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LETTERS
FROM
CANTERBURY, NEW ZEALAND.
BY
ROBERT BATEMAN PAUL, M. A.
ARCHDEACON OF WAIMEA, FORMERLY FELLOW OF EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD, AUTHOR OF "GRECIAN ANTIQUITIES," "MARKHAM'S HISTORY OF GERMANY," &c. &c. &c.
WITH A MAP OF THE PROVINCE,
AND A CONSIDERABLE PART OF THE PROVINCE OF NELSON, SHOWING THE PURCHASED LAND, RESERVES, SHEEP AND CATTLE RUNS, MR. WELD'S OVERLAND ROUTE FROM NELSON TO CANTERBURY, &C &C
BY EDWARD JOLLIE, C. E.
London:
RIVINGTONS, WATERLOO PLACE.
1857.
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"If you had made no provision for religion in your colony, you would have to take what you could get in the way of emigration.
"Your labouring class of emigrants would be composed of paupers, vagabonds, and sluts; your middle class, of broken-down tradesmen, