress of the missionaries in New Zealand. A detailed account of their efforts, and eventual, though gradual success, may be found in the annals of missionary labour, and in more recent times (among the publications of the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts) in the journals of Bishop Selwyn. Nor is there any occasion, for a minute history of the establish- ment of the British Government in the islands. It is sufficient on this point to observe, that at the present time, each of the six chief settle- ments has a Local Government, or Provincial Council, of its own, for the arrangement of mat- ters, relating to subjects of exclusive interest, within that particular province : while a General Council for the whole islands, legislates for the entire colony of New Zealand, under the super- intendence of a Governor, who receives his ap- 2O GOVERNMENT OF NEW ZEALAND. pointment, and occasional instructions, from the Colonial Office at home. There has as yet been only one full session* of the General Assembly of New Zealand, held at Auckland, since the passing of the late Bill for the Constitution of New Zealand ; there has also been one full ses- sion in each province of the several Provincial Councils, and a second session is now holding their sittings. The following remarks, made in anticipation of the intelligence of the first session of the General Assembly of New Zealand for 1854, are transcribed from No. 1 5-7 of the Australian and New Zealand Gazette. " The constitution of New Zealand has con- ferred upon the Colony a system of government, without precedent in the southern hemisphere, or indeed in any other British Colony. It con- sists of a Representative of Her Majesty, de- prived of the former despotic power of Colonial Governors, which exceeded by far the power, practically accorded to Her Majesty by the British Constitution, and endowed with the prerogatives, usually exercised by the Sovereign, whom he is deputed to represent. Next in * The second session has probably ere now been dis- solved, but the details have not reached England. September, 1855. CONSTITUTION OP NEW ZEALAND. 21 order to the Governor, is an Upper Chamber, composed of his own nominees, who are sup- posed to represent, at a respectful distance, the British House of Peers. Nominally below these, but really above them, is a Lower House, ana- logous to the British House of Commons, which, though nominally of less moment than the House of Peers, has contrived to possess itself of a power, far beyond that of the Upper House ; a feat, which its colonial imitation has yet to accomplish, though it possesses all the mate- rials for the establishment of the same degree of power. The machinery of Government, as at home, is set in motion by a Ministry, com- posed of Members of either House, and subject to the like influences in holding and surrender- ing office. In short, we have in New Zealand, almost an exact counterpart of the British con- stitution. " The novelty of the New Zealand constitu- tion consists in a number of gubernatorial de- partments, for the most part independent of all the acts of the general government, save only those of the Governor himself, not as a member of the general government, but as the delegate of the authority of the Crown. For this pur- pose, the Colony is divided into six Provinces, 22 CONSTITUTION OF NEW ZEALAND. each of which elects its own Governor and Council, to whose hands the entire management of the affairs of the Province is committed, their acts being altogether irrespective of those of the general legislature ; and uncontrollable by that body as such. The result is the same, as though Great Britain were divided into six provinces, each having its own provincial go- vernment, and framing its own ordinances, irre- spective of Parliament, acknowledging in fact no head but Her Majesty. "These provincial governments are not, as they were called, during the discussions on the bill conceding them, ' municipalities/ in any sense of the term ; but are as full and complete as the general government itself; they are in fact, the exact counterparts in principle of the states forming the American Union. The con- stitution of New Zealand is, therefore, a mixture of the constitution of Great Britain with that of the United States. The Provinces form the States, and the General Assembly the Congress, but in a monarchical form. " This form of constitution is a novel one, as blending intimately monarchical and republican principles, the latter being in all the ordinary affairs of the Colony rendered predominant ; CONSTITUTION OP NEW ZEALAND. 23 -whilst the monarchical principle, to use an or- dinary phrase, seems better adapted for show than use. Taken altogether, it is a most sin- gular form of government, to have emanated from a monarchical legislature ; but it appears to work extremely well." Unfortunately, however, these bright antici- pations were frustrated. The session was frit- tered away in a series of altercations, which have rendered a great part of the debates, and the members concerned in them, and in the transactions of this, their first session, ridicu- lous ; if not positively injurious to the colony ; and the early outset of New Zealand, as a self- governing colony was not distinguished by any beneficial result to the country. It unfortunately happened, that during the absence on leave to visit England of the Gover- nor, Sir George Grey, since then promoted to the Cape Colony, the administration of New Zealand was left in the hands of Lieutenant- Governor Wynyard; during whose tenure of office, as "Officer administering the Govern- ment of the Colony," the meeting of the General Assembly for 1854 took place. To the honest but mistaken endeavours of this officer to se- lect a ministry, capable of assisting him in con- 24 THE GOVERNOR OP NEW ZEALAND. ducting the proceedings of the first session, the very unsatisfactory result of the earliest session of a local Parliament in New Zealand must in a very great measure be attributed. Any detailed account of the proceedings of a session, so little creditable to the colony, or to the members concerned in it,would be altogether out of place in these pages. A second session of the several Provincial Councils has already taken place ; and it is to be hoped, that the ses- sion of the General Assembly for the present year (1855) may extinguish the unfortunate impres- sion which its earliest meeting may have left upon the minds of some persons, who have not had opportunity or inclination to examine into the real causes of the futility of the session for 1854. Colonel Sir T. Gore Brown, the late Gover- nor of St. Helena, has recently been appointed to the post, left vacant by the promotion of Sir George Grey, and from his tried integrity, and capacity for administration, the best wishes and expectations of the friends of good government in New Zealand seem likely to be realized for the future. 25 CHAPTER II. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OP NEW ZEALAND FEA- TURES OP THE COUNTRY THE CLIMATE AND SCENERY OP NEW ZEALAND THE Six PRINCIPAL SETTLEMENTS. THE Islands, forming the group called New Zealand, are three in number, and are com- monly known by the names of the North, Middle, and the Southern, or Stewart's Island. Of these, the latter is but of small extent ; and, from its ruggedness, the comparative incle- mency of its climate, and its distance from any large harbour, it is at present entirely neglected by all emigrants to New Zealand. The whole group is about 900 miles in length, extending from the 34th to 48th of latitude, south of the equator, and from the most westerly to the most easterly point, a space of nearly 13 degrees, from 166 to 179 of longi- tude east of Greenwich, or about 780 geo- graphical miles, is included. The Middle Island is of much more uniform breadth than the Northern one, which becomes 26 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. very narrow at its northern extremity. A glance, however, at a map will convey a much better idea of the shape of the islands, than any description could do. The North Island has been estimated to contain 31,174,400 acres; the Middle Island 46,126,080; and Stewart's Island about 1,000,000 acres of land, in all 78,300,480 acres; and of this amount it is supposed, that after allowing liberally for mountainous districts, water and irreclaimable morasses or sandy tracts, at least two-thirds are capable of being beneficially occupied by the stockowner or agriculturist. Owing, however, to the want of roads, and bridges over the more important rivers, in many parts of the country, in addition to the fact, that a large portion of the interior of the North Island is at present occupied by the natives, who refuse to alienate any of their territories, beyond the districts already sold by them ; it is probable, that many years will elapse, before any large extent of the improv- able territories, at a distance from the principal towns and inlets in the coast, can be brought into cultivation. Like many others of the South Sea islands, New Zealand is of volcanic origin. A chain of MOUNTAINS. 27 lofty sharp mountains intersects the Middle Island from N. E. to S. W. The highest peaks of this chain, which is called by the settlers the back-bone of the island, are clothed with per- petual snow; and in winter, when the whole range is snow covered, their appearance is strikingly grand. This range of mountains forms an almost impassable barrier between the east and west coast of the Middle Island, the eastern portion being for the most part a level district, or slightly undulating plain, extending from the mountains to the coast, and varying in breadth from 40 to 60 miles, intersected by numerous rivers, flowing from the high moun- tain ranges, in a due easterly course towards the sea. The mountain districts on the western side of this island are of so rugged and inhospitable a nature, as to be almost valueless for pastoral purposes ; so that, with the exception of the Nelson settlement in the north of the island, the eastern half only of the Middle Island is occupied by Europeans.* The mountains on the North Island do not form so continuous a chain, and with the ex- See the description of the Canterbury settlement, at Chap. VIII. 28 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. ception of a few detached peaks, do not attain so great a height, as those of the Middle Island. There are, however, several extinct volcanoes near the centre of the island, and one in active operation, the name of which is Tongariro, near which are situated Lake Taupo and several smaller lakes, the water of which is naturally tepid.* A considerable portion of the country, round Lake Taupo, consists of table lands, lying at an equal elevation with it ; and upon these tracts of oountry, and the districts east and south- west of them, a large proportion of the native population of New Zealand are established. The number of the natives, or as they call themselves " Maori," now living in the islands of New Zealand, has been variously estimated ; perhaps the most accurate computation is about 100,000, nearly 80,000 dwelling in the North Island, f They are generally a tall, strong, well- formed race of olive complexion, brave, and possessed of great intelligence. * For a description of the country in the neighbour- hood of some of these lakes, lying to the east and north of Lake Taupo, see Chap. III. f See Mr. Fox's Six Settlements of New Zealand, where different estimates of the probable number of natives in 1851 are given. NATIVE POPULATION. 29 The following remarks, as to the advantages resulting to the European population, from the intercourse with the natives of the present day, are quoted from a description of Auckland and its neighbourhood, published in 1853. " Fearing probably a collision between the colonists and the natives, the founders of some of the more recent settlements have planted them far away to the southward, and as distant as possible from the native-peopled districts. " But a different feeling prevails among the northern colonists; the people of Auckland and its neighbourhood were, for several years, almost entirely supplied by the natives with animal food, fish, potatoes, corn, and firewood ; and to a considerable extent with labour. The natives have also been extensive purchasers of horses, and flour-mills, and coasting craft ; large consumers of imported goods ; and by means of their labour, they have now already aug- mented the exports of the north. In the ab- sence of the natives, not a single kauri spar would be exported from New Zealand. Their territorial rights, as owners of the soil, too have always been scrupulously recognized, and re- spected by the settlers in the district ; and each party, from the first, has seen the advantage to 30 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. be derived from the presence of each other; and friendly relations have uniformly been maintained between them. Good-humoured, ever ready to enjoy a joke and a laugh, and always appearing self-satisfied and contented, their presence does much to give life to the northern districts of New Zealand." It is fair, however, to remind the reader, that the above very favourable character of the na- tive population is not supported by every de- scription that has been published respecting them. Even in the Auckland district, where they appear in a most favourable light, many colonists declare them to be covetous and un- grateful. In the New Plymouth district, their conduct has certainly not been in any way beneficial to the emigrants, and even at the present time, as will be found in the description of New Plymouth, much anxiety and incon- venience is experienced by the colonists, in consequence of the native dissensions, which have produced many skirmishes between the rival tribes. Notwithstanding the favourable opinion of the natives, as a race of mankind, entertained by some of the settlers, and most visitors, in the northern parts of New Zealand, they are not nearly so highly estimated in the SOIL IN THE NORTH ISLAND. 31 southern settlements. The few natives indeed, scattered about in small bodies in the southern parts of the country, are universally acknow- ledged to be an inferior race to their neighbours of the northern district. Being, for the most part, the descendants of vanquished and dis- pirited tribes, who took refuge in the south, after fleeing from superior adversaries, they have neither the physical advantages, nor the mental energy and intelligence, for which the once blood-thirsty savages of the north are now so distinguished. A large proportion of the North Island, which has by far the warmest climate, is covered with a rich volcanic soil, like that which, in Italy, is found so well adapted to the cultivation of the vine. New Zealand has in- deed in many points been compared to Italy, both in its geographical and geological features. It is a narrow strip of land, containing many tracts available for cultivation, which are separated one from another by ranges of mountains, and watered by streams, of no great importance to navigation, though of great ad- vantage for pastoral and agricultural purposes. The mountains, both in the North and in the Middle Island, are the sources of numerous 32 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. streams, which flow into the sea, at various points along the extensive line of coast. As they rise at a considerable elevation, and yet have to reach the sea within a comparatively short distance, they are not generally navigable, for more than a few miles from the sea -shore. Indeed, in many parts of the country, these rivers are a very serious impediment to the progress of the colonists; the beds of some of the larger ones being wide channels of shifting shingle, through which a great body of water forces its way in many distinct, rapid, and shallow streams.* From the melting of the snow on the moun- tain tops in warm weather, and from the rapid escape of the rain from the precipitous slopes, in rainy seasons, floods in the river-beds are of frequent occurrence ; and these often render the fording of a river a matter of great hazard, and even impossibility. It will probably be long, before these obstacles are entirely overcome; but, in the mean time, the stock-owners in the less frequented parts of the country, manage to travel to and from their stations, with provisions, or other necessaries, at most times of the year, * See description of Canterbury, Chap. VIII. CLIMATE. 33 without experiencing much inconvenience from the delays, sometimes occasioned on a journey by floods in the river-beds. These floods gene- rally pass away as rapidly as they have appeared, and almost always subside in the course of a day or two. Of course such a large extent of country, as New Zealand, must have very various climates ; and upon this point the climate of New Zea- land I think by far too high an estimate has been formed in England. Almost all Guide Books describe New Zealand as a most beau- tiful country in its scenery, which is in some parts most certainly true, though not by any means universally so, and they also dwell upon the excellence of its climate, against which description many colonists, who live at a dis- tance from the almost tropical warmth of Auckland, and the most agreeable parts of the northern climate, have strongly protested. The disappointment experienced, after landing in the colony, and comparing the reality with the very high opinions they had formed of the climate, previous to leaving England, has in fact been one of the most serious complaints the recent emigrants have made against the countrv. 34 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. " The climate of New Zealand, though un- doubtedly good, has been described injudici- ously, and without discrimination beautiful, delightful, and splendid, are the epithets, which have commonly been applied to it. These terms naturally convey the impression of an atmosphere rarely disturbed by wind and rain. Until its true value comes to be appreciated by them, strangers are at first somewhat rudely disenchanted, by finding that their imaginary paradise can be visited, and that too rather roughly, by the winds and rains of Heaven. This disenchantment frequently takes place at an early period; for it not uncommonly happens that vessels enter a harbour in a gale of wind. Impatient to view the promised land, the new-comer, in spite of the weather, lands without delay. Wading along a sloppy clay road, in a boisterous gale of wind and rain, with perhaps an umbrella turned inside out in one hand, and his hat jammed tight on his head with the other, he can scarcely divest himself of the idea, that the ship must have lost her reckoning, and mistaken her port. But in New Zealand, as elsewhere, a storm is followed by a calm, and if disenchanted to-day, the new arrival will probably be charmed to- CLIMATE. 35 morrow by one of those bright, calm and lovely mornings, whose beauty no language can fittingly describe. The fact is, that the climate of a country may be fertile and salubrious, and such is the climate of New Zealand, without being invariably either splendid or delightful."* On the whole, the weather of New Zealand in the northern districts, though never exces- sively hot, is at all seasons of the year very warm, but far less sultry than in the corres- ponding latitudes of Australia. While, even in the south, the winters are far less inclement than in England, their principal features being violent storms of rain, accompanied by gales from the south-west which occasionally last several days; but these are not of frequent occurrence. The most disagreeable feature, both in summer and winter, is the wind, which sweeps across the open country, carrying dust from the river beds, and driving rain before it, in a way that occasionally sends whole flocks of sheep flying in confusion before it, in hope of finding shelter in the hollows. "The climate of New Zealand is better From Description of Auckland, New Zealand, and its Neighbourhood, p. 17. Stanford, 6, Charing 1 Cross, 1853. 36 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. adapted to an English constitution than that of any other part of our colonies. The great preponderance of water overland, in the southern hemisphere, causes a lower degree of heat in any latitude, than in a similar latitude of the northern hemisphere, where land preponderates over water. The temperature of New Zealand, therefore, somewhat resembles that of the land between the south of Portugal and the middle of France, or rather, from its insular character, that which Great Britain would enjoy if its centre lay 1200 miles to the west of Cape Finisterre. The extremes of heat in summer and cold in winter are within very narrow limits; for the immense expanse of ocean, which surrounds these narrow islands on all sides, moderates alike the heat of the tropics and the cold of the antarctic regions. The phe- nomena of climate, in which we observe England to differ very much from New Zealand, such as the greater cold in winter and during certain winds, appear to arise from the greater proxi- mity of the nearest continents. " The Seasons are nearly as follow : " Spring commences in the middle of August, summer in December, autumn in March, and winter in Julv. But the summer is THE SEASONS. 37 without scorching heat, and the winter free from severe frosts. Except in the most southern parts, or on the high table lands, or on the sides of the highest mountains, ice is never seen after the sun has fairly risen, and snow never lies on the ground ; and even at the extreme south, evergreen plants of the myrtle kind grow to the edge of the sea, and thrive better than in Devonshire, or the Isle of Wight. Hot winds and droughts, such as occur in New South "\Vales and the Cape of Good Hope, are wholly unknown in New Zealand ; for a never-failing supply of moisture is shed on the mountain tops and forest lands, by the winds which blow from all quarters over a vast expanse of ocean. "On the high table lands of the interior, even in the Northern Island, frosts sometimes occur, which affect such plants as acacias and potatoes ; but this only happens near the coast ; all along which the potato is planted at all seasons of the year, and the opening of the flower-buds is hardly retarded during the progress of winter. "There is no distinct rainy season, and although it is rare for a fortnight to elapse without at least refreshing showers, determined 38 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. rainy weather seldom lasts longer than three days, without clear intervals, during which everything, including the atmosphere, becomes quickly dry. With this last qualification it may be considered as a moist climate. There seems little doubt but that more rain falls during the year in New Zealand than in England. It rains during all the months in the year, but the greater quantity falls in the winter and spring ; but the longest intervals between rain, and the smallest quantity when it does rain, generally occur about the end of December and January, or at the best period for the harvest of grain. The dews are heavy, particularly during the winter months ; in the interior, mists rest over the lakes and river-courses in the mornings, but are soon dispelled by the rising sun, or driven away by the winds. Besides the disposition of the atmosphere to dry quickly, which has al- ready been mentioned, it may be remarked that the physical configuration of New Zealand, and the geological formation of the hills, are in general such, that the water is rapidly carried towards the coast; the lakes have always an outlet, and, considering the unreclaimed state of the country, swamps are not excessively nume- rous or extensive. Such as do exist, are gene- MOISTURE OF THE CLIMATE. 39 rally attributable to the clayey nature of the sub-soil. They are certainly not of sufficient importance to influence the general state of the humidity of the air, or to render it insalubrious. In consequence of this great quantity of mois- ture, the vegetation is remarkably vigorous, even in places where only a thin layer of vege- table earth covers the rock. Sandy places, which in any other country would be quite barren, are covered with herbage in New Zea- land. Everywhere trees and shrubs grow to the margin of the sea, and suffer no harm even from the salt spray. On the coasts of New Zealand, and especially near those parts of it which are high and mountainous, wind is fre- quent, and tolerably strong. The general di- rection of strong gales is west or south, varying, however, from these points, according to the form of the coast. Near the shores of Cook's Strait, which is about the centre of the islands, you may sleep agreeably during three - fourths of the year with your bed-room window open ; yet when confined to the house by rain or violent winds, you can generally enjoy a small fire, in the partially weather-tight resi- dences of the early colonists. Except in those rare cases, it is most pleasant to be employed 40 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. out of doors ; for not only is vegetation highly luxuriant, whether of the trees or of the pas- tures, but perpetual, and the atmosphere so clear, that objects are visible at a great distance; and the varying, but ever beautiful, tints of the bright sky, and picturesque scenery are a con- stant source of admiration. Cattle and sheep never require to be housed, as there is no frost or excessive damps to injure them, and the pasturage lasts throughout the year. Fogs, excepting always the morning exhalations above mentioned, are almost unknown, excepting in the southern extremity of the islands, and even the southerly winds, springing as they do from the antarctic regions, are so tempered by the extent of water over which they pass, as to be totally free from the unpleasant qualities of our English easterly winds.' 3 In the above observations on the climate of New Zealand, I have been largely indebted to Mr. E. J. Wakefield's "Handbook to New Zealand," published in 1848 ; my own expe- rience having since then fully confirmed all the remarks I have quoted from his book. I myself never remember an entire day, at any season of the year, when a great coat in walking, except during actual rain, would not have proved an COMPARED WITH ENGLAND. 41 oppressive encumbrance. On the whole, to sum up these observations on the climate of New Zealand, it may be said, that the weather, though never equal to our best and pleasantest English weather (I mean the glorious long genial days in June, as well as a few of our occasional de- lightful mornings in spring), is, on the whole, far more equable and agreeable than that of Eng- land, and at no time so inclement as the worst, or in fact a great portion of our winter months. The days are in general an hour shorter in summer, and an hour longer in the winter, than in England. Of twilight there is little or none. I have already mentioned, that there are in New Zealand no quadrupeds, but those imported by Europeans ; no fish in the fresh -water lakes, or in any of the rivers, excepting eels ; though in great abundance and variety outhe sea coast; and but very few birds in most parts of the country.* The scenery, especially in the open glades of the forests in the warmer districts, is often ex- * A very full list of the indigenous birds and fish of New Zealand, are given in V!r. E. J. Wakefield's Handbook. A complete account of the timber trees has been compiled by Sir W. J. Hooker, and published in the Bishop's Journal for 1847. 42 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. tremely beautiful. The tall tree-ferns and large flowering forest trees, for many of the larger trees bear flowers in New Zealand, also add much to the beauty of the woods, but the almost entire absence of animated life, renders them gloomy and monotonous. Notwithstanding all that may be said in praise of the extreme beauty of the scenery in some portions of New Zealand, where the natural undulations of the ground, the wild mountainous hills in the distance, and dense forests of magnificent timber, interspersed with numerous flowery creepers, running down to the water's edge, with foliage surpassing in richness of colour any of our native trees, all combine to increase the beauty of the landscape, it will be found by the emigrant, that many of the most populous and valuable districts are placed among scenery which is neither bold nor picturesque, presenting few of the characteristics of New Zealand landscape, and with nothing to remind the spectator that he is looking upon a foreign country. The least picturesque districts in many parts of the country, affording better pasture, with few shrubs or unsavoury plants to render the herbage unpalateable, and a soil level and un- INTERNAL COMMUNICATION. 43 encumbered for vegetation and tillage, are fre- quently the most prized for agricultural pur- poses. Besides other less important places on various parts of the coast, both on the north and the south islands, where a few Europeans have located themselves, there are now altogether six principal Settlements in New Zealand, the communication between which is almost wholly carried on by sea. However, a mail bag is sent, at regular intervals, over-land, between Auck- land and Wellington ; the messenger generally occupying about three weeks on his journey, which is chiefly performed on foot. Large herds of cattle and sheep have also been driven over-land, and across the rivers from Nelson in the Middle Island, southward to the Canterbury Plains, and again from Otago northward to Canterbury ; so that there is now a well denned traversable route over-land, though not easily passable at the river fords, from the sea coast north of the Middle Island, down to the southernmost portion of the island, which is occupied by settlers or their flocks. The names of these six chief Settlements are, commencing from the northward, Auck- land, New Plymouth, and Wellington in the 44 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. North Island; and Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago in the Middle Island; in addition to which, there is a large number of settlers, scat- tered about the Bay of Islands to the north of Auckland, and several other small locations, chiefly in the Northern Island, which have not acquired sufficient importance to obtain dis- tinctive appellations for themselves. The South or Stewart's Island has not been colonized by English emigrants. In the following chapters will be found a more detailed account of each of these Settle- ments. It will be sufficient in this place to mention them in the order in which they were first organized, as distinct settlements in the colony of New Zealand. The first to be described is Auckland, the site of which was fixed upon by Captain Hobson, in the year 1840, as the seat of Government in New Zealand, on account of its central position it being easily accessible by sea from both the eastern and western coasts, and also from its great facility of internal water com- munication, and the proximity of several smal- ler ports, abounding with valuable timber in addition to which, it is the nearest sea- port in New Zealand to the shores of Australia. In THE SIX SETTLEMENTS. 45 reference to other parts of New Zealand, it resembles Sidney among the Australian colo- nies, in being the official residence of the Go- vernor and executive authorities. It has a large trading population, and a great number of vessels sailing from its harbours, and is in fact a commercial capital, rather than a pro- vincial settlement of merchants and store- keepers, having a population chiefly occupied in pastoral and agricultural pursuits, like the more reeently established colonies in the southern portions of the islands. "Wellington, founded in 1839, and Nelson, in 1841, were two of the earliest colonies founded by the New Zealand Company. Both of them are now flourishing settlements, the former on the north, the latter on the south of Cook's Strait, thus combining within a small space, on the other side of the world, the names of three of our most celebrated countrymen. The early colonists of both these settlements incurred hardships and difficulties, which no emi- grants since their time have experienced. At first much suffering and disappointment was caused by the hasty manner in which the New Zealand Company sent out emigrants, without having sufficiently prepared for their arrival. And 46 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW ZEALAND. afterwards, the natives, when they saw the great improvements in the land, effected by the industry of the colonists, began to repent of having sold all claim to their territories. In the skirmishes, resulting from the violent en- deavours of the natives to dispossess the colo- nists from the allotments, which they had cul- tivated and built upon, many of the settlers, as well as British soldiers sent out to their as- sistance, were killed. These disturbances were however finally overcome by Governor Grey, and for the last ten years both settlements have been steadily and peacefully progressing. The fourth settlement, on the south-west coast of the North Island, is New Plymouth ; it is very beautifully situated, though rather difficult of access by sea, owing to the rugged- ness of the coast, and the want of a proper harbour, and moreover of but limited extent, as the natives, who are very numerous in that part of the country, cannot be induced to part with the large tracts of territory in their pos- session, by which it is surrounded, and which include some of the best agricultural land in the whole of New Zealand. New Ply- mouth was founded in 1841 ; the first body OTAGO CANTERBURY. 47 of emigrants having been, almost entirely, Devonshire people or their friends. The fifth in order is Otago, of which the port is called Dunedin, established in 1845, by members of the Scotch Presbyterian religion, and has not of late years so rapidly increased in population and importance as most of the other settlements. The pasturage plains to the north of Otago extend into the Canterbury district, as does the pasturage district, north of Canterbury, into the Nelson sheep and cattle grazing lands. In fact, the whole of the country between Nelson and Otago, on the eastern half of the Middle Island, is now as closely occupied by sheep and cattle stations, as it is likely to be for many years to come, until the land in places remote from the sea- ports begins to be cultivated for agricultural purposes. The most recent of the six settlements is Canterbury, first acknowledged, as a distinct colony, by the arrival of emigrants from Eng- land, on the 16th of December, 1850; which, from its vast open plains affording such an expanse of pasture for the stock- owner, as well as its excellent harbour, rich soil, and other advantages for agriculturists, bids fair to sur- pass all others in its ultimate importance. 48 CHAPTER III. FULLER DESCRIPTION OF THE Six CHIEF SETTLEMENTS OF NEW ZEALAND. AUCKLAND. I HAVE, in the preceding chapter, mentioned very briefly the six chief settlements, taking them in the order of their foundation. An elaborate description of the entire country of New Zealand is altogether beyond the intention of these pages ; but, as some of my readers may, either from local connections or other in- ducements, have turned their thoughts more towards one settlement than another, I have endeavoured to collect, in a small compass, some of the most recent information respecting each of the six settlements, and shall now proceed to describe them in the order enumerated in the preceding chapter.* For the description of * I am quite aware that the six chapters (IFI. to VIII.) describing the settlements of New Zealand, con- tain very little original information. A few years, or even seasons, effect such important changes in the progress of any newly colonised district, that a mere FLUCTUATION OF MARKETS. 49 Auckland, I have been much indebted to a pamphlet, published in 1853, and also to some still more recent information compiled from the pages of the Australian and Nesv Zealand Gazette, from 1853 to September 1855 inclu- sive. It will be noticed by the reader, that even the space of little more than one year, i.e. from 1853 to the spring of 1855, has effected important changes in the state of the markets, and the immediate prospects, as well as the permanent condition of the entire colony. This, however, will not be at all surprising to persons accustomed to hear of the rapid changes w.hich take place in the development of the resources of rising colonies. Such readers will know that it is probable that many of the inconveniences to new comers, which the later information alludes to, will speedily be amended by the increasing energy aroused among the general description of the whole of New Zealand, from personal information, unless actually written in the colony, would be of little value to the intending emi- grant. I have carefully read over all the colonial au- thorities, published during the last year and a half that I could obtain ; and I have endeavoured to give the reader the most recent information on all points I have referred to. Any person not interested in the local his- .tory of the various settlements, had better at once pass on to Chapter IX. 50 AUCKLAND. colonists, in meeting the difficulties they have to contend with, and other matters will ere long have effected a remedy for themselves. I may mention in this place a matter which cannot be too strongly impressed upon intending emigrants in Europe. At the present average rate of communication, by which nearly four months are consumed in the transit of a letter between New Zealand and England, it follows that from eight to twelve months must elapse, between the dispatch of intelligence from the colony, and the arrival of a reply to the sender. Hence it frequently happens that emigrants find on their arrival in the colony, a very different aspect of affairs from that which had been de- scribed to them as the existing state of things when they left England. In a subsequent page, several places are men- tioned, where the most recent information con- cerning New Zealand can be obtained, and the intending emigrant will do well to make himself acquainted with the latest news from the par- ticular settlement to which he may be going. The best map of New Zealand, hitherto pub- lished on a large scale, is that by Arrowsmith, of Soho Square. Maps of several portions of the islands on a very large scale may be seen at EAST AND WEST HARBOURS. 51 the New Zealand Company's Offices, in Broad Street, London; and also at Messrs. Young, New Zealand Rooms, Adelphi Terrace ; and at the Canterbury Emigration Office, 32, Charing Cross. The reader will do well to consult a map, while reading the following descriptions of the best known portions of the islands. Auckland, has been recently described as follows : " Imagine the North Island to be not unlike the figure of a wasp, with its small waist almost cut in two in the middle. This waist or isthmus is formed by a deep inden- tation on the eastern coast, known as the Gulf or Frith of the Thames, and by the extensive harbours of Manukao, on the western coast. For an extent of several miles the waters of these harbours are separated only by a narrow strip of land, or isthmus, about five miles broad. The gulf of the Thames is protected from the sea by the " Barrier " islands, and it affords anchorage throughout its whole extent, and in ordinary weather forms a safe harbour. It also comprises within its limits several inner harbours, easily accessible, commodious, and safe in all weathers. Coromandel Harbour, the Great Barrier, Matakana, Kawau, Mahu- rangi, Waiheki, and the Waitemata, afford safe 52 AUCKLAND. anchorage to vessels of any size, in all weathers. Towards the south-western extremity of the Gulf, lies a group of ten or twelve islands. These islands stretch along in a south-eastern direction for nearly 20 miles, and shut in a long narrow estuary the Waitemata, in which shelter and anchorage may at all times be found. On the south shore of the western extremity of the Waitemata, stands the town of Auckland. So great is the extent of water communication, that the isthmus on which the town is built, is all but an island. For some four or five miles to the west of the town, a branch of the Waitemata bends south- wards, until it reaches within little more than a mile of the Manukao harbour, and about the same distance to the east of the town, the creek or river Tamaki, penetrates in a southerly direction, until it reaches within less than a mile of a branch of the Manuhau, at Otahuhu. Twice in the twenty-four hours the numerous ramifications of the Tamaki afford water-carriage to the town to almost every settler in the district. Ten or 12 miles to the eastward of Tamaki Heads, is the river Wairoa, navigable for about 15 miles by barges and canoes, and having well wooded good land VALLEY OF THE THAMES. 53 upon its banks. A few miles still farther to the eastward, and at the extremity of the group of islands before referred to, and taking a southerly direction, you reach the southern extremity of the gulf bounded by the plain or valley of the Thames. This plain is upwards of 60 miles in length, by about 16 or 20 miles in breadth, and is watered throughout its whole extent by two winding rivers, the Thames and the Waitoa running parallel to each other and discharging themselves into the gulf at its southern extremity. Both rivers are navigable for barges or small steamers, for a distance of 50 miles at least, and are accessible from Auck- land by canoes and open boats, in fine weather. With its numerous harbours, estuaries, rivers, islands, forests, and plains, the gulf of the Thames itself comprises a commercial world in miniature. The wooded rivers to the west- ward of the town are clothed with Kauri tim- ber, whence spars are floated down by the tide. A small steamer has recently been built to convey the farm produce of the Tamaki to the Auckland market. The island of Waihiki supplies Kauri timber, timber for ship building, firewood, manganese, pigs, potatoes, and Indian corn. The Thames supplies flax and sawn 54 AUCKLAND. timber ; Coromandel Harbour, native produce of every description. The Great Barrier Island, copper ore. The island of Kawau, copper ore and limestone ; and Mahurangi firewood and sawn timber. As a harbour, in the opinion of the many naval officers who have visited New Zealand, there is none in the colony, excepting the Bay of Islands, equal to the Waitemata, on the east coast of Auckland ; of the thousands of vessels of all sizes which have entered and left the port, in the course of the last twelve years, not one has been totally wrecked in, near, or within fifty miles of it.* Six miles to the south of the town, across the isthmus, and indenting the west coast, is the harbour of Manukao. This harbour bears some resemblance to a man's right hand pointed eastward the wrist representing the entrance the thumb, that branch of it which runs up to Onehunga, the nearest point to Auckland the middle fingers, the creeks or branches, which penetrate into the Tamakura district and the little finger, stretched out at right angles to the three middle fingers, repre- * From Description of Auckland and its Vicinity, 1853, price 3d. Stanford, 6, Charing Cross. MANUKAO HARBOUR. 55 senting the Waihuku branch or inlet, which runs in a southerly direction, until it reaches within less than a mile and a half of the head of the Awaroa Creek, which runs into the Waikato river. The Waikato takes its rise near Lake Taupo, almost in the centre of the island, and runs in a northerly course, with a slight inclination to the westward, until within about 15 miles of the south-east extremity of Manu- kao harbour, when it bends at a right angle to the westward, and forms a small harbour, about 20 miles to the south of the entrance of the Maimkao. The Waikato is navigable for canoes for not less than 100 miles. About 60 or 70 miles from the sea, it is joined by the Waipa river, flowing from the south, and navigable for canoes, for upwards of 50 miles. The delta formed by these two rivers, is a tract of rich level land, and they water an extensive plain only separated from the plain of the Thames, by a broken range of low hills. Thus it will be seen that these distant plains have water communication with Auckland, with but two short interruptions, viz. the portage of a mile and a half, which divides the head 56 AUCKLAND. of the Awaroa, from the head of the Wahuku inlet, and the isthmus of six miles, which divides Onehunga on the west coast of the island from Auckland on the east coast. Native grown wheat and flour, flags, pigs, and Indian corn, are brought down the Waikato, from the interior of the country, in canoes, carried over the portage, conveyed across the Manukao harbour, in canoes or small craft, to Onehunga ; and carted by a good road from Onehunga to Auckland. During the summer of 1852, the natives brought to market in Auckland, in canoes alone, upwards of 11 00 kits of onions (about twenty tons), upwards of 4000 kits of potatoes (more than one hundred tons), besides corn, cabbages, and kumeras ; peaches grown by the natives, and sufficiently good for culinary pur- poses, are very abundant and cheap. During the early part of the summer of 1853, upwards of 1200 kits were brought to Auckland by canoes alone. The following description of the districts, bordering the Waikato river and its neigh- bourhood, south of Auckland, is taken from a recent letter from the colony. SOUTHERN DISTRICTS. 57 " Auckland, July 22nd, 1854. " I will now endeavour to give you some account of my travels. My principal trip was a tour of inspec- tion throngh the districts where there are mills, or mills proposed to be built. I proceeded first by land about seven miles to Onehunga, then embarked in a little ferry boat, and crossed the Manukao harbour, to near the mouth of the Waikato river, on the west coast ; then by means of canoes, ascended the river, fifty miles ; calling at the various stations as we passed I then branched off into the Waipa, about thirty miles farther, and arrived at Otawao. The Rev. Morgan's Church Mission Station. This I made my station for a time, visiting all the mills in the neighbourhood. I then crossed over to the west coast again to Cawhia, taking in my route such mills as were in the way, and return- ing by another road back again to Otawao ; this part of my journey I walked, with two Maories to carry my luggage. After about a fortnight's rest, T started again in a similar manner, towards the east coast, crossing the Waikato, the Thames, and other streams, and proceeded to the lakes of Rotorua, Roto Mahana, &c ; then to the coast at Maketa, from thence to- Touranga, where I again embarked in a small schooner, owned and manned by natives, and arrived again in Auckland, traversing the greater part of the middle district of the North Island. The Waikato is a rather rapid river, in some places shallow, being dispersed as it were between a number of small islands ; but I have no doubt with a little clearance it will become a very valuable river, fit for the navigation of a 58 AUCKLAND. small steauier. It would then open up a vast extent of country which is now lying almost waste. The Waipa is a quieter river, with a greater depth of water, which would also furnish additional intercourse. The interior of this part of the island is pretty level, mostly fern land, with but little timber, and is mostly unoccupied. In some parts there are considerable patches of land under cultivation, by the Maories, both in wheat and potatoes. Peaches are plentiful in the season all over the country, and in some places there are many apples. There are very few Europeans, except the Missionaries, and few traders. The land is at present entirely in the hands of the natives. But the most interesting- part of my journey, was to the lakes and hot springs. The Rotorua is I think six or eight miles across, with an island in the middle. On the west-side is a settlement, with boiling springs in all directions, between the houses ; some are like boiling mud of a dirty brown, others white like chalk, some slate colour, and others pink ; whilst others are clear water. At one part you see a large pond boiling up fiercely, with a number of women sitting round boiling their food ; potatoes, fish, &c. are put into a basket, with a string tied to it ; it is dropped over the side, and the women wait until the food is sufficiently cooked. At another part is a bath of moderate heat, with a number of persons in it up to their necks in the water, some for pleasure, and others for the cure of various diseases. At another part is a chasm, from which is issuing steam of considerable pressure, like the blowing off a steam boiler. At about three miles LAKES AND HOT SPRINGS. 59 distance, there are other springs more beautiful in their appearance, from the ground around them being' covered with a beautiful incrustation of lime in curious forms. But the most celebrated of these springs is at Roto Mahana, about twelve miles farther on. Here, as at Rotorua, the springs are of various descriptions, and distributed over a considerable space of country. The principal is a circular basin of considerable size the water is beautifully clear and of an azure blue colour. It boils most furiously, and is surrounded by semicircular basins and ridges of a white incrus- tation, forming as it were terraces or steps curiously -waved with ridges, something like the sand at low water, but of a greater variety of forms. Any thing near becomes incrusted as with hoar-frost. The lake is said to be 80 feet deep. These springs are indeed wonderful curiosities. I am now preparing for another trip to the Waikato, to endeavour to teach some of the natives the art of millering, and the general management of their mills." The remarks here given, respecting the ex- pense of living in Auckland, at different periods during the last two years, will be of interest to all intending colonists of New Zealand. The following was written in 1853: "Al- most every thing necessary to comfort and con- venience may now be procured in Auckland, but not always of the best quality. Although 60 AUCKLAND. cheaper than Wellington, Auckland is by no means a cheap place of residence, certainly not more so than an English town of the same size. House rent and servants' wages are at least double what they are in England. But there are no taxes, rates, or dues of any kind. Cloth- ing of all kinds is also of course dearer in New Zealand than in England. But wine, spirits, and groceries are for the most part cheaper. Bread and butcher's meat are about the same. The fish caught near Auckland, although of but moderate quality, is plentiful and cheap. Vegetables are also abundant. To those who live in the bush, or at a distance from the town, and who are independent of hired labour, the cost of living in the northern part of New Zea- land is very cheap. A tolerable house can be built of Raupo, a kind of bulrush, with either a thatch or shingle roof, at a cost of about 10. Pigs can be purchased from the natives at less than 2d. a pound. Poultry and turkeys in par- ticular, thrive better than in England, and almost keep themselves, and wheat, potatoes, pumpkins, &c. can be easily raised, or can be purchased for a trifle from the natives. And for life in the bush, the most inexpensive clothing is sufficient." MARKET PRICES IN 1853. 61 Compared with the climate of Wellington, that of Auckland is a few degrees warmer, both in summer and in winter ; the air of Auckland, too, being somewhat more soft and genial. Auckland has less wind than Wellington, but more rain. The following were the average market prices in 1853. PROVISIONS. Bread, 2 Ibs. loaf, 5d. Tea (6 per chest) Is. 9d. per Ib. Sugar (moist) from 28. to 32s. per cwt. per Ib. 3d. to 4d. Coffee, per Ib. Is. 3d. Beef and Mutton, per Ib. 5d. to 6d. Pork, per Ib. 4d. Butter (fresh) per Ib. Is. 6d. ditto (salt) Is. Potatoes, per cwt. 3s. 6d. Eggs, per dozen, Is. Cheese (English) Is. 6d. (Auckland) Is. per Ib. SHIP'S STORES. Blocks single, per inch, 5d. to6d. ; double, lOd. to Is. Anchors, sizes, 40s. to 50s. per cwt. Rope (Auckland) 38s. per cwt. Cordage (Eu- rope) 45s. to 50s. per cwt. Canvass, 40s. to 48s. per bolt. Oakum, 30s. per cwt. Tar (Stock- holm) 35s. to 38s. per barrel. Spars (New Zea- land) from 4d. per foot. An article published in the " Sydney Morning Herald," during October, 1854, entitled " The Province of Auckland. Its rapid development and altered aspect," from which the following 2 AUCKLAND. observations are abridged, contains much that is likely to be of interest to emigrants to Auck- land during the present year 1855. " Casting a rapid glance at the transactions and influences of 1853, and drawing a passing sketch of the events of the current year, 1854, I must not omit a comment or two on the fail- ure of the potato crop, the numerous commer- cial disappointments and the extraordinary rise in the provision market arising therefrom. Food generally may be safely affirmed to have advanced fully a hundred per cent. "In the course of the year 1853, the ability of Auckland to develope itself as a province capable of growing and exporting a considerable amount of available produce first became known to the neighbouring colonies. The supplies previous to that year had been so limited as to excite little or no attention, and if we look back for three or four years, instead of being as now exporters, we shall find the Auckland colonist carrying on a somewhat extensive import traffic with Sydney and Hobart Town, and that too in their present articles of export, viz. : potatoes, flour, oats, cheese, wheat, maize, and the like. The first small beginnings of our export trade took place in the year 1851, and such was the EXPORTS SINCE 1851. 63 panic which the shipment of food then begot in the breasts of some of the political economists of Auckland, that an address was actually pre- sented to the then Lieutenant- Governor, pray- ing that his Excellency would be pleased to interfere and save the colonists from starvation. No interference, however, did take place, nor did any famine ensue. The export trade was suffered to make its small and successful commencement. It extended its operations throughout the year 1852, the total exports of which were estimated to amount to nearly 53,000. In 1853 the exports were still more largely increased, and their total estimated value has been reckoned to reach to .145,000. The agricultural operations for the harvest of 1854 greatly surpassed those of every previous year, and an immense breadth was planted with potatoes. A summer of unusual drought marred the industry and blighted the prospects of the farmers, many of whom scarcely recovered the amount of seed they had sown. This was not only a cause of serious loss to the producer, but of much collateral injury to Auckland. During 1853, the tonnage for shipment was always inferior to the amount of produce requiring to be shipped. To provide against this, and to 64 AUCKLAND. afford every facility for carrying the large (expected) increase in the produce of 1854, a greatly increased amount of shipping was drawn to Auckland at an early period of the season. The 'potato and onion crops had proved a failure. Timber in the Australian markets was in less urgent demand, and although the prices there were still comparatively high, they were, never- theless, by no means such as to induce buyers at the extravagant figure to which the New Zealand sawyers had raised their wages. The consequence was that ships, which under a different state of affairs might have been loaded and despatched in a week or two, lay at their anchors in some instances for two or three months, and even then departed with little more than half a cargo. This naturally embittered the shipmasters, and the infant efforts of Auck- land to establish herself as the great export- ing country, which she must speedily become, were attempted to be ridiculed and talked down. "I am happy to be enabled to say that, whatever the losses and disappointments result- ing from the partial failure of last harvest, they have in no degree impaired the agricultural enterprise of the present season. Not withstand- WATER CARRIAGE. 65 ing the enormously high rate of wages, and the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient number of labourers upon any terms, fields are being fenced, cleared, and cultivated in every direc- tion, and most extensive additions are making to the pasture lands of the Auckland district, which in point of luxuriant beauty, and ability to sustain a heavy stock, may favourably compare even with the best pastures in Eng- land. " Under such circumstances, it is to be hoped that the export season of 1854-5, will fully re- deem all the defalcations experienced during that of 1853-4. "The immense facilities conferred by our superabundant means of water carriage have not escaped the attention of recent arrivals. Many of the out-settlements of the gulf of Houraki are becoming extensively occupied. On the magnificent river Mahurangi, cultivation is in active progress, its lands have been eagerly sought, and largely purchased, and at the head of its navigation, and in a central position, a village, called Warkworth, has recently been laid out. " A Steam Company has been originated, witli the view of connecting Auckland more closely p 66 AUCKLAND. with its numerous and thriving out-ports. The time for the establishment of such a company has fully arrived, and its operations will tend to render the industry of the colonists more gene- rally and immediately beneficial. " If materials could only be procured in suf- ficient quantity, the city of Auckland would speedily be greatly extended. Houses, or house accommodation are, and long have been, most difficult to be had. Cottages, which a year since were easily procurable at a rental of 4s. to 8s. a week, are now clutched at from 10.?. to 16s., whilst those which were wont to be let at from 10s. to 12s., readily command from 20s. to 25s. People continue to arrive, but the power of building has almost ceased. Bricks cannot be made fast enough ; and when made, indiffer- ent as they are in quality, they are greedily taken at 5 per thousand. Lime is half a crown a bushel. But when a boat-load of timber does happen to arrive, there is an eager scramble among builders and contractors for its pur- chase, and that at most exorbitant prices. Shingles, which not long since fetched from 8s. to 12s., have been hunted up in every direc- tion at 38s. and 40s. per thousand. Palings have risen from 6s. to 20s. and 25s. per hun- HOUSE ACCOMMODATION. 6 dred, and are also exceedingly difficult to be procured. Master builders, under such circum- stances, find it impossible to fulfil their engage- ments. Contracts entered into six months ago, with a conditional clause of being completed within four, six, or eight weeks of their being signed, are still waiting the supply of materials to be fully completed. Frames and skeletons of houses may be seen in numerous directions. Even the General Assembly House must have remained unfinished, but that a portion of the timber of the Queen Street wharf was placed at the disposal of the contractor. Every house, cottage, and hovel is fully occupied : yet whilst the cry for house room is increasing, our car- penters and joiners are comparatively idle. This has a mischievous effect, in disgusting the fluctuating population, drawn from the neigh- bouring colonies, who come hither without due consideration. " New comers arrive in Auckland, under the most erroneous impressions of its actual con- dition; people who have, in all probability, derived their information of what Auckland was from those who left it two or three years since. Such colonists may have stated, and with great truth, that, at the date of their de- 68 AUCKLAND. parture, nearly half of the houses in Auckland were to belet, and at almostnominal rentals; that the means of living were abundant and cheap ; that beautiful pork could be purchased for 2^d., beef and mutton for 5d., and splendid bacon for 6d. per Ib. ; that fowls could be had for Is., ducks for Is. 6d., turkeys for 3s., and geese for 3s. 6d. a piece ; that milk was sold at 2d. a quart, butter for Is. per Ib., and eggs for Is. a dozen ; that a kit* of potatoes, or of cabbages, weighing from 75 to 100 Ibs. could be bought for Is. each; that fire- wood cost from 6s. 6d. to 8s. per ton, and that all other necessaries were proportionably cheap. All this was true ; but . the gold of Australia has changed all this, and had they who have come amongst us, many of them to return disappointed, but given the least reflection to the subject, they would not have failed to perceive, that a young country, exporting to the full extent of its powers of production, could no longer be a cheap one. " Besides, with all this fluctuating and incon- siderable migration, the population of Auckland, for the last two years, has been steadily and * The natives generally bring 1 their produce to mar- ket in neatly made baskets, plaited from flax, and known by the name of " Maori kits." COROMANDEL GOLD DIGGINGS. 69 sensibly increasing; so that, however much it is to be regretted that emigrants should arrive amongst us only to feel dissatisfied and disap- pointed, they ought to attribute the cause more to their own want of forethought than to any defect in the colony ; indeed, the very lack of accommodation, the high price of food, the enormous wages given, and the ruinous paucity of labourers, afford the most incontestable de- monstrations of the great progress and prosperity of the colony. "It must not be forgotten, that to the humi- dity of the province of Auckland, the exceeding richness of its pastures, and the greater certainty of its agricultural operations is entirely attribut- able. Our winter is a wet, and often a severe one. Spring is mild, though weeping. But summer and autumn are seasons of great and genial beauty ; and although tempered with such occasional fertilizing showers as are calculated to preserve the pastures, still, in Auckland, there is far less rain throughout the year than what falls in Australia. The destroying floods of winter, and the parching droughts of summer are consequently here unknown." "There has been nothing doing with the Coromandel Gold Fields near Auckland. And 70 AUCKLAND. this is not because they are considered to be a failure, but because the native and European races can make money in as sure, and in a much more profitable manner. The industry of the natives is beyond all praise. The quan- tities of Kauri gum brought to market are immense ; and as an index of native prosperity, I need only draw your attention to the esti- mated value of the canoe trade for the last two years. In 1852, it was 6000; in 1853, 12,000; and this year there is every reason to believe it will still be very much more." A writer from Auckland, in February, 1855, referring to the extension of the Maori trade, says, " In five years more, I feel convinced that the Maories, with their trade, agriculture, and maritime enterprise, will have become so essen- tially British that the amalgamation of the native and European races will be complete. If you only look at the rapid progress of the native canoe trade, you will feel the force of this reasoning. Three years ago, it did not amount in value to 4000 a year. This year it touches upon 18,000 ; and from the amount and value of the annually increasing cultiva- tions, it cannot fail progressively and prospe- rously to extend/' INCREASE OF SHIPPING. 71 " There is another and most material point in the progress of Auckland, to which, as an old and practical colonist of Australia, 1 cannot forbear drawing the most pointed attention. It is to the increasing trade and the large amount (yearly augmenting) of colonial built, and colonial owned, shipping. On the 1st January, 1854, the shipping belonging to the port of Auckland amounted to nearly 8000 tons. It has since received great accessions, and as far as our enterprising and intelligent shipbuilders can command the means of construction, their hands are fully employed. Eight thousand tons of shipping is a very large amount to be possessed by a province not thirteen years old. To me, who can recollect Hobart Town since the 25th year of her existence, for months together without any but a small vessel or two in port, and who can likewise remember Sydney, the Mistress of the Southern Pacific, in the 40th year of her settlement, with fewer ships in harbour than I now look upon here, the maritime progress of Auckland is indeed astonishing." The following extracts, alluding to the pro- bability of an increase of labour, and necessary supplies in the province of Auckland, will be of interest in this place, as tending to explain the 72 AUCKLAND. causes of the great expense of provisions and other outgoings, referred to in the preceding summary. They were published in the Austra- lian and New Zealand Gazette, in an article bearing date, Auckland, Sept. 1, 1854, entitled, "Auckland Prospects of 1855." " Our markets can scarcely be called satis- factory, inasmuch as, without the same golden resources as those possessed by Australia, we are paying the same (and in some instances, higher) prices for almost every article of consumption. The unprecedented drought of the last season, and the failure of the potato crop in consequence, has unquestionably been the chief cause of the present high prices that rule our corn and pro- vision markets. These, however, will assuredly modify themselves in the course of the next five or six months, when, it is to be hoped, a very different return will be reaped from the various crops which have been planted this season, with an energy, and of a breadth, likely to prove eminently beneficial both to the home consumer and the exporter. " Looking at the existing state of the grain market, and basing our opinions in a great degree upon the experience of those most largely and practically conversant in that trade, we do not PROSPECTS OF 1855. 73 hesitate to say, that both wheat and flour have attained their culminating price, and that any further alteration is likely to be of a downward tendency. From calculations carefully made, it was recently estimated that at least 120,000 bushels of wheat are still (Sept. 1854) on hand; so that, making liberal allowance for the re- quirements of the present extensive seed-time, and estimating the consumption of Auckland at between five-and-thirty and forty tons of flour a week, there must remain an ample sur- plus of wheat for all her wants ; so that even the present prices may well be regarded as excessive." " All sorts of colonial dairy produce are in demand, and likely to continue so. Poultry of all descriptions are scarce and high in price. In fact, our largely increasing population, and the extensive demands for the supply of a shipping trade extending every day, have given a value to these minor commodities altogether unprecedented. Add to this the high price of food for rearing and fattening, and the scarcity and enhanced value of poultry will at once become apparent. " Butchers' meat has risen to an almost famine price, and, it is to be feared, is likely to 74 AUCKLAND. continue so for some time. The rise is easily accounted for. Auckland, in the first place, has never been sufficiently stocked. The increase has hitherto been unequal to keep pace with the demand for animal food, and at the same time to propagate stock to meet the requirements of a growing population. Im- portations, to pay, are, moreover, difficult at the prices now ruling in Australia ; and for this reason, that the Auckland yeomanry have all along experienced the most heart-breaking diffi- culties in acquiring runs upon which to turn newly imported stock. Grass in this province is a creation, not an indigenous plant as in Australia, and. although it is readily and rapidly produced, and grows with a luxuriance unsur- passed in any other quarter of the globe, still it can only be grown on private properties, or upon grounds partly cleared of the tea-tree manuka and the fern. A want of sufficient land has been the besetting grievance of the Auckland colonists. From that grievance they have hardly yet escaped. The Crown lands about Auckland have become private property ; they are rapidly being enclosed, and as rapidly being rendered productive. The meadow field and corn-close are in every direction depriving PASTURE NATIVE LABOUR. J5 the cattle of their commons. This, although in due time it will more than work out its own remedy, is the cause of temporary injury. Hence the present high price of butchers 5 meat. The evil, however, is but the growth of a great inherent prosperity. And with grazings which in a few years will, in all probability, be abundantly to be let, and with steam ships landing fat or good conditioned stock upon them, the superior advantages of Auckland as a feeding country will at once become ap- parent." "Building materials, in consequence of the great deficiency of labour, are not only scarce and high in price, but almost impossible to be had. But for this Auckland would have been long ere now greatly and beneficially extended, and many important public works have been executed." " Kauri gum, which in the gathering has long engrossed a very large share of native in- dustry, is on the decline. Flax is more scarce and dear, and likely to become more so, until some mechanical process shall be established for rendering it a merchantable commodity. Whilst the natives remained in a state of un- tutored barbarism, supplies of flax were easily 76 AUCKLAND. to be procured ; but their industry can now be turned to much more profitable account they are indefatigable in their pursuit of an im- proved system of husbandry, and as mere day labourers they can readily earn from 5s. to 6s. a day. Flax cannot be prepared at such wages, consequently it will either cease to be prepared at all, or must be prepared by the aid of com- petent machinery/' The Financial Statement for the whole of New Zealand for 1854, shows a balance unap- propriated of 108,986. The net revenue was 146,315 ; and the total charges 37,329. Of the revenue, 100,000 was derived from land sales. Lieutenant-Governor Wynyard, the " officer administering the Government," in transmitting to the House of Representatives the financial statement and estimates for the year 1855, dated Auckland, September 4th, 1854, prefaces his statement by observing, "Although the prosperity of the colony is such that we might confidently trust in the increase of its revenues, I have not thought it advisable, in preparing the estimates, to assume any increase of the ordinary revenue, over that estimated for the year ending the 30th of September, 1854." FINANCIAL STATEMENT. 77 The following is a summary of the estimates for the year 1854 : Land fund gross receipts 100,000 Deduct cost of surveys, &c., and one-fourth New Zealand Compy. 40,601 1 6 59,398 18 6 Ordinary revenue . . 98,577 Deduct costs of collec- tion 11,660 13 4 86,916 6 8 Net revenue 146,315 5 2 Civil list ^ Interest on debentures V 18,444 2 Pensions } General charges . . . 18,885 1 10 37,329 3 10 Unappropriated 108,986 1 4 RECEIPTS. Customs Auckland . . 43,000 Wellington . 27,000 New Plymouth 3,600 Nelson . . . 8,000 Canterbury . 9,000 Otago . . . 4,000 94,600 Post-office Auckland . 900 Wellington 500 N. Plymouth 75 78 AUCKLAND. Nelson . . 100 Canterbury 150 Otago . . 60 1,775 Supreme Court fees and fines 300 Resident magistrates' court fees, at Auckland, New Plymouth, and Otago 600 Registration fees at Wel- lington, New Ply- mouth, and Otago . . 400 Bank of issue .... 900 2,200 Total gross ordinary revenue . . . 98,577 LAND REVENUE. ESTIMATED GROSS RECEIPTS FROM THE DISPOSAL OP CROWN LANDS. Gross amount received from Oct. 1st, 1853, to July 31st, 1854 68,80810 5 Auckland 40,000 New Plymouth . . . 4,000 Wellington 20,000 Nelson 6,000 Canterbury 26,000 Otago 4,000 100,000 The probable amount available for the ex- penditure of the province of Auckland, for the IMMIGRATION POPULATION. 79 year 1855, is estimated at 45,225 16s. lid. Of this sum, after paying the proposed cost of the various establishments, it is estimated that 29,225 will be at the disposal of the pro- visional council for public works and immigra- tion. "This," says the New Zealander, No- vember 7th, 1854, "is a most encouraging prospect. The judicious appropriation of such a sum may, and we trust will, prove the means of giving a powerful additional impetus to the progress of Auckland." It was announced by some of the most re- cent despatches from the colony, that the Go- vernment had chartered several vessels to bring over mechanics and agriculturists from Mel- bourne, free of charge, with the hope of supply- ing the deficiency of labour in New Zealand. The European population of Auckland at the present date is estimated at about 10,000. The following lists of market prices, for pro- visions and necessaries, and also for stock, in the neighbourhood of Auckland, are taken from local newspapers of April and May, 1855. COMMERCIAL RECORD. " Auckland, 13th April, 1855. "The shipment of American goods by the three-masted schooner Carbon from Melbourne 80 AUCKLAND. was brought to the hammer by Messrs. Connell and Ridings, on Tuesday. The sale was well attended, and the generality of the articles offered went off freely and at paying prices. There were a considerable number of paimelled and sash doors and window sashes, which in the present demand for building materials were readily taken. We give an abstract of the goods sold per Carbon, and an average of the prices they fetched. " Chairs, wood seats, 58s. per dozen ; do., cane seats, 60s. per dozen ; buckets, three hoops, 24s- per dozen; tubs, per nest, Sis. per dozen; clothes pins per gross, 2s. 6d. to 35. ; American weighing machines, half ton, 91. ; do. quarter ton, 7^; do. three cwt., 4/. 15s.; pork per barrel, 41. 2s. 6d. ; beef per tierce, JL ; gunny bags, Ss. per dozen ; Carolina rice, 3|r7. per Ib. ; stained parlour tables, 33s. to 44s. ; pannelled doors, 20s. to 30s. ; do. sash do., 40s. ; sashes per pair, 18s. to 23s. 6d. ; preserved and bot- tled fruits, 13s. to 20s. ; 30 hours and 8 day clocks, 17s. to 27s. ; carpenters' planes, assorted, 3s. to 6s. each. " The Flour Market is without present altera- tion; but the demand for produce for home consumption, and for shipment, is both active MARKET PRICES. 81 and on the increase, more so than we fear our means of supply will enable us to keep up. Wheat, oats, and potatoes, as will be seen by our quotations, are on the advance; but, as we have already said, we doubt our ability of any continuous supply." AUCKLAND MARKET PRICES, April 13th, 1855. "THE MILLS. Mr. Fletcher's Steam Mill : Flour, first quality, 35/., seconds, 321. per ton. Wheat may be quoted at from 10.?. 6d. to ll.s. 6d. per bushel ; oats (a good supply), 6s. 6d. to 7*'- 6d. per bushel ; barley, none ; maize, 6s to 7*'- per bushel ; bran, 2s. 6d. per bushel. " AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. New potatoes, 10/. to III. per ton; wheat, 12s. to 13s. per bushel; oats, 8*. to 9*. per bushel; maize, 7*. 6d. to 8>. 6d. per bushel; barley, none; clover seed (white), plentiful; red, 112s. per cwt. ; grass seeds rye (scarce), 15.'.-. ; mixed 8s. to 10s. per bushel; straw, 51. to 5/. 10s. per ton ; hay (pressed for shipment), nominal. " DAIRY PRODUCE. Butter (fresh), 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. ; salt, 2s. 3d. to 2.<. 6(7. per Ib. ; cheese (colonial), Is. to Is. 3d. per Ib. ; hams, Is.; bacon, lOd. per Ib. ; fowls, 5*\ 6d. to 6s. 6d per couple; ducks (scarce), 7'. per couple; o 82 AUCKLAND. geese, fs t to 8s. each ; turkeys (scarce), 12s. to 14s. each; lard, 3d. to Wd. per Ib. ; milk, 8d. per quart ; eggs, 3s. to 3s. 3d. per dozen. " PROVISIONS. Beef (fresh), 8d., retail, 9d. to lOd. per Ib. ; Irish (wholesale), ?d. to 8d. per Ib. ; Sydney, 6/. 10s. per tierce; mutton, 8a. to 9d. perlb. ; veal (scarce), Wd. to lid. per Ib. ; pork (fresh), Jd. to 9d. ; New Zealand salt do., 5d. to 6d. per Ib. ; lamb, per quarter, 6s, to Is. ; bread, 9d. per 2lb. loaf; biscuit, cabin, 45s. ; ship, 38s. ; pilot, 40s. per cwt. " STOCK. Working bullocks, from 301. to 351. per pair ; calves, 40s. to 60s. ; ewes, 25s. ; wed- ders, 22s. ; horses for the plough, 501. to 60/. ; cart, 70Z. to 90/. ; hacks, 25 /. to 35Z. " GROCERIES. Tea, congou, 8/. per chest; hysonskin (little used), 6/. 10s. to 7^ per chest ; sugar, raw, 3^d. to 4%d. per Ib. ; loaf, 6d. to 6|c?. perlb. ; refined, Cossipore, 5\d. perlb.; coffee, lOd. per Ib.; soap, 40s. to 45s. per cwt. ; candles, Sydney mould, lid. perlb.; Belmont sperm, Is. 6d. to Is. 8d. per Ib. ; sperm, 2s. to 2s. 6d. per Ib. ; salt, Liverpool, 61. to 61. 10s. per ton ; dairy salt, 8/. per ton ; pickles, pints (fair sale), 12s. to 12s. 6d. per dozen; salad oil, scarce ; tobacco (a fair supply), Is. to Is. 3d. in bond; duty. Is. per Ib. ; soda, crystals, 21s. per MARKET PRICES. 83 cwt. ; sperm oil, none ; black oil, none ; 3 -bushel bags, 24s. to 2 7s. per dozen. " WINES. Champagne, claret, and Madeira very dull ; port, JL to 81. per quarter cask ; in cases, dull ; sherry, nominal. " BUILDING MATERIALS. Timber, 24s. to 261. per 100 feet ; shingles (scarce), 24s. to 30s. per 1000; palings, 18s. to 20s. per 100; bricks, 7/. per 1000. " BOOTS AND SHOES. Both men's and wo- men's (heavy) are in demand ; Napoleons, 35s. to 40s. per pair; Wellingtons, English, 30s. to 32s. ; colonial, 35s. to 40s. per pair ; Bluchers and Oxford, English, 12s; colonial, 14s. per pair; Avomen's cloth boots, 8s. to 10s. per pair ; shoes, 4s. 6d. to 6s. per pair. " SUNDRIES. Firewood (on the beach), 13s. to 14s. per ton; coals, 31. to 4/. per ton; posts and rails, 4?. 10s. per 100; flax (very scarce and in demand), 28/. to 341. per ton, according to quality; kauri gum, little or none in the market, and prices nominal." KATES OP WAGES, April 13th, 1855. " Masons, per diem, 12s.; bricklayers, per diem, 12s.; carpenters, per diem, 12s.; cabinet- makers, per diem, 12s. to 13s.; farm servants 84 AUCKLAND. (with rations), from 35Z. to 501. per annum; female servants, 8.9. to 12.?. per week; day la- bourers, 7$. to 8s. per diem." PRICES OF STOCK, May, 1855. " SALES. The stock sales at Otaliutu continue to increase in frequency, as in extent and value. On the 18th inst., Mr. Newman disposed of sixty-seven head of cattle, about six score sheep, a few horses, a lot of pigs, and a variety of har- ness and farming implements. The attendance of buyers was good. The sale opened dully, but became more animated as it proceeded, closing in a satisfactory manner. The proceeds exceeded 900/. Fat stock realized full prices. "The following is an analysis of the sale: Twenty-one heifers averaged 8/. 7s. I0d. } the highest fetching 12Z., and the lowest 5/. 10*. ; eighteen steers averaged 9/. 13*. and a fraction, the highest commanding 13/., and the lowest realising only 4/. 10s. ; eleven cows, two or three with calves by their sides, averaged 9Z. 10v. 6d., the highest bringing 14/., and the lowest Jl. ; seven calves averaged 4/. 9.v. the highest brought JL 5s., the lowest 31. ; six oxen averaged 101. IJs. 6d., the highest fetching 131. 10s., and the lowest 81. 10s.; a bullock PRICES OF STOCK. 85 brought 15/. 10s., a bull 16/., and a pair of working oxen 601. A lot of 114 sheep fetched 22s. per head ; four horses realising respectively 40/., 37^., 251., and 10/. ; and sixteen small pigs were sold at 10s. each. " On the 24th, Mr. Newman held a sale at Newmarket. There was a tolerable supply of stock of a mixed character, but not quite so many buyers as are usually assembled. Well bred cattle and fat stock sold freely, realising full prices ; forty-one head changed hands, and a lot of sheep fetched 29s. per head. The pro- ceeds of the day's sale exceeded 600/. With respect to lean stock, the long and severe drought, and the prospect of the approaching winter have reduced both the price and the de- mand. At one time, serious fears of a heavy loss of cattle were entertained ; but, as the late genial rains have been followed by a succession of mild and growing weather, and as there is now a good and increasing spread of nutritious pasture, it is to be hoped the cattle may be got into sufficient case before the weather finally breaks." The New Zealander of June 16th, 1855, con- tains the following Note for Immigrants of the Labouring class. 86 AUCKLAND. " Board and lodging, in Auckland, for single men, 30s. per week ; wages averaging from 8s, to 10s. per day. Married people, with families, if they are fortunate enough to get houses, will have to pay for a three-roomed wooden cottage, about 15s. per week. The necessaries of life are much about the same as in Sydney." I have, in this chapter, dwelt at some length upon the fluctuations of the markets, and the probable increase of expenditure, now necessary for a residence in Auckland as compared with that of recent years, as well as upon the counter- balancingcircumstances attending suchincreased expenses; because any state of affairs not entirely local, influencing one portion of the islands of New Zealand, will, in some measure, affect the provision and labour market of all other por- tions. And since no branch of colonial informa- tion is more important to intending emigrants than accurate particulars on these subjects, I have, in describing the oldest and most popu- lous of the settlements of New Zealand, en- deavoured to anticipate disappointment, by im- pressing on the reader a fact well known to all actual colonists, viz. : that in countries newly established, and undergoing great alterations in their progress and resources, unlocked for cir- EMIGRANT EXPECTATIONS. 87 cumstances may arise within very short periods ; even during the few months consumed be- tween the departure from England of a vessel with emigrants, and their arrival in the colony. Such unexpected fluctuations often prove to have a permanent influence over the prospects of the immigrant of small means, who expects, on his arrival, to be a consumer and a hirer of labour, and is not competent from his own re- sources to become a supplier of produce, or able to provide himself with the labour requisite to establish him in his adopted home. The newly-arrived immigrant perhaps finds his capital inadequate to embark in the parti- cular occupation for which he quitted England. And, having been disappointed in his original plans, his means are exhausted, and he himself disheartened at the gradual loss of his property, lefore he can gain a foot-hold in some employ- ment of a different nature from that upon which hs thoughts have hitherto been exclusively em- pbyed. CHAPTER IV. WELLINGTON. I HAVE already stated, that this book is not intended to contain a minute description of every portion of the islands of New Zealand. The appearance of the country, in general, has already been described at some length ; and the Auckland district, forming the northern portion of the island, of which Wellington is the southernmost settlement, has been more mi- nutely dwelt upon than others ; because, from the beauty of its scenery, the great amount of its shipping, and the number of natives frequent- ing the neighbourhood of its harbours, Auck- land is more likely to have attracted the atten- tion of persons, who form their ideas of a whol$ country from the most salient points of interest which it affords, than the less populous, but, perhaps, more strictly emigrant settlements h other parts of New Zealand. Wellington possesses one great advantage over Auckland, in being more easily accessible from other portions of the colony. And it holds, as a trading port, a very prominent, if COMPARISON WITH AUCKLAND. 89 not actually the leading mercantile position. It also has annexed to it very considerable tracts of pasturage, running up into the country northward and eastward of the harbour, and, by means of these, contributes largely to the exports of New Zealand wool. This is a branch of produce, in which Auckland, owing to its deficiency in pasturage, suitable for large flocks of sheep, or of cattle, has hitherto contributed very little to the European markets. The pastoral capabilities of Wellington have of late been very considerably increased, by the purchase of the Ahuriri district, on the eastern coast of the north island, and also of some other less extensive territories. This increased ac- commodation, for their growing flocks, will be of great benefit to the stockowners of Welling- ton, who had, for some time past, felt the want of additional pastures ; during which time the native population have steadily refused to permit any purchase or occupation of their territories, beyond the boundaries originally made over to the English Government. For a minute description of the appearance of the town, and colony of Wellington, I must refer the reader to Mr. E. J. Wakefield's Hand- book to New Zealand, written in 1848. Tho 90 WELLINGTON. following brief description and particulars are compiled from more recent authorities. The town is situated in the beautiful land- lo^ked harbour of Port Nicholson, on the southern extremity of the north island. The country immediately around is hilly and thickly timbered, but there is exceedingly fertile land in the valley of the Hutt, at the northern ex- tremity of the harbour. The formation of some excellent roads has recently opened up many good agricultural sections, within moderate dis- tance of the town, and has brought it into easier communication with extensive plains, and downs of fine grassy land, such as the Wairarapa, and the Waikanai districts, capable of carrying large quantities of sheep and cattle. Its fine harbour, and central position, have made it the outlet for shipment of produce, from a large extent of country, and from the shore-whale fishery, &c., as well as the depot for goods in return : and, as it is situated almost directly in the track of vessels homeward bound from the Australian colonies, ships requiring repairs, provisions, &c. frequently put into the port. Wellington has thus become a place of much commercial im- portance, its trade being nearly, if not quite, equal to that of Auckland. The town is very DESCRIPTION OP THE TOWN. 91 picturesquely situated on two level spaces, on the west and south sides of Lambton harbour. It has a Government house, Church, Chapel for Wesleyans, and Roman Catholics, Hospital, Custom House, Exchange, Bank, &c. ; besides many well-built houses and stores, good hotels, a wharf, and jetties for landing goods. It supports two newspapers, which notice the races, masonic clubs, theatrical and other entertain- ments, the Horticultural Society, and all matters of daily, colonial, and European interest. The neighbouring settlements are the Manamatu, and Wanganui, or Petre, between Wellington and New Plymouth. The European population of the district may be estimated at about 8000. The pastoral occupations of New Zealand, to which Wellington largely contributes, are de- scribed in another chapter ;* and, although the undulating hills at the back of the town of Wellington afford some of the most beautiful wood-scenery in New Zealand, a detailed de- scription of the country, in the immediate neighbourhood of the harbour, would be of little advantage to the reader. The purely agricultural colonist will probably find it more to his advantage to select, for his Note, see Chapter IX. 92 WELLINGTON. operations as a tiller of the soil alone, some district, with more level and unincumbered country, than can now be cheaply purchased near the town of Wellington, rather than to invest his labour or capital in clearing the thick forests, or cultivating the undulating lands, which add much to the beauty, but greatly interfere with the rapid agricultural development of this set- tlement. The latest accounts from Wellington shew, that the colonists suffer almost as much from a want of labour, as in any of the other settle- ments. The Provincial Council have, however, taken measures to introduce labourers, which, it is hoped, may in some degree reduce the great expense now attending the tillage of land. A detailed account of which, will be found in Chapter XIII. The price of provisions, also, has of late been much higher than for some years past. The same causes, referred to in the preceding account of Auckland, having, in some degree, affected the town of Wellington, which, from its constant facilities in exporting surplus goods, can always maintain the prices of its sup- plies for export at a rate nearly as high as any of the New Zealand or Australian ports. The INCREASE IN PRICE OF PROVISIONS. 93 following are recent retail prices at Wellington, as given by the local newspapers. " Wellington Markets. Retail Prices, Nov. 18, 1854. First flour, 301. per ton; bread, per 2 Ib. loaf, Sd. ; beef, *]d. to 9d. per Ib. ; pork, 3d. to 9d. per Ib. ; fowls, per pair, 4.. 6d. ; ducks, per pair, 6*. ; geese, 7s. each ; turkey, Ss. each ; fresh butter, Is 6d. per Ib. ; salt butter, 2*. per Ib. ; potatoes, 23 /. per ton : eggs, 2s. per dozen ; cheese, New Zealand, Is. 4d. per Ib. ; Bathurst, Is. per Ib. ; maize, 12s. per bushel; ale, 2s. 4d. per gallon ; ham and bacon, Is. to Is. 2d. per Ib. ; firewood, per load, 11." Persons interested in the fluctuations of co- lonial markets will not think the two lists of market prices, five months later than the above, which are here given for the sake of comparison, superfluous. "Wellington Markets, March 17, 1855. Retail Prices Current. First flour, 40s. to 45s. per lOOlbs. ; bread, 9d. per 2 Ib. loaf; beef, *Jd. to Sd. per Ib. ; mutton, 'Jd. to 9d. per Ib. ; pork, 6d to 8d per Ib. ; fowls, 5s to 6.* per pair ; ducks, 6s. to 7s. per pair ; geese, 5s. to 6s. each ; turkeys, 7s. to 9s. each ; fresh butter, l.v. Stf.per Ib. ; salt ditto, Is. 4d. per Ib. ; potatoes, 7$. per cwt. ; eggs 2V. 6d. per dozen ; cheese, Is. 6d. per Ib. ; maize, 94 WELLINGTON. 10s. per bushel ; bran, 3s. per bushel ; raw sugar, 4d. to 6d. per Ib. ; loaf sugar, ?d. to 8d. per Ib. j ale, 4s. per two gallons ; ham and bacon, Is. to 1*. 2d. per Ib. ; firewood, 405. to 45s. per cord ; onions, Gd. per Ib. (l Wellington Markets. Retail Prices, April 25th, 1855. First flour, 531. per ton; bread, per 2 Ib. loaf, lOd. ; beef, Id. to 9d. per Ib. ; mutton, *ld. to 9d. per Ib. ; pork, 8d. to 9d. per Ib. ; fowls, per pair, 4s. 6d. ; ducks, per pair, 6s. ; geese, 7*. each ; turkeys, 8s. each ; fresh butter, Is. 4d. ; salt butter, 2s. per Ib. ; potatoes, 121. per ton; eggs, 3s. per doz.; cheese, New Zealand, Is. 4d. perlb.; Bathurst, Is. perlb. ; maize, 12s. per bushel; ale, 2s. 4d. per gallon; ham and bacon, Is. to Is. 2d. per Ib. ; firewood, per load, II." The following letter, written in the colony during the last winter, describes the prospects of an agriculturist in Wellington, eight months ago. " Wellington, Aug. 28, 1854. " Dear' , " I have not forgotten the wish expressed by you, before I left England, that I should give you my unprejudiced opinion of New Zealand; and this province, Wellington, in particular. First, then, if I am not prejudiced, I am the exception. I will, therefore, make AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS. 95 no comment as to my likes or dislikes, but, (having now- been here for rather more than six months, three autumn and three winter,) I will give you the result of my expe- rience, my travels, and my speculations. " You will remember I told you my first impression of the town was disappointment ; the streets dirty and unfinished, the houses small, charges high, and atten- dance bad, and by some of my fellow -passengers the place was condemned wholesale. Six months has wit- nessed considerable alterations in the place, and, in my opinion. The main street has been entirely re-made, (by the assistance of the military), and other improve- ments are going on. The climate is good, the situation beautiful, and the town, if it is not so, might be so. The winds are disagreeable, though considered very healthy, so we must not quarrel with them ; in short, the place is doing well, and will do better the moment we can get more labour, and there is every inducement for labour to come out. " Almost everything here is exactly the reverse of home land cheap, the produce of land dear, labour very dear, and yet it pays very well to employ it. Land at 10* per acre yielding more and with less labour than land at 60. in England, with a certain market at from 200 to 400 per cent, higher price for the produce than with yours. A steady climate, no severe winters and undoubtedly healthy, what can you want more ? Now, to tell you the truth, those who come here find the greatest difficulty in getting settled ; that is, if they go into the country ; the want of roads, want of labour, of houses, doctors, schools, in short of nearly every- thing, is very trying. Yet those who try succeed. I 96 WELLINGTON. think I told you my first impression of the country was disappointment, so different from the prairies of Ame- rica, so like the most poverty-stricken districts of Eng- land, that I was setting: absolutely disheartened until 1 came across my friend's farm, when I at once saw that land covered with fern, rushes, stunted bushes, and rubbish of all kinds, only required breaking up and well exposing 1 to wind and sun to grow anything and every- thing. Now this farm produced last year 11 acres of wheat, which paid the fee simple of the farm, 300 acres, and the house; and if he had had sufficient labour to have produced 50 acres of potatoes (which grow uncom- monly fine) he might have realized a perfect fortune. " And now for my spec ; but I will tell you what first led to it. Why, I was so pleased with my friend's place that I determined to have a ' go in at it/ so on my return to Wellington, T went to the land office, marked out thetwo sections (out of about 40,000 acres) I wanted, and pulled out my cheque book to pay, but the land office does not take cheques, and it being Saturday, and too late to get money from the bank, I said I would call and pay on Monday. Now it happened, on the Sunday a ship came in, and I was occupied some time. When I did go down again to complete the purchase, not only were my 200 acres gone, but the whole 40,000, and vexed enough I was. If I now buy the same place, I must pay double the price. However, as I could not get a farm, I was at least determined to have a ' go in' at farming produce. So I bought five tons of potatoes at 9 per ton. A day or two after, I could have realized what an English farmer would have boasted over no little, but that would not do. I therefore bundled them COLONIAL OCCUPATIONS. 97 off to Sydney, and in three months bagged 17. clear of all expenses. Now, if I had my farm (good open land fit for the plough) and I could really get labour that T could depend upon (which is now nearly impos- sible) I would make an effort to follow it out; in short, it will depend in a great measure upon the manner in which our new system of immigration will act. It is a self-evident fact there is a great opening here, and even supposing the prices come down, which they will not as long as there is gold to be found, there are plenty of paying occupations to turn to ; curing bacon, salt meats of all kinds, butter, cheese, flax, and hemp will always be produced cheaper here than in Australia ; in short, all the fruits of the earth will. There is now a weekly communication with Australia, freight being about 2. 105. per ton, which of course would fall with the present prices. ' I will now tell you what kind of people will succeed out here, that is, if they will succeed anywhere. La- bourers of all kinds, skilled or otherwise, younger sons of gentlemen and farmers with from 500. to 2000. a-piece ; merchants, lawyers, shopkeepers, idlers, and drunkards wont be wanted for twenty years to come, as consumers, they certainly are useful, but how every third man you meet manages to live out of the pocket of his neighbour is a problem I am not yet able to solve. Out of this class you will have numbers return- ing to England, and they will bring back " lying re- ports about the land." The following description of \Vanganui or Petre, a district about sixty miles north-west H 98 WELLINGTON. of Wellington, is taken from the journal of a tour from New Plymouth to Wanganui, made in 1854, by Dr. Wilson, formerly a settler and landowner at Wanganui. " I have been sojourning here as the guest of my old friend, Captain Campbell, for these last seven days, and have during that time had ample opportunity of seeing the country, and of making myself more intimately acquainted than heretofore with a property which I have adjoining to his estate. For, during the seven years I resided at Wanganui viz., from the commencement of 1841 till the close of 1847, I looked on it, from circumstances of difference, then in constant mooting betwixt the Aborigines and the New Zealand Company, as uncertain property; and ultimately I exchanged it for land at Taranaki. But recently, by an act of retributive justice, it has been restored to me by the Company as compensation for past sacri- fices. So that now, holding it under the eegis of the Government, I feel the assurance that it is indeed mine ; and, on the other hand, 1 have so perfect a confidence in the integrity of the Maori, as with like firmness to believe that no temptation will induce him to impugn my right. ' ' It has far more than regained the condition WANGANUI. 99 of its former most promising days ; for of those settlers who left it, when to their eyes it as- sumed, as they augured, the appearance of utter hopelessness, almost all have returned, or have expressed the intention of so doing. And now, several land purchasing, as well as other bene- ficial settlers, are adding at least monthly to the aggregate of its population. And the recent addition of the adjoining Torakino and Rangitiki districts gives assurance, to thousands who may come for land, that none need to go away unprovided or disappointed ; these blocks con- jointly forming an aggregate verging on eight hundred thousand acres. And there are millions more behind these. " Considering the facility of breaking in land here, and the comparatively little expense it is done at by those who employ cattle and imple- ments of their own the clearing and burning off for the entry of the plough varying from ten to twenty shillings per acre we may now look forward with pretty certain expectation, that annually, henceforth, cultivation and stock will extend and grow in manifold progression. " Among the absurd and injurious reports that have been occasionally, and busily circulated re- specting this settlement, there are two only 100 WELLINGTON. which particularly require notice and refutation, these are 1st. That there is deficiency of timber. 2nd. That its bounding grass and fern lands are of inferior quality, and comparatively un- productive. " He must have been very short-sighted, or, more likely, very indisposed to deal in matter of fact, who invented and gave currency to these postulates, since nothing can be more at variance with truth. For from any elevation may be seen illimitable forests spreading from \\ithin to far beyond the present boundaries of the settlement; and from various parts of it timber in any quantity is made available for commerce by the rafting facilities which the noble river affords. And there is scarcely a glen or valley intersecting the fine champagnes Avhich is not more or less clothed, on one side or other, with woods of majestic growth. " As regards the next assertion, I would ob- serve that flax, timber and coarse grass lands are, I believe, about on a par in the scale of fertility ; but they are so, not from original physical composition, but simply because the supersoil, in general, holds a large percentage of decayed organic matter. Every farmer knows that mould BUSH LAND AS COMPARED WITH FERN. 101 is an adventitious and a very fleeting component of any cultivated soil ; in the same manner that farm-yard or stable manures are. When we examine into the statement, that fern covered land is inherently inferior in quality to that of the bush, flax, and grass, we find that facts do not support it. For example, we have now, everywhere, fern occupying tracts of land where trees in forest density must have flourished within the memory of the present generation. Hence we may deduce that the entire country was so at one time, and that a fern or a timber forest coat is merely a contingency, and, in the case before us, not indicative of quality of soil at all. "Almost all the crops of this season have been taken from what is called fern land, and the products, I apprehend, will be found equal to those reaped from any other denomination of land within the settlement. But to look else- where, I know that when I left New Plymouth district, a fortnight since, the bush land crops of wheat were deemed inferior, generally, to those of the open fern lands ; and I may add, that, for a succession of years, the farmer of bush land there had not obtained more per acre than those who were differently circumstanced. 102 WELLINGTON. The consequence of this experience is, that agri- culturists are opening, or rather I should say, have opened their eyes from the delusion that bush land is El Dorado ; and the once compara- tively neglected fern sort is now in urgent de- mand, and eagerly purchased too, at most extra- ordinary high prices. I may further state, in illustration of this preference for fern land at New Plymouth, that, though the Government offers thousands of acres of unselected bush land, scrip holders, in many instances, prefer waiting for the chance of getting open untimbered land at an uncertain coming day, to being so provided. "It is manifest, that bush land could not be quarried clear of stumps, and of over spread- ing roots while in the green, or fresh state, so as to be rendered ploughable, without the incurrence of an outlay greatly exceeding what the land is worth ; or, in ninety-nine cases in the hundred, what the settler's purse is equal to. And it must not be overlooked, that even after the sacrifice of eight, ten, or more years, from the primary expense period of felling, lopping, and branch burning, it requires in the aggregate, eight, ten, or more pounds sterling per acre, to fit it for any culture other than that accomplished by costly manual labour. COLONIAL PRODUCE. 103 While on the other hand, flax, fern, and coarse grass land, which in this settlement abounds, is open on the first year of clearing and break- ing soil to the workings of the plough, the grubber, the harrow, the roller, and the seed drill ; also to the scythe, and the more modern invention, the reaping machine. And the farmer, instead of having to carry his sheaves in his arms, or on his back over and through the in- tricacies and difficulties offered by stumps, logs, and root ramifications, loads his bullock cart with his crop in open field, and very conve- niently drives it to his stack yard." Another writer, dating his letter, Wanganui, June, 1854, says : " The price of land is rapidly rising, particularly the swamps which have been drained, some of which give extraordinary crops, ninety bushels of oats per acre ; splendid pota- toes, twenty tons per acre. What would your English farmers say to that ? and then no rent, rates, taxes, or tithes, &c. to pay, Add to this, the high price we get for our produce ; wheat, 1 2s. per bushel ; potatoes, JE34. per ton ; oats, 6s. per bushel, &c. I mentioned to you some time ago, that and had purchased three suburban sections for 75 To shew how land is increasing in value, my son has lately 104 WELLINGTON. bought three of the same, for which he was obliged to pay 200." Some information respecting the regulations for the sale of land, and the assisted immigration of labouring persons to Wellington, will be found in subsequent chapters. A brief notice of Ahu- riri and Manawatu, both of them districts re- cently acquired by the Province, may in this place, be interesting to the reader. LAND SALE AT AHUBIRI : The first sale of town and suburban land at Ahuriri (a district situated on the east coast of the north island) took place on the 5th of May, 1855. The town allotments were situated on Scinde Island and Meanee Spit. The sections on the Spit were in greatest demand, and prices ranged from 251. to 35 /. each for front allotments, and from Wl. to I'Jl. for those in the rear. The Scinde Island allotments went from the upset price up to 30/. each, according to position, and exclusive of improvements, &c., all the improved lots being purchased at the upset price by the parties own- ing the improvements. There has also been a selection of forty acre sections, which took place in Masterton. Most of the sections consist of about one half bush, and the other cleared land ready for the plough. Numerous small rivulets LAND SALE AT AHURIRI. 105 flowing into larger ones intersect and irrigate the block. The land at a distance, resembles a champagne country dotted over, or rather or- namented, with clumps of bush. Sixty-three allotments were taken, making a total of 2520 acres; four acres were reserved for a cemetery. The very limited extent of land offered for sale on this occasion, and the large amount of scrip held by parties in the district, and by those who had come principally to attend the sale, were among the causes of the high prices realized. The payments were made almost entirely in scrip, cash being paid only where necessary to make up even sums. A few very inferior lots failed to find bidders, but of these, two or three were subsequently taken at the upset price. It is worthy of remark, that amongst the purchasers, were two of the principal native chiefs of the district, who became owners of three or four allotments through the agency of one of the Native Commissioners. A local newspaper of the date, March 21st, 1855, describes the Ahuriri district in the fol- lowing words : " This highly favoured district bids fair to be- come the Goshen of the northern island. Each 106 WELLINGTON. vessel that enters the harbour from Wellington or Auckland brings intending purchasers of land, or applicants for sheep runs. Some of the best land is still in the hands of the natives, who are not disposed to sell, and the settlers, both actual and prospective, are sighing for a visit from that justly popular functionary, Mr. Com- missioner McLean. The measles have passed gradually down the east coast from Auckland to Wellington. The epidemic was brought to Turanga in May, by a vessel from Auckland. It spread successively thence to Te Wairoa, Mohaka, Ahuriri, &c., by means of a great meeting of natives at Te Wairoa on the occa- sion of a grand ' tangihanga' for Apatri, an old chief drowned last year. Several fatal cases have occurred in almost every pa* along the east coast. The most important death here is that of Karanema, the eldest son of the prin- cipal chief, Te Hapuhu. The disease has been most fatal amongst the aged. At Turanga, the natives are kindly attended to by the Venerable Archdeacon Williams, and Mr. Harris ; at Te Wairoa, by the Rev. Mr. Hamlin; and at Ahuriri, by Dr. English ; they express a strong desire to be vaccinated as a safeguard against * " Pa" a native village. AHURIRI. 107 the much dreaded small-pox. It is to be hoped that considerations of humanity, and of sound policy will induce a wise government to enable them promptly to accomplish their wish. In consequence of the great illness, the whalers at the several fisheries at the head of Hawke's Bay, have been unable to man their boats fully this season, and a considerable decrease in the quantity of black oil may be anticipated. The difficulty of getting pulling hands has been fur- ther increased by the anxiety of the natives to cultivate wheat, of which much more than usual has been sown this year. At Poverty Bay, Te Wairoa, Mohaka, &c., where the Bri- tish law has as yet no representative, the cha- racteristic independence of the Maori is apt to become a little overbearing and offensive to the Pakeha ; * but at Ahuriri, the natives are intel- ligent, industrious and peaceable, evincing the best possible feeling towards the new order of things. Several serious quarrels between chiefs of different tribes, which would have involved their respective adherents in a war of exter- mination a few years ago, have been amicably settled before the Court of the Resident Magis- trate, Mr. Domett, to whose tact, temper, and * Pakeha," White Man. 108 WELLINGTON. practical good sense, this satisfactory state of things may be mainly attributed." Manawatu is a district situated on the west coast of the north island, about midway between Wellington and Wanganui. The following brief notice of the district was published in April, 1-855. STATISTICS OF MANAWATU, APRIL llth, 1855 : " Manawatu is, we believe, considered by all who have seen it, and have had an opportunity of comparing it with others, the most fertile and most promising district in the province. It is to be regretted on this account, as well as for other reasons, that the efforts made to ex- tinguish the native title in this district have been hitherto unsuccessful. The following sta- tistics of its European population, &c., are in- teresting, and may, we understand, be depended upon in all essential particulars. "Manawatu contains a population of 78 Eu- ropeans, of whom 48 are males, and 30 females ; 17 of them are under 7; 16 between 17 and 15 ; 4 between 15 and 21 ; and 41 above 21 ; 48 can read and write; 14 can read only, and 16 cannot read. j " There are in this district, in the occupation of Europeans, 284| acres fenced and under cul- INCREASE OP REVENUE. 109 tivation; 12 of which are cropped with wheat; 31| with barley; 33 with oats; 1 with maize; l/^ with potatoes; 133 with grass; and there are 8 acres consisting of gardens and orchards. The European population possesses 22 horses, 572 cattle, 184 sheep, 5 goats, and 345 pigs." REVENUE OF THE PROVINCE, 1854. I have not been able to procure any recent returns of the Revenue of Wellington. Prom an abstract of the receipt and expenditure of the Province for the quarter ending the 3 1st March, 1854, it ap- pears, that the revenue for that period, exclusive of loans on debentures, and advances on account of loans refunded, amounted to 9404. 18*. lOd. exclusive of the balance in the hands of the treasurer at the commencement of the quarter. The civil expenditure for the quarter, amounted to 2827- 16s. Wd.; and on public works and undertakings, including advances on account of roads, to 282. 14s. 5d. The total receipts, including balance in the hands of the treasurer at the commencement of the quarter, amounted to 12,212. 8s. lOd. ; the total expenditure, to 5,825. 14s. 5d., leaving a balance in the hands of the treasurer, of 6,386. 18s. 5d. The total number of acres sold by the Commissioners of Crown lands at Wellington, for the quarter 110 WELLINGTON. ending the 30th of June, 1854, amounted to 26,445-^ acres ; and for the quarter, ending the 30th of September, to 8,6 12| acres. The ba- lance in the hands of the Commissioner, at the end of the latter quarter, amounted to 13,441. 8s. 3d., of which 2,144. 105. con- sisted of deposits not available, leaving an avail- able balance of 10,596. 18s. 3d. By a Pro- vincial Gazette for November, 1854, a large number of sections of land in the Oharius, Tukapu, Horikiwi, Pahautanui, Harbour, and Pakuratahi districts, were declared open for sale under the regulations of the 4th of March, at the fixed price of lOs. an acre. A recent number of the New Zealander, an Auckland newspaper, in comparing the re- turns of the revenue and expenditure of the northern province (Auckland) with those of Wellington, for the half year, ending March 31st, 1854, observes : "The recent publication of the returns of Wellington naturally suggests a general comparison of the prospects of the two provinces as shewn by these printed state- ments. In both there is a progressive increase of revenue, an evidence of growing prosperity. In both provinces, the year's income will greatly exceed the amount estimated. In the returns REVENUE FROM LAND SALES. Ill for Wellington, any sums received from sales of land do not appear as an item to the credit of the province, but it must be remembered that Sir George Grey's last efforts before leav- ing Wellington, were wholly occupied in secur- ing for the province large tracts of available land ; and several millions of acres were pur- chased by him from the natives, the purchase- money of which must be provided from the money arising from the sales of land. In sub- sequent returns of this province, the receipts from land sales will form an important item, and must in fairness be attributed to the ex- ertions made by Sir George to promote the prosperity of the province. In the northern province, no extensive purchases of land have yet been made, so that this will be a future item of expense to be calculated on. " The returns from the other provinces are of a similar character. All that have been re- ceived, show a marked and progressive increase. " This uniform result from every province, after making every reasonable allowance for the natural effect of the gold discoveries on the trade of New Zealand, may be considered in a great measure as due to the policy of Sir George Grey, in his administration of the go- 112 WELLINGTON. vernment of the colony, ' the keystone of the prosperity of New Zealand.' He has but just quitted the country, for the prosperity of which during the last eight years he has so earnestly laboured. One item in particular which appears of prominent importance in the returns of nearly every province, the proportion received from sales of land, is entirely owing to his land regu- lations. " His general policy is still acted upon. The Executive of each province have only recently been installed in office, as yet they have done nothing, consequently the change that has been made in the government cannot in any way be considered to have contributed to this general and increasing prosperity ; for it has been too recent to produce any appreciable result. The total revenue of the southern provinces for 1845, the last year of Captain Fitzroy"s government, was 6341, less by 1400 than the amount of the last quarter's customs for this province ; while the duties collected during the last nine months at Wanganui, which Captain Fitzroy declared would never be a settlement for the next twenty years, amount to 1455." The islands of New Zealand have occasionally been visited by earthquakes. These are, however. EARTHQUAKES . 113 not often very severe, and are more so in the north island, and especially in the neighbour- hood of Wellington than in other portions of the colony. In the year 1848, an earthquake was perceptible in the whole of the north is- land, and in Wellington several buildings com- posed partially of brick were destroyed. Several less severe shocks have been felt since that time, but none have been the cause of the slightest damage to the colonists, who of late had begun to erect buildings of brick and stone, in prefer- ence to less durable materials ; the wooden houses, though exceedingly picturesque in their appearance, being more costly to keep in repair than those composed of brick or stucco. How- ever, on the 23rd of last January (1855), a se- vere shock was again felt at Wellington, and also, in a slighter degree, in other parts of New Zealand. None of the settlements, excepting Welling- ton, appear to have suffered any damage from this earthquake ; of which the following notice is copied from the Times of the 26th May, 1855 : " Private letters, via Sydney from Wellington, New Zealand, to the date of February 12th, give ample de- tails of the earthquake on the evening of the 23rd of January, which seems to have visited the whole I 114 WELLINGTON. country, although to a less serious extent than at Wel- lington. At that settlement much damage was done ; the first shock occurred at 9 P.M., on the 23rd, without any previous warning, and more or less injured every brick or stone building in the town, hardly leaving a single chimney standing in the whole place. The branch of the Union Bank of Australia, the gaol, and the Government house, being the most substantial buildings, suffered the most; while the lighter con- structions of wood were generally uninjured. Although the alarm and destruction of property were great, only one life was lost. The shocks continued at intervals for several days, but none were so severe as the first. In the valley of the Hutt, near Wellington, much in- jury was sustained, the bridge being destroyed, and the road rendered impassable. The inhabitants of Wel- lington were already taking measures to repair the damage, and they speak in high praise of the conduct of the military, in helping to clear away the rubbish from the streets. It is presumed that no attempt will be made in future to build houses otherwise than of wood, and of one story high, as these alone appeared to sustain the shock. The earthquake is stated to have been quite as severe as that of 1848, although it has not created quite so much alarm and disturbance in the general affairs of the colony.' The following extract from a letter, published in the Times oi June 18th, 1855, contains a full account of the earthquake, as experienced by a settler in the Hutt valley, about 50 miles distance from Wellington : EARTHQUAKES. 115 " Nerv Zealand, March 5th, 1855. " In case my wife's letter, giving an account of the earthquakes, should not reach you, I intend to let you know something about them. I cannot learn that more violent ones have been experienced in any part of the world during this century, and, had this part of the island been densely populated, and the houses built as those in Europe are, the loss of life would have been fearful. On Tuesday, the 23rd of January last, I had engaged to visit a neighbour 14 miles off ; but the electric appearance of the air and very lowering clouds made me anticipate bad weather, which might have detained me from home, and so I refused to go, provi- dentially as it would appear, for the large brick chimney of my friend's only sitting room fell into it, and no one in the room could have escaped. We were sitting round our table with a friend, when, at half-past nine o'clock at night, without the rumbling notice which earthquakes generally give us, the shock commenced ; the house waved to and fro, rocked, and jumped, as you might fancy a ship would when she strikes on a rock ; the lights were dashed off the table, books, glass, china &c., on the shelves round the room, came down, to- gether with the chimney, part of which fell inside and mixed with the ruins of the furniture, c. Our friend jumped out of the window, and clung to a post outside, but was thrown down there, and obliged to lie on the ground. I rushed to open the door, for fear we should all be jammed in, with no means of taking the family out of the house, but it was some time before I could open it, and then only by watching the waving of the house ; and when the door was opened, and I let go my 116 WELLINGTON. hold of it, I was thrown down, and could not rise on my legs till the shock was over, which lasted about three minutes, although trying my utmost to get up, for the purpose of bringing out the family. No house, but one built with posts let into the ground, and wooden Louses put together like a box, as the houses in this country are built, could have outlived such a rat- tling. Ours, though somewhat out of the perpendicular, is not down ; the roof, however, is entirely dislodged, and must be put on again before winter. With wages at 8s. a-day, I hardly know how we shall accomplish this and get bedding and other stores ; for, in addition to the earthquake, we had a fire a day or two after, which burnt down the tent in which we were obliged to live, and every thing in it. Every one in this valley (of the Hutt) lived in tents for some weeks, as the shocks have continued up to the present time : but none have been so severe as the first. This part, for many square miles, is rent in every direction; cracks in the ground of many feet in length, and from a few inches to several feet deep, exist over very large spaces, at short intervals from each other ; our horse track to the river, which is about half a mile off, has more than twenty such across it, twelve of which opened and shut with violence during the shock, and threw water to a considerable height over the surround- ing bushes. I saw the water, cracks, sand, and mud, which were thrown up, the morning after, and glad I was that no fissure had opened nearer to our house than 200 yards, or it must have come down on us. Fissures opened in two native ' warries ' to rny knowledge, and nearly smothered the inmates with water, besides EARTHQUAKES. 117 bringing their light buildings down on them. Five na- tives, however, were killed in one house in this valley, and one man only in Wellington, 54 miles off. There since the last severe shocks, six years ago they have built what they imagined to be earthquake-proof wooden houses, and, though some of them are much damaged and much property destroyed, only one or two are down. All the brick and mortar ones, however, and all the chimneys are down, although they do not appear to have felt the shocks so much as we did. Wellington has, however, been raised by the first shock two feet in perpendicular height, and some inches since by the slight subsequent ones. We sup- pose that we also are raised up, judging by the sea coast ; where the former low-water mark was it is now high- water mark." The Australian and New Zealand Gazette for June 9th, 1855, contains the following passage in reference to the above-mentioned earthquake. " From the account of a public meeting held at Wellington to consider the late earthquake, it can be seen that the colonists are alive to the dangers through which they have passed, and to the many instances of sympathy and good feeling to which the event has given rise. We look in vain for evidences of that state of panic which might be expected after an earthquake ; and trust that no injury to the prosperity of the colony will ensue from such a cause." CHAPTER V. NELSON. THE town of Nelson lies at the bottom of Blind Bay, on the north-west corner of the Middle Island, or on the opposite side of Cook's Strait, and to the westward of Wellington. It has a good anchorage and harbour, and has some fine land surrounding the town. The settlement includes a neighbouring district called the Wairau, having much good agricul- tural land, and excellent sheep and cattle runs. Hitherto Nelson has produced by far the greater portion of the wool exported from New Zea- land, but it is probable that during the present year, 1855, the exports of wool from Welling- ton, and also from the vast grazing districts around Canterbury, will equal if not surpass those of Nelson. An uninterrupted series of sheep and cattle grazing stations has, for some time, occupied the whole available country between Nelson and Canterbury. The following notice of a supposed new tract of grazing country, near Nelson, was published in the Nelson Examiner, of March, 1855 : DESCRIPTION OP NELSON. 119 "A highly important communication has been made to His Honour the Superintendent, within the last few days, by two natives. They state that a very large tract of rich country, hitherto unknown to Europeans, exists in the centre of the Middle Island, and may be reached either from Nelson or Canterbury on horseback. Improbable as this story at first appeared, there are several circumstances which give it the appearance of truth. The natives appear to be acting in perfect good faith, and for a very moderate consideration have under- taken to point out the country ; and an ar- rangement has been made by which they are to start on their journey in April, accompanied by Mr. Travers, who goes on the part of the Government to report upon the district." I am also indebted to the same source for the following description of the settlement, written at the commencement of the present year : " The settlement of Nelson may be consi- dered as extending along the southern shores of Cook's Strait, including Blind Bay and Cloudy Bay, with the exception of the mountain tracts separating the two. A portion of Massacre Bay is also attached to Nelson. The chief 120 NELSON. town, aiid original settlement, is at the southern extremity of Blind Bay. " Massacre Bay, situated at the entrance of Cook's Strait, is the most westward of the three bays ; it is distant about 50 miles from Nelson by sea, and it is with much difficulty reached by land. Of the 45,000 acres of ad- joining comparatively level land, not more than 25,000, partly inundated, are fit for agricultural purposes, and of that not more than half could be cultivated successfully. It is without a harbour of any consequence. Coal and lime are procurable in some abundance. Plumbago of good quality exists, and great quantities of the finest timber are available. " Blind Bay contains comparatively little agricultural land, and that not in immediate connection with the harbour. Of the 60,000 or 70,000 acres, less than one half is suited to agricultural purposes; and that is generally situated in detached strips, between spurs of mountain ranges, and exposed to floods and high winds. " Cloudy Bay is situated at the eastern en- trance of Cook's Strait. The adjacent land, including the Wakefield Downs, consists of about 200,000 acres, one half of which only is CLOUDY BAY. 121 fit for agriculture. TheWairau plains, included in the above, consist of about 60,000 acres, ex- tending from the Bay, southward, to the dis- tance of about 70 miles, with an average width of eight or ten miles for the first eleven miles, and of two or three for the remainder, with a gentle slope towards the sea of twenty feet to the mile. " Four or five miles of the district, adjoining the coast, are swampy ; of the rest, eight or ten miles are covered with fine grass, which con- tinues to within 18 or 20 miles of the end, where it is stony and well wooded. Much of this land is available for cattle and agricul- ture ; but it is principally as a sheep farming district that the grassy slopes, extending as far as the Kaikoras, which stretch across the island in latitude 42, will be valuable. The best com- munication between Nelson and the Wairau plains will probably be by following the river Matai, crossing the Pelorus, and entering the plains about 15 miles from the sea, making the whole journey about 30 miles.* The At present it is necessary to make a circuit of nearly 100 miles along the valleys between the port town and the Wairau Plains, in order to avoid traversing the preci- pitous and densely wooded mountains which intervene. 122 NELSON. natives, in anticipation of the purchase of the intervening land, have allowed the new road to be constructed." Intelligence has lately (September, 1855) been received, that Mr. Weld has succeeded in discovering a perfectly practicable route to Can- terbury, by way of the Wairau Gorge. This will shorten the distance between Nelson and Christchurch by nearly 150 miles, and avoid the worst portions of the present road. " The harbour of Nelson is on the south- eastern coast of Blind Bay. A series of high bluff lands, about 150 feet in height, run along the eastern side of Blind Bay, until "within ten or twelve miles of its southern extremity, when the coast recedes and is less elevated. From this point a bank of boulder stones con- tinues, running southward, parallel to the high land and half a mile in its rear, until within a few hundred yards of the shore. The space enclosed between this boulder bank and the re- ceded coast forms the harbour ; at its north end is a flax swamp of about two miles, containing 200 acres of land, on a substratum of roots and decayed timber ; below this is a mud flat, ex- tending for five miles, which is covered at high water ; and the remaining mile and a half is the THE HARBOUR. 123 harbour. A vessel entering should keep well down, until it arrives at the end of the boulder bank, when it should take a course of E.N.E., sailing between the extremity of the bank and the Channel Rocks, where the passage is about 400 yards wide. Vessels should enter on the flood tide, and leave it at or just before high water. The harbour is capable of holding ves- sels of 500 to 600 tons, or drawing under 17 feet of water. It has excellent holding ground, abundant water, and shelter. The depth of water in the channel of the entrance is from 15 feet to 18 feet; and on the bar, two miles out- side, 22 feet at the springs, high water, and 9 feet low water. Dec. Min. Sec. The longitude of the mag- azine is 173 16 5 E. The latitude .... 41 15 30 s. The variation of the com- pass 15 5 E. " Port Underwood has been under consi- deration, as likely to afford a harbour, from which the produce of the VVairau Plains might be exported, but as it consists only of a succes- sion of coves, insufficiently sheltered, and too dis- 124 NELSON. tant from a port town, its other natural advan- tages would be of no avail ; it is, moreover, ten miles distant from the mouth of the Wairau river. " Queen Charlotte's Sound is admirably si- tuated, being placed at right angles to the winds which prevail in the Strait. It is 25 miles in length and nine miles wide at the entrance, being a collection of the finest harbours in the world. The tides are regular, no hidden dangers are within, the soundings gradually deepen from 7 to 36 fathoms mid-channel, and the shores are bold and well wooded. The only caution re- quired in its navigation is, that the set of the flood tide is to the northern, of the ebb to the southern, head of the mouth. There is sufficient land, amid the most enchanting scenery in the vicinity, for a port town. The communication between it and the Wairau by land, is all but impracticable ; as also with Port Underwood. " The Wairau river has a bar at its mouth, and it is only with a north-westerly wind that even small vessels can pass it, and proceed to sea. " The climate of Nelson appears to be ac- knowledged as the finest in New Zealand. It is scarcely possible to say anything more decided THE CLIMATE. 125 in its favour ; wind, rain, and heat, appear to be so equally apportioned, that the transitions of the seasons are scarcely perceptible. The indi- genous vegetation is evergreen. Plants which are carefully treasured up in the more genial temperature of a window, with a southern aspect, in England, during the winter months, not only live but blossom during the same period at Nelson, in the open air. The extreme heat of the hottest day is 89 The mean average heat of the hottest month ,,70 The extreme cold of the coldest day . 29 The mean average cold of the coldest month 50 The average number of fine sunny days is 229, of fair and cloudy 46, of showery 66, of continuous rain 23. The average annual fall of rain is 34*59 inches, and the average number of frosty mornings 55. N.E. and S.W. are the prevalent fine weather winds, during the greater part of the year. In summer, the N.E. or sea breeze is fresh ; in autumn, the S.W. or land breeze is more preva- lent; in spring, the S. and S.E. The N.W. and westerly are the most rainy winds. 126 NELSON. " The price of farms fluctuates so greatly, and so constantly, that much dependence cannot be placed upon any statements on the subject. Near the town, land, unfenced and uncultivated, averages from 4. to 12. an acre, and that which is more remote, from 50s. to 5. an acre, and even more, according to its nature. The rich alluvial spots are but few, the general run of agricultural land being proof against any thing but high farming. " The intercommunication among districts hemmed in by steep and rugged mountains will be, for many years at least, difficult, uncertain, and expensive. The late grant by the Provincial Council, of 1500 for roads in the Blind Bay district, and a similar sum for the Waimeeaand Wairau districts, will do much to facilitate this intercourse ; and a further sum of 2000. for steam communication, will add much to the value of distant stations on the coast. " Labour is high, and to be obtained with difficulty : 30. to 50. is given, with board and lodging, for a single individual. Provisions are dear, as the following specimens will evidence ; bread 14d. the 4 Ib. loaf; meat 9d. the Ib. ; butter 16d. the Ib. ; wheat 9s. to lO.s. the bushel; oats MARKET PRICES. 127 8s. to 9s. ; firewood 305. the cord. All this is good for the producer, but rather puzzling to the consumer. The average yield of an acre of wheat is from 25 to 30 bushels. Any spare cash may be invested at 10 per cent, on good local security, or in sheep, which would give a hand- some return." Two quotations of recent market prices at Nelson are given below. The first is for August, the end of winter in New Zealand, and the other for December, 1854, nearly corresponding to our midsummer. Markets, Aug. 9, 1854. "There was a brisk demand last week for produce for exportation, which had the effect of causing an advance in the price of several articles, but on the comple- tion of the shipments then in progress prices gave way, and may now be quoted at about former rates, viz., wheat, 105. to 105. 3d. a bushel ; oats, 65. to 7^ ; flour, 28. a ton ; po- tatoes, 12." Markets, Dec. 6. " Wheat, which is becom- ing scarce, is now selling at 1 15. 6d. to 12s. a bushel; oats, J$. : flour is 32. a ton; sawn timber, 17s. 6d. to 205. per 100 feet ; green peas, 15. 3d. per peck ; new potatoes, 4d. per Ib. ; beef and mutton, 8d. to 9d." 128 NELSON. The Nelson Examiner for the 3rd of Decem- ber, 1854, contains the following remarks re- specting the supply of labour to the colony : " Now the harvest is approaching we must consider how it is to be got in. On all hands, we hear the cry, ' How is labour to be pro- cured ?' and it is a question of vital importance to the Colony. On its solution, depends the fact of whether the settlement shall retrograde or progress. For several years past, land has been thrown out of cultivation for grain crops, and the result has been a diminished amount of corn for exportation, without any other article to supply its place. Ships have come here, and, unable to obtain cargoes, have gone away empty, thereby giving a bad impression of the settle- ment. And this is not the only evil. We must pay hard cash for imports, and where is this to come from ? We already pay a high price for articles imported higher than most other colonies and why is this ? First of all, be- cause, from the paucity of our population, our consumption is proportionably small; and, se- condly, from our producing powers being in like ratio. This induces vessels of lighter tonnage only to bring in what we want, and take away the little we produce. We have thousands of acres HARVEST. 129 only wanting population to cause them to teem with fertility, and to raise such crops as should create a surplus for exportation, causing large vessels to come here for it, and, at the same time, to bring in tea, sugar, and other manu- factured goods, which, from the large quantities required, would be brought in more economi- cally, and, of course, would be supplied to the consumer at lower rates." The following paragraph, written one month later than the above, gives an account of the harvest for January, 1855 : " The continuation of fine weather has greatly hastened the harvest, which has now fairly begun in all parts of the province. A few showers of rain a fortnight ago would doubtless have been beneficial, but, on the whole, we have great cause for thankfulness at the promise afforded for an abundant harvest of every kind of grain perhaps the best we have ever en- joyed here; and, should the present weather continue, we shall hear nothing this season of grown wheat or of damaged flour. There are now five reaping machines at work in Nelson, and although requiring a considerable amount of labour to work them, these machines will greatly hasten the work of harvest." K. 130 NELSON. The account of the Grain Market, for March, 1855, runs thus : " There is a demand for wheat for the Mel- bourne market, and 9s. to 9s. 6d. a bushel has, we believe, been offered, but sellers are standing out for 10s., which is the highest price obtained since harvest. Oats are selling at 5s. 6d. to 5s. 9d. a bushel ; barley, 6s." The following review of the progress of the Settlement appeared in the Examiner of the 31st of March, 1855, that day being the thirteenth anniversary of the foundation of the Settlement ; it is of so interesting a nature that it is here given entire : "In 1847, the total white population was stated to be 2807 this year, the white popu- lation of the province (excepting the Amuri district, from which no return has been re- ceived) numbers 5801 souls, distributed as follows : Town of Nelson, 940 males, 880 females; Suburban North, 109 males, 99 females; Suburban South, 142 males, 117 females; Waimea East, 511 males, 416 females; Waimea South, 382 males, 342 females ; Wai- mea West, 181 males, 151 females; Motueka, .392 males, 382 females; Massacre Bay, 72 males, 49 females; Wairau, 352 males, 185 POPULATION. 131 females; Queen Charlotte's Sound, 56 males, 43 females. This large addition to our num- ber has been caused chiefly by the immigration which has taken place from the Australian colonies within the last few months, although during the same period there have been nu- merous arrivals likewise from England. There are at present no means of ascertaining what number of persons are residing in the Amuri district; but these, in conjunction with the arrivals which have taken place since the sta- tistics were taken, justify us in saying that the white population of Nelson, at the present time, exceeds 6000. " The state of education* is classified as follows : Persons who can read and write, 1950 males, 1468 females; persons who can read only, 403 males, 438 females ; persons who cannot read or write, 784 males, 758 females : total, 5801. "These tables are rather perplexing. The number of persons who can neither read nor write is stated to be 1542, which is 409 in excess of the number of children below five years of age. This would lead to the inference that all the children below five years of age were without education, as well as a large pro- 132 NELSON. portion of those between the ages of five and ten. It must be remembered, however, that among an adult population like ours, who emi- grated to a large extent from the rural districts of England, there must be very many who are wholly without education ; and we imagine it is this class who have assisted largely to make up the total of 1542 among our population who are neither able to read nor write. " The live stock of the province was : Horned cattle, 10,305 ; sheep, 164,014; horses, 1165; mules, 9; goats 2705; pigs, 4351. " The increase in stock during the past year is considerable. The number of horned cattle is augmented by 1622 head, sheep by 29,184, horses by 147, and swine by 647. When the statistics of the whole province are made up, the increase of stock will show much larger, as the majority of the runs in the Amuri dis- trict have been stocked from the Wairau, and these flocks, some of which are large, are not given in the above numbers. During this pre- sent year, at least 12,000 sheep have been driven over Barefell Pass, to assist in stocking the southern plains, and many of these were on their way before the statistics were taken. "The amount of land under cultivation con- CULTIVATION. 133 sists of Wheat, 2378 acres; barley, 812; oats, 1740; maize, 4 ; potatoes, 459; grass, 3006; garden, 512; hops, 9; other crops, 517 making a total of 9437 acres; and the total amount fenced in is 16,526 acres. It is to these returns that we refer with the greatest satisfaction. "We find that there has been a large in- crease in the cultivation of all grain crops, particularly in wheat and oats ; but, in conse- quence of the favourable state of the harvest we have had, the actual increase in the quan- tity of corn grown in the province this year is much larger than is represented by the figures. The statistics do not furnish us with any esti- mated average of the crops ; but they are every- where admitted to have been the best ever grown in Nelson, and we know two instances where sixty bushels of wheat (of sixty-three pounds) to the acre have been raised. In all other crops a nearly similar increase has taken place, and 3276 additional acres of land fenced, is a proof that agriculture in Nelson is not to be suffered to remain stationary. " Let us now see what has been done, and what is doing, to advance the province of Nel- son in other respects. The greatest want which 134 NELSON. we have for some time experienced has been the want of labour ; and to remedy this, 8000. was voted by the Provincial Legislature to provide for the introduction of immigrants, and an agent has been despatched to England for the sole purpose of securing for the pro- vince men of the right stamp, and to superin- tend and make provision for their embarkation.* Before the expiration of the present year these immigrants will have begun to arrive, and we hope to see the stream thus about to be re- opened always kept flowing, and never suffered again to dry up. By this means we shall get labour not alone for private undertakings, but in quantity sufficient to enable the Govern- ment to undertake some of those numerous public works which are absolutely necessary for the true welfare of the people. " At this moment, however, the expectations of the people of Nelson are directed chiefly towards the mineral resources of the province, and more particularly to its copper mines. Parties are now engaged in raising twenty tons of ore, which are to be shipped to England ; and if this quantity proves to be as satisfactory a sample as the smaller specimens which have * See Chapter XIII. COPPER MINES, 135 been sent home, then, a company, the nucleus of which is already formed, will at once begin operations on a scale of considerable magni- tude. We shall at present venture no opinion of our own as to the probable success of this important undertaking, but shall merely ob- serve, that those who are most interested in the work are confident of success. Another year will, therefore, settle, to a considerable degree, the value of the Dun Mountain copper mine, which, if successful, is calculated to work a miraculous change in the position of the province in an inconceivably short time. " In looking to the future we must not fail to notice the effects which may be expected from the political changes the colony has un- dergone. The power given to a local legisla- ture, elected by almost universal suffrage, to appropriate in a province containing 6000 per- sons the large sum of 32,933 cannot fail to be attended with very marked results. The provision made by the Council for assisting schools, for erecting reading-rooms in the country districts, and for founding libraries, would alone be productive of changes highly beneficial to the future social welfare of the inhabitants ; but when we have, in addition to 136 NELSON. these votes, large sums appropriated for form- ing roads, building bridges, constructing jet- ties, exploring new tracts of country, and bringing to light the mineral treasures of the soil, and, if last not least, maintaining, in con- junction with the province of Wellington, a fortnightly steam communication between Cook's Strait and Melbourne, which will keep us within about seventy days' sail of Eng- land, it is difficult to estimate the full extent of the operation of this new state of things." At a subsequent page will be found some observations on the present state of steam communication, not only between New Zea- land and Australia, but also among the dif- ferent settlements of New Zealand. The fol- lowing notice of one of the earliest visits of a steam-vessel to the port of Nelson, may in- terest persons who have friends in that settle- ment : " The present week has been remarkable in Nelson from the fact that two steamers have arrived in our port, and there is a probability that before the week expires, the Nelson will have returned from the southward, which will then make the third. This, how- ever, is not all. One of these steamers, the COAL. 137 'William Denny,' a powerful vessel of 600 tons, has been engaged to run monthly be- tween Sydney and Auckland, bringing the English mails, and we understand that the superintendents of Wellington and Nelson are negociating with the parties who own the ' William Denny/ for a similar class vessel to run between Cook's Strait, Sydney, and Mel- bourne. The general government has taken upon itself the charge of our inter-colonial steam communication." Examiner, Aug. 5, 1854. Recent advices from Nelson give a favour- able report of the Motupipi coal which has long been used in the neighbourhood. The coal is found at the mouth of the Takaka river in Massacre Bay, and has been worked since 1845. A very favourable report on this coal, though only after a limited trial on board Her Majesty's ship Inflexible, was published by Commander Hoseason in 1847- It has been also very lately used with success on board the Nelson steamer, and when mixed with an equal quantity of English coal, answered extremely well. Nelson has beendescribed by Mr. Fox, writing in 1851, as one of the best examples of an 138 NELSON. entirely self-supporting, self-relying colony in the history of British Colonization. When I visited the settlement two years ago, the resident labouring population of Nelson all agreed in saying that discontent, or necessity, as far as the chief comforts of life are concerned, were unknown among them. The more educated colonists appeared rather weary of the dulness of the neighbourhood, and also experienced great inconvenience from the want of labour and the means of cultivating their lands cheaply. The following letter may interest persons desirous of information about this settlement. It is dated " Nelson, New Zealand, June 23rd,1854. " Dear , F. tells me in his letter that you sometimes entertain notions about emigrating 1 to New Zealand, and wish to have some particulars about Nel- son, in regard to its legal requirements, &c. I have turned the subject over in my mind, and talked with , and thought again, and am nearly as far from being able to give you advice with any confidence as ever. The resident Magistrate's Court is a court of equity, guided, but not ruled, by precedent ; in fact, the decisions very often deviate very widely from law. There is another Court, presided over by any of our numerous J.P.s, in which cases are decided in a similar rough and ready system. "The Judge's Court has been a nullity since we have COURTS OF JUSTICE. 139 been here, in consequence of the Judge, who lives at Wellington, and who receives his salary from the colo- ny, claiming an extra sum from each province, which we contend he is not entitled to ; and the matter re- mains to be decided by the General Assembly, now sitting at Auckland. In the mean time, we are with- out a Judge, and some prisoners committed for trial remain untried one for manslaughter, and another for stealing a watch. A good knowledge of English Law is no doubt essential to success for a lawyer here, but I do not know of, and do not suppose there are, any books of law particularly adapted to the practice of law in New Zealand.* The Constitution Act you should get and study, and I believe there was, two or three years since, an Act of Parliament relating to the conveyance of land in New Zealand. I apprehend that there is no distinction made here bet ween a barrister and a solicitor, and that either would practise indiscriminately ,f al- though I should suppose a barrister would, other things equal, have the preference. " Should the settlement increase in numbers and prosperity, your income would undoubtedly increase with it. You might employ capital, without its taking up any of your time, by buying and placing out sheep * The volume of" New Zealand Ordinances" contains a few Statutes peculiar to the colony. In all other matters, New Zealand is governed by the laws of Great Britain. f It is enacted by the " New Zealand Ordinances" that barristers or solicitors shall be allowed to practise without any distinction in all courts of New Zealand. 140 NELSON. to breed in the Wairau plains, situate about eighty miles from the town. I do not think it would answer to practise in your profession and to farm at the same time; as either pursuit, to be remunerative, would take all your personal attention. There is a quick and remunerative sale for farm produce ; but labour is so scarce here, that I believe it is difficult to farm to ad- vantage without personal attention and labour. I believe most of the farmers have made money; but the last season the potatoe crop failed, from the long dry season ; and the difficulty of getting labour is a great impediment in getting in and thrashing the grain. We have a large surplus fund for immigration purposes, and the Council are now about sending home money, and an agent to get labourers out here. When this evil is rectified, I have no doubt the colony will ad- vance rapidly, as we shall no doubt always or at least for a long time to come have a good market in Aus- tralia for our produce. " Most of the farms lie between six and fifteen miles from the town on the Wairau plains ; and all the avail- able land in that district has been bought up by specu- lators or occupiers, and is now worth from 10. to 15. per acre. There are, however, other places in the set- tlement more distant from the town, perhaps as advan- tageous, which any one looking out for might find, at less money, or even in Government hands at 5s. and 10s. per acre. There is a considerable number of settlers in the Wairau plains, who are occupied in sheep and cattle grazing, some few having dairy farms, making cheese and butter, which they salt down and send to Wel- lington or Nelson. A very large number of the sheep CAPITAL REQUIRED. 141 and the runs are owned by residents in Nelson, who only visit the Wairau at intervals of a few months. " If you should come out here, and follow your pro- fession with a determination to make an income, I have no doubt you could make one ; and there is always a chance in a colony of getting an official appointment. Should you come out intending to farm with a capital of say 1000.* or more, I think you could make a very respectable income ; and should labour get more plen- tiful, perhaps in a few years an independence ; or should you go to the Wairau plains, or other distant parts of the settlement, to breed sheep or cattle and horses, I think, with ordinary good luck, you would make and save money, " Almost all the settlers here have made money and realised an independence, although I believe there are few but commenced with little or nothing. But the old settlers have an advantage which a new one would not be likely to meet with. Land and live stock was a few years since, in consequence of the depressed state of the colony, very low in price ; and those who were fortunate enough to possess any means have derived the advantage of the rise in prices from the progress of * A capital of 1000., the sum mentioned above, as sufficient for a person occupied in professional pur- suits or, even with ample leisure to overlook the work of others, but not himself a practical agriculturist I do not think would now be sufficient ; indeed, I would not, at the present rate of wages, recommend any one to go to New Zealand with the intention of tilling land as his sole source of income, unless he have at least a capital of 2000. 142 NELSON. the colony, and the new market opened for their pro- duce in Australia. " Although there is no hare, fox, or stag hunting, there is very good shooting, plenty of rabbits, a very large wild pigeon, and a species of parrot, good eating, called a Ka-ka. Wild pigs also abound in most of the woods, and are easily found and hunted down by dog, or shot with gun or pistol." The particulars which, follow are taken from a recent Colonial Gazette : GOVERNMENT RETURNS. European Population in the Province of Nelson, for the years 1849 to 1853, inclusive : 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 Males .... Females .... 1795 1477 2175 1872 2317 1970 2454 2133 2744 2404 Totals . . 3272 4047 4287 4587 5148 Stock in the Province of Nelson, for the years 1849 to 1853, inclusive : 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 Horses Mules Cattle Sheep Goats Pigs 353 10 4160 53,348 6439 2810 451 12 5064 70,960 5637 2049 532 13 5838 92,014 5842 2615 682 11 7591 114,773 2058 2087 1018 10 8683 134,830 2797 3704 GOVERNMENT RETURNS. 143 Land (in acres) fenced and cultivated in the Province of Nelson, for the years 1849 to 1853, inclusive*: 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Fenced . . . 3715 7143 9364 11,015 13,250 Wheat . . . 1168 1339 2121 2042 1202 Barley . . . 1052 749 716 993 728 Oats .... 400 470 611 85-2 892 Maize . . . 2 I 5 3 6 Potatoes . . 198 816 322 415 424 English Grasses 377 829 1148 1837 2775 Gardens and ) Orchards ) 136 226 276 305 389 Hops . . . > j 25 20 5 Other Crops 303 312 299 764 436 The following remarks, upon the prospects of the colony for the present year, are from a late number of the Nelson Examiner : " Nelson, with a population of about 6000 souls, spread along 150 miles of coast, and separated by geographical features from the other colonies of New Zealand, has a parlia- ment of its own, elected by almost universal suffrage, and this parliament, or provincial council has voted 32,933. towards assisting schools, erecting reading rooms, founding libra- ries, forming roads, bridges, and jetties, besides 8000. to promote emigration, and a certain See page 135, for returns for 1855. 144 NELSON. sum for an annual fund to keep up a monthly steam communication with Wellington and Can- terbury, and a monthly communication between Cook's Strait and Melbourne. Efforts are also being made to open new tracts of country, the available grazing land attached to Nelson being very limited." The Examiner, for January 24, 1855, in re- ference to financial affairs, observes : "The estimates laid before the Council on Friday last, the 18th of January, must be a source of congratulation to all persons in the province. Not only is the amount of revenue to be appropriated much larger, than we could have anticipated a few years ago, but the proposed distribution of it, will likewise, we believe, be received with favour. Out of the whole sum of 32,138. 9s. 3d. estimated for expenditure, only 5,597. 55. is for maintaining the Govern- ment of the province, while upwards of 26,500 is set down for public works of one kind or another. We believe we may assert, that in no other province in the colony will the expendi- ture on public works bear so large a proportion to the nett revenue as in Nelson." CHAPTER VI. NEW PLYMOUTH. THE settlement of New Plymouth, or Tara- naki, so called from the native name of Mount Egmont, around which it lies, has been fre- quently spoken of as " The Garden of New Zealand." Mount Egmont itself, an extinct volcano, rises from a generally level country to the height of 8840 feet, by a gradual ascent, from a circle of about 30 miles in diameter, which forms the outer circumference of its base. About half this outer base on the western side, from Sugar Loaf Point to the mouth of the Waimate river, is formed by the sea coast, and Cape Egmont forms at once the most western point of this circle, and the northern headland of the western entrance to Cook's Strait. Perhaps half of the area of the circle described is sufficiently level for cultivation. South-east of the Mount Egmont, a broad tract of level country extends as far as the Wanganui district, already mentioned in the description of Wellington. The country lying L 146 NEW PLYMOUTH. in the immediate neighbourhood of Sugar Loaf Point, and to the northward, was selected as the site of a settlement, founded by colonists, chiefly from the west of England. The first body of colonists started from England in November, 1840, under the auspices of an association, called the "Plymouth Company of New Zealand/' which was afterwards merged in the New Zea- land Company. The following is a brief account of New Ply- mouth, published twelve months ago : " The settlement of New Plymouth is situ- ated on the west coast of the north island, about 120 miles to the south of Auck- land. It does not possess a harbour, ships being obliged to ride in an open but very safe roadstead ; it is, however, amply compensated for this want by the extraordinary fertility of its soil, which has gained for it the name of the ' Garden of New Zealand/ Moreover, on the acquisition of a beautiful portion of the district called the Waitera, which it is expected will soon be in the possession of the Government, a snug river harbour for coasters and small vessels will be obtained. All accounts concur in praising its agricultural capabilities and beautiful scenery. The Bishop of New Zea- THE TOWN. 147 land says of it : ' No one can speak of the soil and scenery of New Zealand till he has seen both the natural beauties and the ripening harvests of Taranaki ' (New Plymouth). And the late Governor, Sir George Grey, has ob- served, respecting it, ' I have never, in any part of the world, seen such extensive tracts of fertile and unoccupied land as at Taranaki. 5 }i The town, or rather village, slopes upward from the sea-beach, and, with its neat white houses, contiguous cultivation, green forests, and back- ground of wooded hills, crowned by the snow-capped cone of Mount Egmont, pre- sents a pleasing aspect. It has a substantial granite-built church, besides dissenting chapels, an hospital, two taverns, a library, and a literary institution, &c. " The country around is undulating, broken, and interspersed with dells, which vary in size from half an acre to two or three acres, densely wooded, and generally containing a small but unfailing spring of fresh water. The English population of the district, in number about 2000, is fast increasing, and there is probably no little community in the world where the pros- perity and well being of the people is of a more real and substantial character. 148 NEW PLYMOUTH. The reader, more immediately interested in New Plymouth, will obtain much information from a guide-book written expressly for that settlement by Mr. Hursthouse,* formerly a colonist of New Plymouth. New Plymouth has by many writers been eulogised as the most fertile as well as the most beautiful of all the New Zealand settlements. It is probable, however, that during the last two or three years, the productiveness of the soil of the Canterbury Plains, as well as portions of other settlements, have been found fully to equal those of New Plymouth. In pastoral capabilities it is greatly deficient, having no large plains suitable for grazing comprised in the province, like those of Wellington in the North Island, and of all the settlements in the Middle Island. In beauty of scenery it probably has no rival in any part of the islands at all frequented by Europeans. Much prejudice has been excited against this settlement, not only in former years, but also very recently, by exaggerated reports re- * Hursthouse's New Plymouth, 3rd edition, 1851-2. Stanford, Charing Cross. TURBULENCE OF THE NATIVES. 149 specting the hostility of the natives of the neighbouring districts to the white population. These rumours have been circulated not only in England, but also throughout the settlements of New Zealand, and have conveyed an impres- sion that New Plymouth is almost as dan- gerous a place of residence for British colonists as the most disturbed portions of the Cape colony in Africa. I have, therefore, endea- voured to set before the reader a clear account of the recent disturbances among the native population. From this it will be seen that hostilities have been entirely confined to rival native factions, and that the English settlers have not been in any way implicated in the skirmishes which have recently occurred. The only serious inconvenience suffered by the English from the late native quarrels has arisen in consequence of a " tapu," or veto, against the passing of travellers of any de- scription, having been placed by the comba- tants, over a considerable district frequented by the settlers ; and this was done in order to put a stop to all intercourse between certain parties among the rival factions. An extract, which I quote from the Taranaki Herald for 150 NEW PLYMOUTH. August, 1854, gives an account of the origin of the quarrel. " A fatal affray took place in the vicinity of the Bell Block district on Thursday, August 3, between two parties of natives, in which seve- ral lives were lost, and a number of men more or less severely wounded. " From what we have been able to learn, the cause of the quarrel appears to have arisen as follows : Rawiri Waiaua had sown with wheat some land in the neighbourhood. The wheat was springing when one of Katatore's natives named Topia destroyed it by strewing fern over the land, and then firing the fern. This act induced Rawiri to declare that he would dispose of a block of land to the Europeans, in opposition to the wishes of Katatore, as a retaliation for the injury done to him ; and shortly after Rawiri, in conjunction with his elder brother (Paora Te Kopi) and others, offered a con- siderable block, not, however, including the land on which the wheat had been sown, to the Government. On the morning of the 3rd of August, Rawiri, accompanied by a party of natives to the number of twenty-six, proceeded to the land with the intention of asserting his NATIVE AFFRAY. 151 ownership by cutting boundary lines. Katatore on learning this assembled a strong party (the number of which is variously stated, one side affirming it to be sixty, the other as amount- ing to only half that number), armed with double-barrel guns and muskets. Starting with these before daybreak, he waylaid Rawiri and his men, who had only their billhooks and two or three spears and native weapons with them, at a spot near the eastern boundary of the Bell Block, and between that and the Mangoraka. Katatore warned Rawiri' s party to desist from cutting the line, which the latter refused to do. At this juncture Katatore fired into the air, and into the ground, to denote that he was de- termined to fight, and subsequently his party fired at close quarters on Rawiri and his people, killing four on the spot ; and Rawiri and his brother Paora are since dead of their wounds. Five others, more or less severely wounded, are still in the colonial hospital, to which establish- ment Rawiri was also conveyed. Four others were slightly wounded. All the parties belong to the Puketapu tribe, and the quarrel in its commencement is said to have been purely a family one, on the subject of the land. It is but fair to state that the account given by 152 NEW PLYMOUTH. Katatore of the whole transaction differs in many respects from the foregoing, which has been principally gathered from Rawiri's party. He (Katatore) denies having taken Hawiri's party by surprise, and declares that he sent them warning the night before, and advised them, if they did come, to bring their guns with them. He says he has no quarrel with the Europeans, they had nothing to do with the affair, and if they did not interfere would come to no harm, but that he is determined tn main- tain his rights, and jtght for his land to the last." The next quotation is taken from the Tara- naki Herald of September 20, 1854, and refers chiefly to the inconvenience likely to result to the European settlers from the disturbed state of the natives. "Numerous have been the reports which during the past week have been in circulation as to the past, present, and probable future state of affairs in reference to this unfortunate occurrence. The first step taken by the rela- tives of the deceased, after having interred the body of their chief, was to place a tapu on the Devon road and the beach, so as to cut off all intercourse between the natives living north NATIVE AFFRAY. 153 of the Bell Block and the settlers. To enforce this tapu they have constructed a pa on Rawiri's section on the Bell Block, and another on the native reserve at Tairutu, thus effectually stop- ping the northern road to all passers. The embargo, however, does not extend to the settlers nor to natives carrying her Majesty's mails. " This temporary suspension of commercial intercourse between the town and so extensive a district, will doubtless be very inconvenient both to our merchants and to the natives, and it was at first supposed that an attempt might be made on the part of the latter to force a passage. This, however, they now say they have no intention of doing, as the imposition of the tapu is in strict accordance with Maori custom, and although they might have supposed that such customs would not have been re- sorted to now a days, they have nothing to say against it, and will patiently wait its removal. We need scarcely point out to our own settlers the wisdom of the above determination, nor caution them one and all how great soever their influence with the aborigines may be to abstain from any attempt either to pass through or evade the tapu, for the sake of ob- taining produce from the Waitara or elsewhere 154 NEW PLYMOUTH. by land. There is nothing to prevent a com- munication with the natives northward by water, either by means of boats or canoes. " No step that could be taken by any one of our settlers would tend in so great a degree to embroil himself with the natives, or to involve the Government in the present quarrel, as any attempt at tampering with this tapu : and here we may say, that we have observed with great pleasure the disposition so generally evinced by the settlers to comply with the wishes of the authorities, by keeping aloof from this quarrel. It is only by a strict observance of this policy of non-interference that the safety of the settle- ment can in the present excited state of the na- tives be insured ; as on the other hand, it is only by its non-observance that that safety can be imperilled. " The natives are still much excited, and con- tinue to call loudly for vengeance upon the murderers. We learn that they intend culti- vating a piece of ground near Katatore's pa in the hopes of alluring him beyond the bounds of his fortress, within which he has hitherto discreetly confined himself. Should this have the desired effect, a sharp contest would ensue, which would probably end in the destruction of NATIVE AFFRAY. 155 Katatore and his party, and there the matter would be likely to drop." At the opening of the Provincial Council for New Plymouth, on the 2nd of October, 1854, the disputes were still unsettled. They do not, however, appear to have excited any appre- hension in the mind of the Superintendent, who referred to them in the following words : " The recent native affray continues to un- settle the native population. As it is a question exclusively under the authorized control of the general Government, I have not considered it advisable to appear at any discussion of the question by the natives ; such a course might have devolved on this province a portion of the responsibility which best rests where it lies with the general Government. Mr. Com- missioner McLean, the best qualified officer in the colony, to investigate this internal quarrel of a tribe, has been deputed by his Excellency, and I have no doubt but that everything that can be done will be done by that gentleman, at whose disposal, in carrying out the intentions of the general Government, I have placed the co- operation and assistance of the provincial Government. / have every reliance on the good feeling that has always subsisted between the two 156 NEW PLYMOUTH. races, continuing to prevent the European popu- lation from interfering in this native quarrel. As some evidence of the good feeling of the native race to the European, I may mention, that while one party applied for military aid, the chief of the other stated that if afforded by the Govern- ment he should not consider the settlers as in- volved by it." The concluding extracts which I have taken from the "Taranaki Herald," for December, 1854, will give the reader all information of more than purely local interest respecting a recent engagement between the hostile tribes. " The native quarrel has not yet terminated indeed it seems as far from ending as ever Katatore is confined to his pa, and is continually watched by his opponents, who outnumber him considerably, but he is a man of great resources, and holds his followers well in hand. His opponents are without a leader, and are, I believe, afraid of Katatore's powers. On one or two occasions he has left his pa, and encoun- tered his besiegers, but natives prefer firing at secure distances, and two engagements have terminated with one man in each slightly wounded. The settlers who live in the imme- diate vicinity of the belligerents are on equally NATIVE AFFRAY. 157 good terms with both parties, and there is no reason to apprehend any extension of the war to the settlers. It would be much better for the natives, and much more profitable to the settlers if the disturbances were at an end, as all parties would be benefited if they would handle the axe and the plough, instead of unnecessarily watching each other as if they really intended to fight." An account of a skirmish which took place on the 27th of December, 1854, between two very numerous bodies of natives, at a pa or native village called Mamaku, about 12 miles from New Plymouth, after giving the details of the quarrel, which was entirely limited to a squabble be- tween two native chiefs, Ihaia and Ngatiruanui, concludes in the following words : "So anxious were the victors to have no ground of quarrel with the Europeans, that after Mamaku, the territory on which the fight took place, was abandoned to them, they particularly respected property which they were informed was owned by Europeans. " Six natives were killed on each side, and four wounded of Ihaia's party and twelve on the side of the Ngatiruanuis." Meetings have recently been held in New 158 NEW PLYMOUTH. Plymouth, to take steps for the formation of a Rifle Corps for the protection of the settlers, in case there should be danger of the British Go- vernment becoming involved in hostilities with the natives. The Lieutenant- Governor has also recently sent down, for the protection of the settlement, 300 soldiers from Auckland, with a message informing the settlers that, while the present demands upon the military resources of Great Britain continue, it 'is impossible that a larger number of troops can be spared for the province of New Plymouth alone. The presence in the district of so large a number of natives as are there established, far out-numbering the English settlers within the province or at the nearest settlements, is, un- doubtedly, a serious impediment to the rapid progress of this colony, so long as there exists the remotest probability of a cessation of the present amicable intercourse between the original and the modern inhabitants of the country. And it is possible, that persons with families dependent upon them, may prefer to establish their homes in some other portion of New Zealand, where the almost entire absence of natives is a sure guarantee against the occurrence of such scenes as have lately disturbed Taranaki. NATIVE AFFRAY. 159 Very recent advices from the colony prove, that the native disagreements are likely to affect the English settlers more seriously than was at first expected. In fact so great has been the apprehension of danger to themselves among the colonists, that a petition to the Queen was des- patched by the Provincial Council in April of the present year, which is thus noticed in the " Australian and New Zealand Gazette" for August 18, 1855. " The state of affairs at New Plymouth with regard to the natives is increasing in importance, and we therefore give the address of the Super- intendent and Council of the Province to the Queen, as it contains a careful statement of the case from the best authority : To HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY VICTORIA, QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, &c. &c. The Memorial of the Superintendent and Pro- vincial Council of the Province of New Plymouth, in the colony of New Zealand HUMBLY SHEWETH That since the beginning of the month of August, 1854 (a period of more than seven months), this province has been the seat of serious and increasing disturbances amongst the native population. Upwards of 160 NEW PLYMOUTH. twenty natives, including the native assessor of the resident magistrate, have already fallen, and many more have been wounded, in the various encounters which have recently taken place between large bodies of armed natives, within a few miles of the town of New Plymouth. Tribe after tribe is involved in these feuds, and our settlement seems about to become the battle- field for a large portion of the Maori popula- tion. " The natives are fast losing the last remnant of respect for British law. It would, indeed, be a great error to suppose that British law has ever been enforced against them in this part of the country. The native has been allowed the benefit of our law against the European, but the corresponding obligations it has never, in our province, been attempted to impose upon him. Persuasion, and the influence of chiefs salaried by Government, have now and then obtained an imperfect justice for the Europeans. We have acquiesced in the inevitable evils of our position, and have been content to await the time when the natives should be brought within the pale of our civilisation. But a crisis has now occurred, and the weak pretences which covered the supremacy of the savage have been done away with. The slaughter of an assessor, Rawiri Waiaua, and his unarmed party, almost within our homesteads, has been followed by other acts of violence. Fortified pas are ra- pidly rising throughout the district. The natives declare to us, ' Your law is weak, and we return to our old customs ;' and though, as yet, their NATIVE AFFRAY. 161 own people have been the only sufferers, we know not how soon it may be our turn, since the imprudence of an individual may at any moment involve our whole community. " That one of the two parties into which the natives are divided (commonly styled the friendly party) claims a right to the support of the British Government. The general ground of this claim is the fact that this party has been favourable to land sales and the extension of the European settlements. Rawiri belonged to this side, and actually met his death whilst cutting the boundary line of a block he was about to offer to Government, with the sanction of the resident Land Purchase Commissioner. The other native party is inveterately opposed to the extension of our territory. The officers of Government are continually solicited by the former party for supplies of arms and ammu- nition, and threats are thrown out that, if these be not given, they will be taken. They revile what they term our cowardice in leaving Rawiri unavenged. ' He was one of your magistrates,' they tell us, ' and he fell in your cause.' It is certain this party, if worsted, would fall back on the town, from which the nearest of their pas is not distant above two miles. In such a state of affairs we have great reason to fear that we shall shortly be dragged into the quarrel. " That the settlement is wholly without de- fence. It possesses no kind of fortification, and the firearms supplied many years ago by Govern- ment and the New Zealand Company are in- efficient. Of ammunition there is little, and M 162 NEW PLYMOUTH. that little not to be relied upon. The militia have never been embodied, and it is in the opinion of your memorialists impossible, at the present juncture, to place any reliance on such a force for the defence of the settlement. Your memorialists and their fellow settlers are not to blame for their helpless position, which has been enforced upon them by the pacific and humanely- intended policy of your Majesty's Government. " That your memorialists are not prepared to ask for the enforcement of British law against the warlike population of these islands, being satisfied that, even were it clearly just, the thing is quite impracticable. But your memorialists are of opinion that the presence of a strong body of troops at New Plymouth has become essential to the personal safety of the settlers, and to the maintenance of that neutrality which the British Government has assumed in the native quarrels. We are indeed sensible that before this memorial can reach its destination it is quite possible that New Plymouth may have shared the fate of Kororareka. Yet, though we should providentially escape the immediate danger, the causes which have produced the pre- sent crisis will all remain in active operation, and it is possible, and not indeed, improbable, from the native character, that the present ele- ments of strife may smoulder for many months ere the final outbreak. Therefore, we feel we should be wanting in our duty to our constituents did we neglect to urge, at the distant seat of empire, our claim for help, trusting that help may reach us ere it be too late. NATIVE AFFRAY. 163 " That there is no ground for supposing that the presence of troops at New Plymouth would have any tendency to embroil us with the natives. Before the death of Rawiri, which was the commencement of the present troubles, an appli- cation for troops was made to Government by Hone Ropiha, an assessor and a peace-loving and influential chief. He foresaw the mischief then brewing, and believed (we think truly) that the presence of a military force would have averted it. A large body of natives would re- joice at the sight of soldiers. Others, it is true, might have a jealous feeling on the subject, but it would be easy to restore confidence by judicious explanations. Your Majesty will per- ceive it is unlikely we should urge measures really calculated to lead to a collision which (however it might result) would certainly occasion the destruction of the chief part of our property. " That, in consequence of the disallowance of the greater part of the New Zealand Company's original purchase by Governor Fitzroy, of the extensive land purchases made in other pro- vinces, and of reserves made in this province for the natives of other districts, there has been a progressive increase of the Maori population of Taranaki. "When we arrived fourteen years ago, we could not count tens, where we now reckon hundreds. The action, if not the policy, of the General Government has tended to con- centrate upon us the native population from all parts of New Zealand, thereby exposing us to increasing difficulty and danger, whilst the other 164 MEW PLYMOUTH. provinces are proportionably relieved. Thus we have a special claim to protection. " That it having been alleged that the country about New Plymouth is peculiarly unfavourable for military operations, your memorialists (with- out pretending to any military knowledge) do most unhesitatingly declare their belief that the contrary is the fact ; and that the levels of Taranaki are vastly more favourable for the movement of regular troops than most districts of New Zealand, and certainly much more so than any field in which Europeans have hitherto been opposed to Maories. " That a garrison at New Plymouth, with a few field pieces, would have at command all the pas and native cultivations between this and the Waitara, and would thereby afford us the surest guarantee of peace, with a people who are well able to compute forces, and (for bar- barians) are singularly fond of property, and the possessors of a large amount of it. " That the General Government of New Zea- land has been kept constantly informed on the subject of this memorial, and is well aware of our sentiments, but has hitherto declined to take any step for the succour of the settlement, either by a supply of efficient arms or by send- ing troops. It is not possible here to discuss the reasons alleged for the continued refusal of troops. We can only say that to us they appear wholly insufficient ; and nothing but the respect due to your Majesty's representative prevents us from characterising them in more forcible terms. NATIVE AFFRAY. 165 "That your memorialists do not impute to those at whose disposal the military force of this colony is at present placed a conscious ac- tuation by improper motives. Time and patience have caused many native difficulties to disap- pear ; and, in our case, there may be enough to justify a public man, with but little know- ledge of native character, in yielding to a belief of our security, which on other grounds it is convenient to entertain. But we must be al- lowed to deplore the undue influence which local interests have, as we believe, been suffered to acquire in the conduct of the affairs of this colony. " That various measures for the safety of the settlement suggested by his Excellency through the Colonial Secretary, and by Mr. M'Lean, have been considered by your memorialists, and appear to us either impracticable or inadequate. On the calling out of the militia, suggested by Mr. M'Lean, we have already expressed an opinion. Another suggestion is the embodiment of a native force. A knowledge of the natives of this district assures us that the experiment would be a very dangerous one. We are unable to preserve discipline amongst our small force of native police, and should consider an armed body of natives more dangerous to ourselves than to the enemy, except indeed as allies of an European force. Moreover, the connection of the various members of such a force with one or other of the native parties in the present warfare would be likely to compromise our- selves. We cannot pass without remark, his 166 NEW PLYMOUTH. Excellency's main suggestion, that our police force be increased to thirty or forty men, to be armed with carbines and revolvers. We do not intend to deny the efficiency of such a force, composed of men acquainted with the country, and (as his Excellency has suggested) previously used to arms ; but the number named betrays, in our judgment, a wonderful misapprehension of the actual exigency. Indeed, in another des- patch of the Colonial Secretary, his Excellency states from 300 to 400 troops as what might be required. Nor are we even told where we are to enlist forty men of the kind required. "That the reality of our danger is undis- puted. It has been urged on the Government, by the Chief Land Purchase Commissioner, Mr. M'Lean, to whose report on the subject, made to his Excellency, the officer administer- ing the Government, and accompanying this memorial, we respectfully beg to refer your Majesty. Most of your memorialists are old settlers, habituated to the ways of the Maories. That we have maintained our ground in Tara- naki, under great discouragement from a native opposition, fostered rather than checked by the early governors of the colony, is a proof that we are not subject to vain terror, and that our present application to your Majesty is worthy of regard. " That your memorialists are convinced, that unless a considerable military force be for some years maintained in New Zealand, and especially in districts like Taranaki, where a large native population is in contact with a British settle- NATIVE AFFRAY. 167 raent, another costly and deplorable war with the aboriginal race will be ultimately inevitable. We beseech your Majesty not to be misled by flattering accounts of native progress, into the belief that the New Zealander is a civilised man. The progress made (often, we regret to believe, more apparent than real) cannot be secured, if your British subjects are left at the mercy of semi-savages. Maintain for a time, that display of strength which has hitherto ensured some respect for the British power, and it will, we believe, at no distant date, become unnecessary. Withdraw it prematurely, and your Majesty may witness, in this part of your Majesty's do- minions, calamities as great as those which have recently occurred under British rule, in South Africa. Savages despise the weak we have fallen into contempt ; and those who have be- come contemptible are no longer safe. " Your memorialists, therefore, pray that your Majesty will be pleased to cause an efficient garrison to be posted at Taranaki, for the de- fence of the settlers. And we further pray your Majesty will be pleased not to reduce the mili- tary force at present in these islands, unless, indeed, the requirements of the righteous war- fare in which your Majesty and the empire -are already engaged, should unhappily render it absolutely necessary to recall troops. " And your memorialists will ever pray, &c." The limited extent of the territory annexed to New Plymouth, has long been a serious impedi- ment to the advancement of the province, and 1C8 NEW PLYMOUTH. there has always been great difficulty in obtain- ing from the natives, a larger extent of land than they have already made over to the New Zealand Government. The district has also suffered much of late, from the want of a labouring population disposed to work regularly for hire, at a reasonable rate. It is as impossible in a colony, as everywhere else, to embark with any hope of success upon agriculture, as a profitable speculation, when the labour which is to render the resulting crops marketable by reaping, har- vesting, &c., cannot be looked forward to with certainty, and when the employer is liable to be left in the lurch by the workmen he depends upon, at any moment when their in- clination or more profitable pursuits requiring their attention may happen to influence them. The settlers of New Plymouth have lately taken measures to provide passages for labour- ers from Melbourne, with the understanding that persons availing themselves of such gra- tuitous passage to New Zealand, will be willing to engage themselves for hire at a certain rate, for specified periods after their arrival in the colony. The result of this project has not yet been ascertained in England. The following paragraph, extracted from HAR1EST OF 1855. 169 the New Zealander, alludes to the harvest ex- pected at the commencement of the present year, 1855: "Could we but state that the supply of labour in New Plymouth was in any respect commensurate with the demand, our agricultural condition might well be called enviable ; but, such is the utter dearth of labour, that, notwithstanding the high price obtained for produce, the gains of the farmer are far less than the gross proceeds of his account sales might lead some to suppose. We rejoice, however, to know that they are so far satisfactory, as to have led to a large cultiva- tion of this fertile soil, which is steadily and successfully increasing on every side. Many of our colonial merchants are colonial farmers. Hence agriculture and commerce walk earnestly together and hand in hand. The crops of 1854-5 promise to turn out excellently. The potatoes are good in quality, and abundant in quantity. Much of the early-cut hay suffered from rain, but the later crop has been mown and stacked under the most favourable circum- stances. The wheat is in considerable breadth, and looks well ; but of barley, there has been little grown ; and oats also have been but 1/0 NEW PLYMOUTH. sparingly cultivated. Of maize there is reason to believe that a considerable quantity has been sown. Onions, it is said, will be scarce." The Government Returns for 1854 prove that New Plymouth has shared in the in- creasing wealth of all parts of New Zealand. Here, however, as in other parts of the colony, the dearness of provisions and scarcity of labour to hire has told severely during the past year on the prospects and the fortunes of emigrants above the rank of ordinary labourers, who had hoped, on taking up their abode in a colony, to find cheapness not only in the means of subsist- ence, but also in the means and appliances of comfortable rural life. Among such hoped-for advantages, not always found in a colony, must certainly be classed the opportunity of procuring servants to perform many laborious and troublesome operations, which form the daily business of the labouring classes at home, but which, in a colony, must often be either entirely neglected, or accom- plished by the unskilled exertions of persons little accustomed to manual labour of any kind. The Customs Revenue receipts for New Plymouth, for the four months previous to IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 11 May, 1855, amounted to 1197-, showing an increase of 180. on the corresponding period in 1854. The following is a summary of a recent Go- vernment Gazette relating to New Plymouth : " The Provincial Gazette of the 1 4th October, 1S54, amongst other matters, contains accounts of the vessels entered inwards and outwards from the Port of New Plymouth during the quarter ending the 30th September, and the produce exported from the settlement during that period. These accounts show progressing prosperity and present a gratifying proof of the vast increasing business of the settlement. From the 30th of June to the 30th of September, thirteen vessels have been entered inwards, the aggregate tonnage of which was 2537 tons. Nine of the vessels brought general cargo one in ballast, two 20,000 feet of timber and 100 bushels of wheat, and one 1100 sheep. The outward table shows ten vessels of an aggregate tonnage of 2010 tons, by which the following produce has been exported : Potatoes, 152 tons ; oats, 808 bags and 300 bushels ; butter, 3 tons, 37 kegs, and 9 casks ; pork and hams, 3 tons ; wheat, 795 sacks and 52 bags ; maize, 224 bags; and bran, 21 sacks. The Gazette 172 NEW PLYMOUTH. also contains accounts of the sales of crown lands during the months of August and Sep- tember. In August, 21 town sections were sold, producing 381.; and in September, 8 town sections, producing 140. The rural lands sold in August, consist of 1110 acres, and in Sep- tember 100 acres, producing 600. ; making a total sale of land amounting to 1151. PRICES OF STOCK. "At Mr Gledule's auction of stock, on the 31st of March, 1855, the following prices were realized : " A large bullock fetched 17. 2s. 6d. ; two milch cows, one 10. 15s., the other, 8. 12s. 6d. ; one steer, 6. 4s. Gd. By private sale, two two-and-a-half year old steers were sold for 30., 32s. each refused or yood ewes and wethers."* Taranaki Herald, April 4, 1855. It will be seen in a subsequent chapter that New Plymouth has not been left behind in the general desire to obtain the advantages of steam communication to its harbour. The much agitated question as to the best means of the disposal of the Government lands in the colony has been as warmly discussed at New Plymouth as in other settlements ; and an entirely new code of regulations has recently been laid before the Provincial Council for * I have been unable to obtain any recent lists of market prices for New Plymouth. LAND REGULATIONS. 173 approval. The portions of these regulations most interesting to a reader in England will be found in Chapter XV., but the same observation may be made respecting the purchase of land in this as in other settlements, viz., That as a general rule, it will answer the purpose of a newly arrived colonist better to buy land in a good locality, even at a great increase on the original cost price, from some one who has cultivated or improved a section, than to seek, in distant and cheap allotments, land equally good probably in its quality, but inconveniently situated as to its approaches and neighbourhood. CHAPTER VII. OTA GO. THE settlement of Otago was founded under the auspices of the New Zealand Company by " An Association of Lay Members of the Free Church of Scotland for Promoting the Settle- ment of Otago." The first body of colonists left England for the new settlement in December, 1847, and, reaching their destination early in 1848, pro- ceeded in the establishment of a town, named Dunedin, at the south-western side of the harbour, now well known as Port Chalmers. Port Chalmers is situated in lat. 45 46' 48" south, long. 170 43' 12" east, being the south- ernmost harbour for large vessels on the eastern side of New Zealand, and lying about 250 miles to the south of Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury settlement. The outer harbour, which opens to the north- ward, between Tairoa Head and Hey ward Point, is about seven miles in length, and at the end of this is the port town, called Port Chalmers, beyond which vessels of large burthen cannot GRAZING LANDS. 175 pass. The inner or lower harbour is about six miles in length, and at the end of this harbour is situated the capital town of the colony, called Dunedin. The Molyneux river and the country adjoining forms the southern boundary of the Otago district, which is throughout well wooded, with much undulating country, and great variety of scenery. It is also very well supplied with water, and in the Molyneux river possesses by far better water communication with the interior than any other portion of the middle island of New Zealand. The settlement comprises, and has in its vicinity, very extensive plains and downs, suitable for sheep runs, besides much rich alluvial land, in which the production of corn and cattle could be carried on very easily, and to an almost unlimited extent. One drawback, however, to the natural advan- tages by which the country is surrounded, is the want of unanimity among the colonists them- selves ; who appear to be jealous of the accession of any strangers to their settlement, who may not be disposed to fall in with all existing insti- tutions and prejudices. The frequent discussions md bickering in the local newspapers have of late excited much ridicule in other parts of New 176 OTAGO. Zealand ; and from itsunfrequent communication with the more northern settlements, Otago has of late been less noticed as a field of emigration than other parts of the islands. The establishment of a regular communication by steam, between all parts of the country, will, doubtless, materially benefit this settlement ; which, two years ago, was in so flourishing a condition with regard to its agricultural produce, as to be enabled to contribute largely, and at a reasonable rate, to the wants of the then newly established colony of Canterbury. The following extracts are taken from a journal of a visit to Otago, in the summer of 1853, first published during the present year : * " After peeping into every inlet and scrutinizing every bay along the eastern coast of New Zealand, from Foveaux Straits to Tairoa Head, we at length arrived off Port Chalmers, but only to be repelled by a southerly gale, which prevented our entering. However, after some loss of time, the wind veered gradually round to the north, and the tide answering at the same tme, we were gently wafted inwards. " Towards the south, the bay appeared closed at the distance of seven miles, by two islands, dividing the * From the Australian and New Zealand Gazette, January, 1855. DUNEDIN. 177 upper from the lower harbour. On the right and left, hills, densely clothed with evergreens and trees of noble stature, approached the shores, while, more remote, over- looking 1 these, were others similarly wooded. We dropped anchor within a few hundred yards of the port town, in a somewhat sheltered bay. A few wooden houses, with a neat and unpretending little church on an elevated back ground, occupy nearly the whole available ground in Port Chalmers. A short half hour sufficed for a minute inspection, when, learning that a boat was about to leave for Dunedin, we availed our- selves of the opportunity. " On passing- between the islands, and opening out the upper harbour, the scenery had lost none of its loveli- ness. After rounding a head-land, the town became visible about six miles distant. The town of Duuedin is prettily situated at the foot of the inner harbour ; and, considering its late formation, is very creditable to the industry of the inhabitants, who number about 600, and occupy some 150 to 200 wooden houses. The free church appeared a primitive looking building, with a double gable, built partly of stone and partly of brick, and the belfry being detached. Archi- tectural preeminence must be given to the Mechanics' Institute, a more workmanlike erection, and just completed. When a few of the early morning hours the most enjoyable portion of a summer's day, are given to the cultivation of the little garden plots, the whole place will assume a much more smiling aspect. " Having little time to spare, I resolved to start at N OTAGO. once for the Molyneux district, which was represented as the finest part of the settlement ; and visit, on our journey, the rich valleys of the Taieri and Tokomoriro. Having resolved to start by nine, we were astir betimes ; but though summer, it was not till near eight that any symptoms of animation appeared among the shopkeepers of the town. Our course lay very nearly southerly, skirting the whole of a low range of hills covered with scrub; on our left, was a quantity of marshy land re- claimed by the formation of a sand bank, which had stretched between two adjacent rocky head-lands, and thus barred out the sea, which formerly communicated in this direction with the harbour. "In this neighbourhood Mr. Valpy lived and died. As the principal employer of labourers in so young a colony, where the capital is but limited, his loss must be severely felt ; the more so, as though not connected with the free church, he bore honourable testimony to the efficiency and worth of the emigrants in his employ, who had been sent out through the association. " Pursuing our way among low hills, covered with flax, fern, and tutu, we reached Green Island, about five miles from Dunedin. The scenery much reminded my companion of the grazing lands of his native High- lands. The adjacent land is of limited extent, but fully occupied ; affording abundance of timber for fuel, very fine grazing ground, and having a small rivulet running through it towards the sea. Crossing the Karkari by a wooden bridge, and ascending rather a steep hill, the road leads over a low spur of the neighbouring range, from whence the fine valley of the Taieri may be seen TAIEJCI VALLEY. 179 to advantage. Immediately to the left, rising 1 consider- ably above you, is Saddleback Hill, rich in its coal treasures ; below, runs the valley, extending- for many a long mile, dotted on both sides with several homesteads ; while beyond, and to the right, the view is closed by lofty ranges. On reaching the valley, we passed a fine bush, containing 70,000 acres of timber, which, with the land in its immediate neighbourhood, is all taken up. The policy of allotting the whole of this bush to so few sections must be regarded as extremely doubtful, when it is borne in mind, that, with the exception of another bush at the southern extremity of the valley, and one or two insignificant ones in the gullies, the whole of the future population will be dependent on it for fencing and firewood. This partial allotment, will, I fear, injuriously affect the sale of the remaining dis- posable land, until at least the latent coal deposits shall be more satisfactorily developed. I could not afford time to visit the centre of the valley, where the land is represented to be very rich ; and my observations were therefore limited to the soil in the immediate vicinity of the road, which, as it was occupied by a few agricul- turists, I concluded was not regarded as inferior to other parts. Judging from sections exposed by trenching, and from the opinions of other people, there appeared to be about 9 to 12 inches of vegetable mould on a clayey subsoil. The neighbouring crops grown on unmanured land were of an ordinary stamp ; the imported fruit trees and vegetables indicated, if not a first rate, at least a congenial climate; and the condition of the cattle and sheep bore ample testimony to the excellence of the pasture." 180 OTAGO. After some troublesome adventures, owing to the want of a guide, over a swampy portion of the route, the writer reached the banks of the Molyneux river, and continues his account. " The valley of the Molyneux runs nearly at right angles to the Taieri and Tokomoriro, taking somewhat of a W. N. W. coursec The river Molyneux, sometimes called the Clutha, flows through the centre of the valley, from a distant point in the interior. It has been navi- gated by boats of large size for more than 50 miles inland. About eight miles from its mouth it is divided into two streams : that on the right being called the "Koau, and that on the left the Matou, which enclose between them, before they again join in one stream, an island, eight miles in length by two in breadth, called ' Inch Clutha.' The whole of this island is already occupied by settlers. " Towards the south, at a distance of eight miles, runs a range of hills, the Wairapa and the Kaihiku, sloping gently towards the river, and in general well wooded. The land between the Inch Clutha and these ranges, much of which is swampy, is laid off in sections ex- tending 16 miles from the coast, and containing nearly oue half of the Otago block. " Beyond these ranges the country preserves very much the same character, including fine sheep runs, and with an occasional deficiency of timber for eight or ten miles." This undulating land is said to extend far away southward, nearly to Foveaux Straits ; and MOLYNEUX DISTRICT. 181 the pastoral stations north of Otago extend, with a few interruptions, from the natural fea- tures of the country, until they meet the stock- owners' out-stations south of Canterbury. " There cannot be a question as to the Molyneux being 1 the finest portion of the Otago block. Its remoteness from the chief town sixty miles and its indifferent harbour, are among- its chief disadvantages. The na- tural pastures of the Molyneux district, its hills and valleys alike, are abundant, extensive, and of the richest description. The cattle are in most excellent condition, and the butter and cheese are proverbially fine. Here, as elsewhere, the wooded sections are being- seized on, and with the same inevitable result." "The climate, though changeable, is pleasant; but an abundance of wood is an absolute necessity, as a fire is desirable at all times, and always of an evening." "There is one subject which I would willingly avoid, were it compatible with the wish to give my real im- pressions of this promising settlement. I refer to the dissensions which exist among 1 the colonists. Latterly, they have assumed somewhat of a practical form, and I fear that they will not subside until the class nature of the settlement receives a final decision." The price of land, when resold by private owners in Otago, as elsewhere in New Zea- land, varies much according to the position or other qualities. The original price of rural lands was 2. an acre, for all land within the block, under the management of the Otago 182 OTAGO. Association. It has probably ere this been reduced, but hitherto there has been no official announcement as to the future price of unsold Government lands.* There appears to be a very limited supply of labour in the settlement ; but owing to the small comparative amount of its population, and the absence of very frequent communication with other settlements, which might increase the demands of the working classes, the rate of labour does not appear to have been so outrageously high at Otago, as in the other settlements, during the last twelve months. In the annexed letter, written from Otago in March, 1855, some allusions to the price of labour and the quality of the land, as well as other matters interesting to colonists, will be found. " Near Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. " MY DEAR SIR, * * * * You ask me in your letter whether 1500 or ,2000 would enable a man to live without descending to manual labour himself. I have no hesitation in saying that it would. At present labour is high and scarce; 9*. per day is asked by labourers and paid by employers ; and, therefore, to follow agriculture only as a profitable investment * See Chapter XV. for proposed new land regulations for Otagro. SHEEP FARMING. 183 would not pay; but by combining that with pastoral pursuits a very satisfactory result will be obtained. Sheep have been very high viz. 2. 5,?. per head ; but you could at present get a flock of 500 for 750, and that number would be a very good beginning, and would soon pay the wages of the shepherd ; then you could purchase a homestead, and employ a man and boy to farm and look after a few cattle at home; and, with a little additional help now and then, they should be able to pay the expenses of the house until the sheep increased sufficiently to do so by themselves. Shepherds' wages are now 35 per annum, with ra- tions. There is not much profit to be made out of the land alone at the present rate of wages, but if the price of produce continues at the present rate, it must pay by and by ; for the rate of wages will come down ; the Provincial Council having voted a sum of money (15,000,* I believe), for bringing labourers out, will of course throw a great many into our market, and therefore reduce the price of labour considerably. My advice is that if you come out to grow enough at your homestead for home consumption, and keep some cows at home for dairy produce ; and then for income breed cattle and sheep : you are sure to succeed then ; you cannot fail. " A sheep-owner need not reside on his run, but live in a more civilised district, and visit his flock at times. The returns are from 90 to 100 per cent at least. It would take 150 to set the sheep-station going well, * ^5000, not 15,000, ia probably the correct sura. 184 OTAGO. with wool-shed, &c. ; but that, with your flock of 500, would only be about 900, so there would be plenty left out of the capital of 1500 for the homestead and other contingencies. "We are much pleased with the climate ; it is finer and warmer than Devonshire in the winter, and although very hot in summer, it is never oppressive. The air is clear and bracing. A fog I have never seen here ; the air is remarkably dry. As to the roads, they, of course, are not to be compared to those in England ; they get bad after a few days' rain, but soon get dry and dusty on the return of fine weather. The country is very beautiful this year from the uni- versal flowering of the cabbage-tree, palms, and the flax ; the former has a beautiful white flower, in bunches of two or three feet in diameter, which have the most delicious smell, They do not flower generally every year, for last summer I only saw one out in flower. " The plough you sent I fear will not answer ; it should have been a wrought iron one, and a Scotch swing plough (one without wheels). Those in general use here are made by McKerran, of Ayrshire, Scot- land ; none others seem to answer. We have made some large drawings of different localities round here, which we shall send to you by an early opportunity. " The crops are looking well ; the last harvest was one of the finest ever known in New Zealand, and from all appearances this present one will rival, if not sur- pass it. With regard to goods, I would not recommend any one to send or bring any amount of goods here on BUSH LAND. 185 speculation ; the market is very uncertain and soon glutted ; the stores are now crammed with goods, and it would not surprise me to see things rather queer in a commercial way before long. When we arrived at Otago, there was scarcely such a thing as a pair of boots to be bought in the place, and now every store is full of them. " A schooner of about fifty tons has just been built here, and is now away to Wellington, with a full cargo of Otago produce. The amount sent away this year is considerable. The captain of a Melbourne brig, the ' Oukaparinga,' went to Nelson for a cargo, but could not get one ; the people there told him it was of no use his going on to Otago, but on he came, however, and got a full cargo to the value of 1500. There is a large amount of crop in this year, and much land that last year was covered with beautiful bush, is now green with waving wheat. The greater part of this particular locality, if cropping goes on at the rate it has done, will soon lose its dense bush, for terrible gaps appear in the forest all round ; but, after all, there is nothing like good open land for cultivation, the wheat is better, and the flour whiter than the bush wheat, but the open land round Dunedin is covered with fern and flax, and the soil is shallow; the sub- soil is stiff clay, and if ploughed too deep the crops are not so good in consequence ; the land to the south, towards the Molyneux, is much better. " The subject of immigration is now before the Coun- cil, and they have voted a sum of money (as I before mentioned) for the purpose; but I see that Captain 186 OTAGO. Cargill is opposed to appointing an agent in London, thereby showing that he, at all events, wishes to keep Englishmen away if he can ; but let it be known as much as you can, that there are thousands upon thou- sands of acres of most excellent land in Otago to be had for ten shillings an acre, more land in fact than is possessed, for sale, by all the north island settlements put together. We only want settlers to develop the fine natural advantages of this province, and if people at home only knew the truth about Otago, we should be sure soon to have a large influx of settlers here. I think that all sorts of odd notions prevail respecting cannibals, earthquakes, &c., but Maories are very scarce here, thank goodness ! and earthquakes have never been known in our province. " We had a vessel in last week with a lot of stock. Your brother-in-law bought ten head of cattle at 14 each, and eight mares ; cattle and horse breeding pay, I think, as well or better than sheep even, but more of this in my next." The following return from a newly cultivated portion of the settlement, was compiled inMay, 1854. "The amount of cultivated land in the district in question/' the Lower Green Island District, "will be doubled next year. Oats being light, will not yield large returns, but the wheat should. Potatoes are generally small, and will not turn out well ; we allow five tons to the acre. But we cannot say we have had MARKET PRICES. 187 a fair trial of bush land. In furnishing this statement, we think you may allow the grain in the following proportions : wheat, bush land, 30 bushels an acre ; open land, 20 bushels an acre ; oats, 40 bushels ; open land, or bush. They grow stronger in the bush, but are apt to lodge or lie down, which diminishes the return. Potatoes, five tons per acre." The market prices of Dunedin, in the middle of the winter of 1854, were as follows : Retail prices current, July, 8th, 1854. Flour, per 100 Ibs. 35s. to 38s. ; seconds, 25s. ; bread, per 4 Ib. loaf, Is. 4d. ; wheat, per bushel, 10s.; oats, 5s. ; beef, 5d. to ^d. per Ib.; mutton, 5d to 7^-; pork, 5d. to 6d. ; fresh butter, Is. 4d. ', salt ditto, Is. 4d. ; ground coffee, Is. Sd. ; raw ditto, Is. 4d. ; tea, 3s. 6d. ; raw sugar, 5\d. to 6%d. ; loaf ditto, 9d. to lOd. ; mould candles, 9d. to Wd. ; cheese, 6d. to Is.; milk, per quart, 5d. ; potatoes, per ton, S. ; eggs, per dozen, Is. 4d. ; hay, per ton, 5. 10s.; straw, 3.; sawn timber, 18s. to 20s. per 100 feet ; shingles, 20.s. per 1000; firewood, per cord, 18s. to 20s. The prices of stock, at a cattle sale, held on the 2nd July, 1854, were: cows, from 9. to 21. ; heifers, from 13. to 16. ; bullocks per pair, 23. ; steers, from 4. 5s. to y. 12s. 6d. 188 OTAGO. In the early part of November, 1854, a ship from Sydney arrived in the port, with 1000 sheep, and about 28 horses on board. The sheep received from the inspector a very high certificate, and they were purchased at 35s. per head on landing. The horses were in fair con- dition, and were sold at prices, varying from 50. to 60. The two following quotations from the Of ago Witness, give some information in reference to the self-supporting powers of the province. The first was written in September, 1854; the second, about six weeks later ; both of them before the results of the then approaching harvest, had been ascertained. " There exists at the present moment, both in and out of the province, great diversity of opinion, as to whether our last crop of wheat will place us beyond the necessity of importing, and upon the strength of this doubt, a large quantity of flour has been poured into the set- tlement. Already, some 74 tons have been imported since the 1st January, 1854, and it is probable that upon receipt of advices from this, a further quantity of from 60 to 80 tons will be sent down from Nelson, in addition to 53 tons now on the voyage from Sydney. These GRAIN MARKET. 189 importations must of necessity tend to depress our market, and more particularly so, should it turn out that the wheat now in the pro- vince is fully equal to that which we actually require." The later quotation is as follows : " We have to notice, with considerable satisfaction, our steadily increasing export of agricultural pro- duce. The Oukaparinga, which sails to-day for Melbourne, takes with her from this settle- ment, the following cargo Oats . . 2,577 J bushels Barley . . 6| Wheat . 45 Bran . , 160 bushels Potatoes . 20J tons Eggs . . 40 dozen " The estimated value of which on board, at Port Chalmers, amounts to 1328. 16s. 8d. Were the visits of small craft to our port more frequent, and more regular, it would be a great advantage to our agricultural population, as well as to shippers of produce." No accounts of the last harvest at Otago, or of the confirmation by the provincial council of the proposed new regulations, affecting the sale of waste lands, have hitherto reached Eng- land. On the completion of the seventh year of the existence of this settlement, the local govern- 190 OTAGO. ment published some statistics, contrasting the state of the province at that period with its state at the close of the first year of the settle- ment of Dunedin. It appears that at the close of the first year of the settlement of Otago, March 31, 1849, there was a population of 745 souls within the Otago block, of whom 426 were males, and 319 females ; there are now within the whole pro- vince, exclusive of Maories, 2,557 souls; 1,408 of whom are males, 1,149 females showing a slight improvement in the balance of the sexes. The extent of land in crop in 1849 was only 42 acres, chiefly in gardens ; this has increased to 3,168; of which 1,077 acres were in wheat; 728 oats ; 9| barley; 276f potatoes ; 37| turnips; 274 fallow; 71 If pasture and hay; 52 in garden ground; and 33H fenced, but not cul- tivated; there are also 13,578i acres of land uncultivated ; but the most remarkable increase has been in the quantity of stock. In 1849 there were 35 horses, 375 horned cattle, 2,430 sheep, and 50 goats (exclusive of the districts north of Port Chalmers) ; there are now 435 horses, 6,511 horned cattle, 58,902 sheep, and 251 goats. The most striking feature in connection with PROSPECTS OF 1855. 191 these contrasted statistics is, that whilst in seven years the population has increased from immigra- tion and natural causes at the rate of twenty per cent, per annum, the increase of cultivation and stock have been at a far higher rate ; but, notwithstanding this circumstance, the price of farm produce and live stock has risen upwards of 100 per cent, over the value in 1852. The increase of wealth, therefore, to the individual settlers must be great. The relative amounts of imports and exports of the two periods are stated ; but, whilst in 1849 the exports were nil, the estimated export of wool alone for the year 1855 is 11,000. and there is every probability of a considerable export of farm produce. CHAPTER VIII. CANTERBURY.* THE Emigrant landing in Canterbury, with preconceived ideas of the beauty and variety of the scenery and climate of New Zealand, de- rived from highly-coloured descriptions of the most fertile and picturesque districts of the northern island, will certainly be disappointed with the aspect of the country on his arrival. But when the impression of monotony, which may at first be caused by the vast expanse of level country, of which Canterbury is chiefly composed, has passed away, the stranger will find no reason to repent of having fixed upon this settlement as the scene of his future career. Making due allowance for the inconveniences arising from the want of timber for fuel, or * The reader, interested in the Canterbury settlement, will gain much information from a little work by Mr. Paul, a resident colonist in Canterbury, entitled, " Some Account of the Canterbury Settlement, New Zealand, by the Rev. R. B. Paul, M.A., Commissary of the Bishop of New Zealand, and late Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. London: Rivingtons, 1854." WANT OF LABOURERS. 193 other purposes in most parts, and the present extravagantly high rate of wages in every part of the settlement, there is no portion of New Zealand which offers to the intending emigrant greater advantages than he can obtain in Can- terbury, whether his intention be to till the land as an agriculturist, or (with a larger capital at his command) to embark in the more lucra- tive investments of sheep or cattle farming on a large scale. I myself know the Canterbury settlement intimately, and have visited the Wellington and the Nelson settlements. I have also met, and conversed with, colonists from all other parts of New Zealand, some of whom had already tried their fortunes in Canada and in other parts of America, and many had passed some years in Australia ; and I can state with confidence, that, setting aside the proba- bility of pecuniary success, in which Canterbury is at least equal to any other settlement, there is no colony in the world where an English family will find a greater amount of agreeable society, and the comforts usual in a rural life in England, combined with such an agreeable and healthy climate, as this settlement affords. Every portion of New Zealand has lately suf- fered much from the want of a sufficiently 194 CANTERBURY. numerous labouring population ; and in this respect, owing to the great facilities enjoyed by the labouring classes in the acquisition and cheap cultivation of their own land, the em- ployers of labour in Canterbury have lately suf- fered more than those of other parts of New Zealand. To remedy this deficiency, an agent, Mr. Harman, has been despatched from the colony, for the purpose of granting assisted passages, for persons of the labouring classes, from England to the Canterbury settlement. The following description of the settlement has recently been issued by Mr. Harman from his office, 32, Charing Cross, London : " INFORMATION RESPECTING CANTERBURY, NEW ZEALAND. " March, 1855. " The province of Canterbury, bounded on the north, and south by the provinces of Nelson and Otago, com- prises that portion of the Middle Island of New Zealand situate between the 43rd and 45th parallels of south latitude. Throughout the whole of its length, a chain of very lofty mountains, covered many of them with perpetual snow, runs parallel to the coasts from north- east to south-west, and interposes an almost insuperable barrier to communication between the two sides of the island. Of the country west of the mountains but little is known ; but the fact that the slopes of the great chain run for the most part down to the shore, leaving RIVERS. 195 little or no available space between their bases and the sea, has caused this side of the province to remain comparatively unnoticed, and, up to the present timej wholly unoccupied by settlers. On the eastern side, the mountains stand well back from the coast ; at the two extremities, however, the lower spurs stretch out towards the sea, and, being 1 connected with the coast by smaller ranges of hills, include within their sweep the country known as the ' Canterbury Plains.' " The whole district east of the mountains comprises about 4,000,000 acres. " The Plains extending from the river Waipara to Timaru, over a distance of about 120 miles (in a direct line) with an average width of 40 miles are intersected by numerous rivers, varying greatly in size and cha- racter ; some of them, such as the Waimakariri, the Rakaia, and the Rangitata, having shingle beds more than a mile in width, over which they run in numerous shallow but very rapid streams ; while the others, such as the Avon, the Heathcote, and the Cam, are confined between regular banks, or become available for the transport of goods to and from the Plains. The country is very open, and almost flat ; it rises slightly towards the south as well as inland, but its surface is hardly broken from north to south by even the slightest undu- lation of the ground. Coupled with the absence of timber, this peculiarity gives it at first sight a mono- tonous appearance when compared with the varied scenery of England ; but the impression soon wears off, and the absence of all impediments to the transport of goods proves of great assistance to the settler, whether during his first difficulties, or when drawing his pro- 196 CANTERBURY. duce for shipment. The soil is for the most part a light loam, resting on gravel, with a substratum of blue clay ; much of it is stony, and unfit for cultiva- tion ; but its herbage is generally of'the finest quality, and adjnirably adapted for the rearing of sheep and cattle. " About thirty miles south of the Waipara, Banks' Peninsula, a pile of densely- wooded volcanic hills, juts out into the sea, and breaks the monotony of the coast. Skirting on this, to the north, and extending from the river Ashley to the Halswell, lies the principal agricul- tural district, averaging about six miles in width, by about twenty in length. It is a deposit for the most part of rich alluvial soil, and, being intersected by the navigable rivers mentioned above, is well adapted for agricultural purposes. It is low and swampy in some parts, but only to a very limited extent, and there ap- pears to be little doubt that it is all easily drainable. " The population of the country is principally distri- buted over this district, and engaged in the culture of the soil. It congregates thickly around Christchurch (the capital of the province) and Kaiapoi (a new town- ship on the Cam, rapidly rising into importance), and has already converted what four years ago was an un- cultivated waste, into a rich corn-growing district. The little towns themselves, though at present strag- gling in appearance, have churches, schools, mills, inns, stores, wharves, public offices, and most of the necessary requirements of civilised life, and are growing rapidly in size ; farm buildings are springing up in all directions around them, and the roads, where they re- quire it, are being metalled and made generally avail- HARBOURS. 197 able for traffic. The port town of Lyttleton is situated in the harbour of Port Victoria, and separated from the Plains by a range of hills in connection with those of Banks' Peninsula. It has a population of about 900 inhabitants, and, like Christchurch, has numerous public buildings, with the important addition, however, amongst these, of a bank and a gaol. The transport of goods from hence to the Plains is carried on by small vessels of 15 to 20 tons, which convey them up the rivers both to Christchurch and Kaiapoi. There is also a communication by means of a bridle track over the hills, but this is only available for those travelling on foot or on horseback.* " Besides Port Victoria, there are several excellent harbours in Banks' Peninsula ; of these, Akaroa, Port Levy, and Pigeon Bay, are the principal, and have all of them settlements at their heads, that at Akaroa being of considerable size. With the exception of the latter, they have but little land available for agricul- tural purposes ; and being shut off, by the hilly nature of the country, from direct communication with the Plains and the Port, are occupied for the most part by sawyers and persons engaged in pastoral pursuits. " The great drawback to the Plains is the want of * The Provincial Council of Canterbury have lately taken measures to secure communication by a steam vessel between the Port town and the Plains, and it is probable that the steamer chartered by them has already performed many weekly journeys. 198 CANTERBURY. wood. There is but little available timber in the agri- cultural district, except in one small patch of bush near Christchurch, and some rather larger near Kaiapbi, and, generally speaking, there is no timber at all, ex- cepting along the base of the hills, and towards the south, below the river Rangitata. Banks' Peninsula, however, can supply the deficiency to an unlimited ex- tent; and the coal which has been discovered cropping out in a spot easily accessible, not more than 35 miles from the capital town, will put any permanent difficul- ties on the score of fuel out of question. " Great facilities exist for the purchase of land, whether from the Government or from private indivi- duals. The Government price hitherto has been 3. an acre (except at the extreme north and south, where it was 105.) ; but though this has deterred speculators from purchasing, it does not appear to have in any way prevented the acquirement of land by labouring men. There are now very few in the settlement who are not already in possession of land, having paid in most cases 5. or 6. per acre to private owners ; and, in addition to this, they very commonly rent from 50 to 100 acres at very low rents (perhaps 5s. per acre), with a right of purchase extending over seven years ; and it is astonishing to see how soon they invariably have it under crop. As long as farm produce of all kinds con- tinues to command the present high price in the Aus- tralian market, no man can do wrong in turning his hand to agriculture. " It has been mentioned that the great majority of STATISTICS. 199 the population is engaged in agricultural pursuits ; it must not, however, be supposed that agriculture is the great business of the settlement. The character of the district has pointed it out as eminently fitted for sheep and cattle farming; and this accordingly is the princi- pal pursuit of the wealthier colonists, and must be- come eventually the mainstay of the country. Large quantities of sheep and cattle have already been im- ported from Australia, and from other parts of New Zealand, so that the Plains are becoming rapidly occu- pied, and are producing by this means both a large pasturage revenue to the Government,* and a liberal return to owners for invested capital. Stock of all kinds thrives wonderfully ; their average increase is about 100 per cent., and, with the exception of the scab in case of sheep, disease is almost unknown amongst them. They are never housed either winter or sum- mer; and during the ' sou'-westers,' or storms of rain and wind in the winter season, will give but little trouble, as long as they have some kind of protection from the driving rain, such as the bank of a river bed, or the thick cover of the native grass, tohi-tohi, which grows high enough to shelter most effectively even horses and cattle. " The following census returns (with statistics) taken in March, last year, will enable the reader to form a good idea of the general progress of the settlement since the arrival of the first body of colonists in De- * The revenue from this source alone for the present year will be about 4000. 200 CANTERBURY. cember, 1850, and gives the amount of stock of all kinds in the country. " Gross White Population, 3895 ; males 2196, females 1699 ; born in the settlement 565 ; number of sick and infirm 21. Quantity of land fenced in, 7221 acres; un- der crop, 2920 ; in wheat 807 ; barley 287 ; oats 802 ; maize 1 ; potatoes 364; artificial grass 289 ; in gardens and orchards 227 ; other crops 143. " Stock in the Province. 596 horses ; 20 asses or mules ; 6363 head of cattle ; 99,245 sheep ; 396 goats ; 4391 pigs. " The exports of 1853 (omitting the wool*) consist chiefly of sawn timber and house frames, potatoes, oats and cheese, were valued at 3337. "The climate of Canterbury is undoubtedly one of the healthiest in the world. It may be described as a mixture of the climates of Italy and England, but neither so warm as the former, nor anything like so cold as the latter. It is windy, except perhaps during the autumn, when the weather is most delightfully calm ; but the almost constant prevalence of wind soon passes unnoticed by the settler, and there is no doubt that the wonderful salubrity of the climate, and the brilliant clearness of the atmosphere, are mainly due to this in other respects rather disagreeable peculiarity. '' Before concluding, we must not omit to add a few words on the religious and educational provisions of Canterbury. The Church of England service is per- * The value of wool exported in March, 1854, may be estimated at about 12,000. See p. 214, RATE OF WAGES. 201 formed in seven different places every Sunday, much assistance being given gratuitously by some of the clergy ; the Wesleyans have also a chapel and minister at Christchurch, and the Presbyterians are taking steps towards building a chapel for themselves. There are Grammar schools both at Christchurch and Lyttleton (where boys can be placed as boarders), and in various parts of the province no less than eight schools for the labouring classes ; as population congregates at any par- ticular point, fresh schools are opened, or assistance granted from public funds for the purpose, so that it will generally be the parents' fault if the children are not educated. There are also one or two private schools for young ladies. " Such is a brief sketch of the settlement of Canter- bury, founded by the Canterbury Association. Few colonies have perhaps made a more rapid progress in so short a time ; but though much of its success is un- doubtedly owing to the energy and spirit of the colonists themselves, it must be admitted that these qualities alone would not have produced the present results. The prosperity of the settlement is mainly owing to the judicious selection of the site by Captain Thomas, to the skilful administration of its affairs in its infancy by Mr. Godley, and to the steady and disinterested sup- port of the members of the Canterbury Association in England, who spared neither time nor money in carry- ing out their undertaking. Want of labour is the sole drawback under which the colonists are now labouring ; and to meet this they have set apart considerable funds 202 CANTERBURY. for emigration purposes. Great assistance is offered to the labouring classes by means of assisted passages to the settlement, and it would be difficult to select a spot where they will be better remunerated for their labour, or where they will find a climate more thoroughly adapted to the English constitution. "The rate of wages and prices of provisions, &c./ in September, 1854, were as follows, the yearly wage? being all with board and lodging. Agricultural labourers 7s. a day ; working at piece work, the rate was about 12s. a day ; carpenters 10s. a day; stockmen 40. per annum ; dairymaids 20. to 30. per annum ; hut- keepers 35. per annum ; shepherds 35. to 50. per annum ; maid servants 15. to 25. per annum. " PROVISIONS: Flour 35s. to 40s. per 100 Ibs. ; bread 9d. per 2 Ibs.; butter, fresh, 2s. 3d. per lb., (in summer, about Is. 6d.) ; butter, salt, 2s. per lb., (in summer, about Is.); beef 8d. to 9d. per lb. ; mutton 8d. to Qd. per lb. ; oats 8s. Qd. to 9s. per bushel ; firewood 30s. per cord.'' Information respecting assisted passages and the set- tlement, generally, can be obtained at the Canterbury Emigration Office, 32. Cliaring Cross, London, by appli- cation to Mr. Harman, the Emigration Agent. The remarks which follow have also been re- cently published by a colonist from Canterbury, who is now in England. The want of timber, to which the latter paragraphs refer, will pro- bably be remedied now that steam communica- THE CLIMATE. 203 tion along the coast between all the settlements of New Zealand has become a matter of almost weekly occurrence. " The spring is mild, not unlike a spring in England. The summer is warm, with much bright weather, a moderate amount of rain, and occasional gales of wind from the north-west or north-east, which are very dis- agreeable. During autumn, the finest weather prevails, and towards its close, slight frosts occur with unpleasant high winds from the south-west. The winter, viz. from the 15th of May to the 15th of August, is characterized by fine days, frequent frosty nights and mornings, with an occasional gale from the south-west, accompanied by heavy rain, and sometimes by a few falls of snow which disappear in a few hours. The sea breeze from the north-east sets in about 10 a.m., freshens towards snnset, and is succeeded by a light and calm land breeze. The north-west wind is warm and dry, occa- sionally too hot, but succeeded by a pleasant south- wester. "The soil and climate of Canterbury are represented as particularly favourable to the growth of every species of European grain and fruit. Potatoes yielding from seven to fifteen tons the acre, without manure ; wheat, and barley, and oats producing never less than twenty bushels the acre, and where the land has been carefully prepared, twice that quantity, and even more. The cheese manufactured here is considered very fine, while the beef and mutton are unsurpassed. Ewes yield 105 204 CANTERBURY. per cent, of lambs; the small fine-woolled wether weigh- ing 60 Ibs. The weight of wool on ewes, averages 3| Ibs. ; and the fleece of the pure merino is said to yield 6 Ibs. The plains of Canterbury may be regarded as greatly deficient in available timber ; parties travelling, are obliged to keep close to the banks of rivers to avail themselves of the immense quantities of drift wood lying about; and an additional inconvenience results from the paucity of timber in the want of shelter during the prevalence of strong winds in summer and winter. A forest of 200 acres within three miles of Christchurch, is the only wood procurable for eight miles. In the Oxford district on the western side of the Plains, there is an abundance of wood, as there is also further to the south, near to and upon the hills. Indeed, when the population becomes more dense, and there are greater facilities for transport, the wooded parts will be amply sufficient for the supply of the settlement." Although New Zealand has long been cele- brated as a flax producing country, yet, from the difficulty of getting a sufficient number of labourers to prepare large quantities of it for exportation to the European markets, very little New Zealand flax has found its way to this side of the world. The colonists of Canterbury, and of Nelson, however, appear to have been suc- cessful in some recent attempts at the prepara- tion of the flax previous to its exportation. FLAX. 205 The following is from the Canterbury Standard of the 22nd February, 1855 : " We believe that we have it in our power to congra- tulate the colonists of Canterbury and New Zealand at large, on the satisfactory solution, by one of our own settlers, of a difficulty which has hitherto occupied the attention of many able men, namely, an easy means of separating the glutinous matter from the fibre of the common flax (phormium tertax), which will, no doubt, render it an important article of commerce. We are informed that the process is both simple and effective, that the fibre of the plant is not injured in the slightest degree, so that the most delicate fabrics can be manu- factured from it, and what also is of paramount import- ance as regards the coarser fabrics for canvas, cordage, &c., it will take tar as readily as Russian flax. The disco- very is considered so perfectly satisfactory and conclu- sive, that we are informed an establishment for carrying on the business on an extensive scale is being formed." Nelson boasts an indefatigable advocate for the flax-trade in Mr. Natrass, from whose letter to the xaminer, the following extracts are transcribed : " At the request of Captain Gibbs, formerly of the Ann steamer, when last in Nelson, I furnished him with samples of New Zealand flax (counterparts of which I have by me), as produced by my mode of operation, he at the time promising to write to me on the subject on his arrival in England ; and I now beg to send you extracts of a letter to me from a mercantile house in 206 CANTERBURY. London, into whose hands he placed the samples, for the information of the very liberal encouragers and enterprising supporters of persevering industry and re- search, in the colony generally, and this settlement in particular : " ' On the return of my friend, Captain Gibbs, from your part of the globe, he has placed in my hands, sundry samples of fibre, string, and cord, which I have examined, and, I believe, that if you are inclined to ship to this, you will realize very excellent profits. I would recommend you to ship the fibre and tow, and send by every vessel, twenty to forty tons, valuing (at ninety days' sight) for the lower qualities at the rate of ]0/. to 14^. a ton, on account, and for the better sort, 18/. to 201. * * I am certain that, if once a regular trade is established, and pains taken to send it in a good sound state, very great results may ensue, and your profits will be considerable.' " The reader of local descriptions of any colony or settlement, whether in New Zealand or else- where, can hardly fail to notice the very trium- phant tone generally employed by the writers, when speaking of the particular locality in which the description is published. This may be no less true of Canterbury, than of other settlements. It is certainly true, that Canter- bury, owing to the very great share of public attention it obtained during its early organiza- tion, has undergone, both from the public LABOURING SETTLER J S LETTER. 207 journals and in private discussions respecting its career, from the time of its origin as a colony, up to the present hour, a more severe ordeal, than any other hitherto established colony : and it has stood the ordeal well. The following letter from a labouring man in the settlement, will probably not be so en- couraging to the employers as to the labouring class of emigrants, of whose assistance, the set- tlement is now so much in need. But it will, at all events, prove to persons who have hitherto objected to Canterbury, as a " class settlement," in which the interest of the wealthier emigrants has been better cared for, than that of their more humble companions ; that the labourers in Can- terbury enjoy fully an equal chance of bettering their fortunes, with those whose circumstances have hitherto appeared more favourable. " Port Lyttleton, Canterbury, June 4th, 1854. " DEAR FRIENDS, I am happy to say my health has been very good; never so well. I do think there is one bad thing belonging to me, and that is, my clothes are all getting too small for me ; I never was so lusty in my life before, and my wife has had her health very good. I do think New Zealand is the finest coun- try in the world for health. It is a nice climate, and the land is very good, the crops are tine but the far- mers are in want of labouring men ; there is not enough 208 CANTERBURY. to get the harvest in in time. The prices for labour, are these : wheat reaping, 35s. per acre ; and mowing barley or oats, and sheafing them, 1. 5s. per acre. Day work for harvest men, almost what they like to ask. The labouring men that came out here first, have got land of their own, and they don't care about much work. But I must tell you, I have not got any land yet. I am still in service. I entered into my situation on 16th December, 1852, from then to 16th December, 1853, me and my wife received 40. the first year; then my master asked me and my wife to stop another year with him, though we did not want to do so ; but he bid me 60., but that did not do ; he then offered me 70., and I have a little milking to do, and he gives me 25. 6d. per week for that, so, alto- gether, I shall have about 80. this year. I thought I would have one more year with him, then I think I shall be comfortable. I do not regret coming out here, for if I was in England again, and knew the state of New Zealand, I would sacrifice everything but I would come. I have no doubt if we stop another year we could get 100. If I get up in the morning about six o'clock I reckon of getting done by six at night. You understand, me and my wife have everything found us, so much as soap to wash our clothes with ; so we have nothing to find but our clothes, so I think you will all agree with me that I have nothing to re- pent of by coming out here. I do not work about half so hard as I did in England ; indeed I work as I please. No one says anything to me about my work ; I do as I please, and set myself to what work I please LABOURER'S LETTER. 209 and you that know anything about farming would think it very strange to see the labouring men come in the field to harvest work at seven or eight o'clock in the morning, and if they work till six o'clock at night they earn 15s. or 18s. per day ; and if they do their work bad their master don't dare to say anything to them, for if they did, they would leave him to do it himself, and there is but very few labouring men come out now, as the Canterbury Company have done with it ; but to any of my old friends I would say, don't stop in England to be in distress. I mean all that have been used to farming work, for it is but little use for men to come if they have been used to other employment; but I do think for farming men there is no place like New Zealand for health and every- thing." After some further observations on the scarcity of wood, &c., the writer continues " It is the way for every one to speak well of their own, and I think no colony ever went on so fast as this. They have chartered several vessels of wool this year for England, and it is not four years' old yet, and we do expect the colony will go on very fast. The price of wheat is now 10s. per bushel, and barley 8s. ; oats, 7s. ; beef, Id. per lb., and mutton about the same. Clothing is very dear. Some people in Eng- land have spoken about earthquakes in New Zealand, and that is very true, for I found of one, and that was very light. It shakes the earth, but it don't last more than one minute, and I never heard that any one ever got any injury from it yet. So now I must con- 210 CANTERBURY. elude with my love to all. Write and tell me all the news you can. Fare you well. "JOHN WILLIS." Another writer, who signs himself J. W. Wilkinson, and dates his letter, " Lower Lincoln Koad, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand, Sept. 12, 1854," addressing the Editor of the Australian and New Zealand Gazette, writes as follows : " The average yield of grain on the properly culti- vated land is from forty-five to fifty bushels per acre, and of a quality very superior to anything- I have seen in England. In this small community two newspapers are supported ; several philosophic, choral, horticultu- ral, and other societies are established. We have also our Agricultural Society ; the first show was last Oc- tober, and some very fine cattle were exhibited this year. A ploughing- match will be added, and already there are twenty teams entered. One great advantage in this settlement is the ease with which the land is brought into cultivation. There is little that takes more than two days to clear an acre. Instead of having to chop away tremendous forests, and then to grope about amongst the stumps for years after it is what is called cleared ; which is very much the case in other colonies : we have here only to burn off the grass, and then chop off the flax bunches, and it is ready for the plough. The only thing wanted here is more hands. Such has been the success that every labourer has now his own land to look after, being almost independent of the man of capital." PROBABLE WAGES. 211 In the Chapter on "Assisted Emigration" will be found the regulations issued by Mr. Harman, respecting assisted passages for la- bouring persons and domestic servants to Can- terbury. Mr, Harman, writing to me on the 5th of May, 1855, respecting the probable present rate of wages in the settlement, tells me " I think it necessary to mention that all the latest accounts which I have received lead me to believe that the scale of wages as mentioned in the circular [already quoted] are below the mark. I imagine that 10s. per day for agricultural labourejs is at the present time the probable rate ; but, at the same time, I am send- ing labour as fast as I can, so that I confidently expect at the end of this year we shall have reduced the expense of hired labour of all kinds to a reasonable standard. " I have now despatched equivalent to 230 adults (being: about 280 persons), the sexes being as nearly as possible equal. " I shall send off about 100 more adults next month, and about the same number again in August. It is hardly possible that such an accession to the labour of the settlement can be received without a very sensible effect being speedily produced on the rate of wages." The Lyttelton Times also, for the 20th of .December, 1854, in mentioning the visit of the Zingari steamer to the port, says : " The news from Melbourne gives hopes of 212 CANTERBURY. a speedy and abundant supply of labour from that quarter. The Zingari, which made her appearance in our harbour the other day, is only, as we understand, the precursor of a considerable communication between Port Phillip and the southern provinces of New Zealand." There is now a regular communication of steam between Canterbury and other portions of New Zealand ; in addition to which, at least one small steamer, and probably more, is exclu- sively occupied in traffic between Port Lyttel- ton, the quay at Christchurch, and the nume- rous depots for wool and pastoral produce on the coast, which are accessible by the stock- owners stationed in the interior. I may draw attention in this place to some extracts from a speech delivered by Mr. Godley in Canterbury, in December, 1852, which are given towards the conclusion of this volume ;* and, as a proof that his sanguine expectations have not been disappointed since that time, I quote the following passages from the Lyttelton Times of the 16th December, 1854, the fourth anniversary of the Canterbury settlement : " This day, the fourth anniversary of the landing- of * See Chapter XV. SUMMARY FOE 1854. 213 the first Canterbury settlers on the shores of New Zea- land, finds this settlement in a state of prosperity which justifies the most sanguine expectations of its founders. Although within the last year the popula- tion of the province has not received any large addi- tions from abroad, yet the cultivation and the homesteads which have spread over the whole country give a greater appearance of stability to the progress of the settlement than any large importation of new arrivals could have afforded. Many schemes have been talked of, and dropped for want of labour, which were probably premature at the time of their concep- tion, and which will be carried out more safely and successfully when the wants and capabilities of the settlement are more thoroughly understood. In a financial point of view, the province is in a flourishing condition. Upwards of 22,000. are in the Provincial Treasury, and we can now see our way to the comple- tion of the long-desired object of the colonists good land communication between the Port and the Plains. An agent has been sent to England to carry out a scheme of regular immigration into the settlement, a chief feature in which is a plan for affording assistance to those in the colony who have made an independence for themselves, and are anxious to bring out their friends and relations to share their prosperity, and co-operate with them in their future operations. Several local ordinances have been passed by the Provincial Council, which have been long needed, and which are now beginning to work satisfactorily. The export of wool will this year [1855] reach a value of 214 CANTERBURY. upwards of 25,000.* And the harvest, after sup- plying 1 the local msrket, promises to yield a consider- able surplus, for which a ready sale will be found in the neighbouring 1 Australian colonies. Hopes are entertained, and they appear to be well founded, that a sufficient supply of labour to gather in the harvest will arrive from Melbourne before the immigration from England can be expected to commence." By the Canterbury Government Gazette, of the 14th March, 1855, the balance in the Pro- vincial Treasury on the 31st December, 1854, is stated at 22,715. 19s. 2d. Some information as to the price of Govern- ment lands in Canterbury will be found in Chapter XV. ; but an emigrant will probably find it more advantageous to purchase from private individuals land suited to his purpose, even as high as 5. or 6. an acre, rather than embark in a larger quantity at a cheaper rate, on the speculation that, as the settlement progresses, his land must also increase in value. Such frequent allusion has been made in other portions of this book to the grazing dis- tricts north and south of Canterbury, connect- * This estimate exceeds, by 13,000., the estimate of the value of the wool exported in March, 1854, as ariven in Mr. Harman's Circular. PASTORAL PROSPECTS. 215 ing it with the best districts annexed to the Nelson and to the Otago territory, that I have not thought it necessary in this chapter to call attention to them, further than to mention that the intending stock-owner can hardly do better than make Canterbury his head-quarters, while seeking for a profitable investment of his capital, in either a sheep run, a cattle station, or in the more interesting, because less mono- tonous, occupation of dairy farming. CHAPTER IX. THE PASTORAL OCCUPATIONS OF NEW ZEALAND SHEEP FARMING. CATTLE FARMING. DAIRY FARMING. HORSE BREEDING. PRICES OF STOCK. BY far the larger portion of the occupations of colonists in New Zealand arise, in some measure, from the productions of the soil. These may be either in the form of garden or farm tillage, or in the pursuits consequent upon the depasturing of sheep and cattle to supply the markets with wool and provisions for export, in addition to the meat consumed in the colony itself. Of the several means of investment arising from these sources, the most important, both from the annual value exported, and also from the large profits resulting in proportion to the capital embarked, are those of sheep-farming. Cattle-farming, and dairy-farming, are also ex- tensively carried on, but the latter is not so general as the former two. Pastoral pursuits cannot, of course, be entered upon by every class of settlers to so great an extent as those of tillage, to which almost all colonists who are PASTORAL OCCUPATIONS. not entirely confined by business to the limits of the towns, devote some portion of their time. But, as all classes alike are interested in the benefits to their colony resulting from a large export trade ; I have thought it best to place first in the order of arrangement, some de- scription of the different branches of pastoral life in New Zealand ; reserving that of agri- culture, and other rural occupations, for a separate chapter. The climate of New Zealand is so suitable for the depasturing of all kinds of cattle, that cows, sheep, and horses thrive at all seasons of the year without any support from artificial food or grasses. Of course, however, their condition is greatly improved by the cultiva- tion of English grasses for their fodder, and horses in hard work require corn, as in Eng- land, to keep them in good condition. In Canada, it is necessary to provide food and house-room for all farm animals during the entire winter; but, in New Zealand, shelter is scarcely ever necessary for cattle, and even for saddle and cart horses in daily work, the stables are frequently built with one side open to the air, and the horses which are accustomed at most times to roam at large, are found to 218 PASTORAL OCCUPATIONS. thrive better in these buildings than when com- pletely enclosed. The most profitable pastoral occupations are sheep-farming for the exportation of wool ; cattle-farming for supplying the colonists with butcher's meat, and also with draught bullocks, as well as young breeding stock; and also dairy-farming. For the latter pursuit, the great demand for cheese in Australia whose climate is generally too hot for cheese-making opens a constant market, in addition to the profits arising from the high price obtained in New Zealand itself for milch cows, and heifers ready to be broken in for milking.* * A friend tells me that the expression " breaking in" heifers requires explanation. Any one who has visited a colony must be aware that cattle, when allowed to run wild without enclosures, soon become very difficult to reclaim. A young cow when first milked is generally " baled up," that is, her head is secured between upright posts so that she can raise or lower it, but cannot turn round to use her horns. One of her hind legs is then stretched out behind her, and secured by a rope, and then an attempt is made to milk her. A pint or less of milk is frequently con- sidered a satisfactory result of the first attempt to milk an " unbroken heifer." When a cow has submitted to this process a few times without much struggling, she is considered to be " well broken in to milk." SHEEP FARMING. 219 A full description of the management of a sheep-station is not necessary in these pages. I shall, however, presently quote some passages from a most excellent pamphlet published in 1851, by Mr. Frederick Weld,* a gentleman who, out of a small capital invested eight or ten years ago in sKeep, is now deriving a very considerable income from his flocks in various parts of New Zealand. I may mention here that catarrh, the most destructive of all diseases among sheep in Aus- tralia, has hitherto never been known in New Zealand. It may not, perhaps, be very clear to persons in England how sheep-keeping in the colonies becomes generally so profitable to graziers. When, however, it is remembered that it is not a high rate of increase for a flock of sheep to double its number every three years, and that, at this rate, the produce of 1000 ewes would at the end of twelve years amount to 16,000 head producing more than 100. of cash profit annually for every 1000 sheep, besides the increase in the flock it will not * " Hints to intending 1 Sheep Farmers in New Zea- land," by Frederick A. Weld, Esq. Stanford : Charing Cross, 1851. 220 PASTORAL OCCUPATIONS. appear surprising that such large fortunes have been made, and still result, from this mode of investing capital. The chief annual outlay on a sheep run is the wages and provision for the men, and not more than 2d. a year as the average expense for the keep of each sheep. In addition to the current expenses, there are the drays and necessary teams for supplying the station with provisions, and for carrying down the wool after the shearing season, to the ports for shipment. The shearing of the sheep is generally done by contract ; a number of extra hands being engaged for the purpose, at so much per 100 sheep shorn their rations, in addition to their pay, being provided for the shearers. Wool sheds must also be erected for shear- ing and storing away the wool; and, occasion- ally an entire flock requires dipping to cure it from scab and other diseases. But, notwith- standing all these outgoings, the expenses are not heavily felt when distributed over the en- tire annual cost of a large flock, and, unless some unforeseen accident or disease overtake the flock, the profits are very great in compa- rison with the trouble incurred in getting the wool to market. SHEEP FARMING. 221 The only limit to the numbers of a flock is the extent of pasturage possessed by the owner, and also the increased risk of loss from disease or other casiialties, incurred by keeping on the same establishment a very great number of animals, whose lives are of course but an un- certain capital to depend upon. There are now in Australia in more than one locality, flocks numbering upwards of 100,000 sheep belonging to a single owner. The largest flock in New Zealand at the present time is that of Messrs. Clifford and Weld, in the Middle Island, which does not exceed 30,000 head. And, from the much more limited extent of the pasturage allowed by the Govern- ment Regulations in New Zealand, to be leased to one individual,* than is the case in Australia, it is not probable that there ever will be flocks of a greater size than this, until the natural grasses of the country have been improved by cultivation so as to render the " runs " capable of supporting a larger number of sheep per acre, than the present wild grazing land will admit of. In New Zealand, as has long been the case in Australia, almost all the land known to be See page 224. 222 PASTORAL OCCUPATIONS. available for pastoral purposes* has already been let out by the Government for leases averaging from 7 to 14 years so that a person now emi- grating, with the intention of embarking his capital in sheep or cattle-farming would have to buy a pasturage or "run," as it is called, probably with the stock upon it, for the re- mainder of the present occupier's lease from Government paying a considerable premium for the good-will of the tenure. However, if desirable, a portion of the flock could be im- mediately disposed of, in case the whole cost of the " run," with the stock, were too great an investment for the intending purchaser. The increased price of a station thus stocked, there- fore, with the " improvements " upon it, would not necessitate a very much greater eventual outlay than the beginner would have incurred by taking up an unoccupied pasturage for him- self, and bringing it into a condition fit for the management of a large flock. The necessary building for the residence of the stock-owner himself and his men, together with the garden, paddocks, &c., and the sheds * See an allusion to a new tract of country supposed to be available for grazing- purposes, near the Nelson and Canterbury districts at page 119. SHEEP FARMING. 223 for shearing and preparing the wool, are all included in the sale of a run under the general name of l< Improvements." By far the largest extent of pasturage in New Zealand is in the Middle Island. In fact, almost the whole available district from Nelson down to Canterbury, and again from Canterbury to Otago, is occupied by pastoral holders of land with their flocks. Of this extent of country only a very small portion is fully stocked some portions, capable of depasturing 20 or 30,000 sheep, having only been leased out during the last two or three years, so that many years must elapse before the present flocks in New Zealand have increased sufficiently to occupy the various " runs," over which they are now scattered, to the full extent which the country is capable of supporting; but upon these, as upon all other points relating to sheep-farming, the reader cannot do better than consult Mr. Weld's little pamphlet, to which I have already referred. It would be of little use in these pages to explain the Pasturage Regulations in full ; es- pecially as they are not in all parts of New- Zealand exactly the same, and have probably been altered a little since the meeting of the 224 PASTORAL OCCUPATIONS. General Council, June, 1854; but I may give some idea of the cost of pasturage by stating that the rent for a tract of wild land, estimated as capable of feeding 20,000 sheep for a lease of fourteen years, averages not more than 100. a year, a less sum than this being paid in the earlier years of the tenure. This standard, however, does not apply to certain parts of the country under local regulations. One head of neat cattle or breeding mares are counted as equivalent to six sheep depastured on a run, so that 100 cows or oxen would be charged the same price as 600 sheep for their annual pas- turage. It should be noticed that, in addi- tion to the fact, that a large portion of the country is already occupied by sheep or cattle- stations, which, of course, leaves less unallotted land for new comers, the pastoral regulations would not permit a very large extent of un- occupied country to be taken up by one per- son, unless he were possessed of flocks in pro- portion to the extent of country applied for. This is a very just regulation, preventing the monopoly of large tracts of land by persons without sufficient stock in their possession to enable them at once to depasture, and im- prove the lands they apply for. The largest PROFITS OP SHEEP FARMING. 225 tract of pasturage which can be leased by the same stock -owner, is a tract estimated as capa- ble of supporting 20,000 sheep in its wild un- improved condition ; and the smallest, one adapted to 5000 sheep. The average cost of the pasturage of each sheep is not considered to amount to more than 2d. a year, and about Is. for horned cattle ; so that the rent one of the heaviest expenses in stock-keeping in Eng- land becomes the least important outlay of graziers in New Zealand. .Respecting the average profits of a sheep station, Mr. Weld makes the following obser- vations : " As will easily be imagined, on no point have I been asked more questions than with regard to the probable profits of sheep farming; and certainly no question can pos- sibly be more difficult to answer with any degree of accuracy. So much depends on the breed of sheep, so much on good management and good fortune, so much on the nature of the 'run/ the state of the markets (ever vary- ing in a new country,) and on the number of the stock, that it really amounts almost to an impossibility to give anything like a decided opinion, or an average statement of results. And indeed it will probably remain so, until. Q 226 PASTORAL OCCUPATIONS. the increase of stock and population, and the introduction of something like a settled system in the management of waste lands, shall have combined to approach things to a permanent level. I might adduce numerous instances of large profits having been made by sheep and cattle farming in New Zealand, and I should find it difficult to name many in which the re- sult has been unfavourable, even under peculiar and disadvantageous circumstances. One thing I consider I am safe in saying, that with a flock of any magnitude, say 2000 sheep, the wool, after the first year, ought in ordinary cases, fully to cover the expenses, leaving the increase, and the fat male stock as clear profit ; whilst, as the flocks increase in numbers, the wool, of course, gives a greater proportion of profit. I believe that I am speaking within bounds, when I say that this is the case on all, or most of the sheep stations I am acquainted with on the Middle Islsnd. At this rate, a better investment could scarcely be made, even taking the minimum possible price of stock as that to be realised. I might easily, by taking any special case, shew its probable profits, but by so doing, I am not aware that I could con- vey a mere useful or correct general idea than I have already done." COST OF A SHEEP STATION. 227 After expressing his opiuion " that a flock of from 800 to 1000 breeding ewes is required to commence a self-supporting station on anything like an adequate scale," which at the rate of 30s. for each ewe, the price in the Canterbury district, in January, 1854, would require a capi- tal of from 1500. to 1800.* to start with; Mr. Weld continues : "It must not, however, be supposed from what I have said, that a man cannot commence sheep farming with a less capital than that which I have indicated above. I mean, that above a thousand pounds or somewhat less is Recent information shews that sh^-ep are even dearer now (1855) than they were twelve months ago. A lot of 1000 sheep sold in Otago, last. November, were purchased for 35*. per head. The price for breeding ewes in the same settlement two years ago, did not average 225. per head. In the older settlements in the north, the price for sheep has also very greatly increased of late. The cost of transporting sheep from one part of New Zealand to another by sea would not average, allowing for deaths during the voyage, more than 5s. or 6.?. per head for the number landed alive ; it is not therefore probable at the present time, that sheep are selling for less than 25s. per head in any part of the colony. Possibly, by buying a "run' with the sheep and improvements on it, the whole flock of 3000 or 4000 sheep might be purchased in one lot at a considerable reduction on the above prices, but in making an estimate of costs beforehand, it is always the safest to take the current market value as the standard of valuation. 228 PASTORAL OCCUPATIONS. the minimum capital with which a man in the majority of cases may without rashness, count upon establishing a sheep station on a secure and self-supporting footing. But at the same time, I am aware that he who brings his own labour and experience into the concern, and thus materially reduces its expenses, or who invests in sheep as an adjunct to a farm or other establishment, may of course commence with less capital, and a small number * * * *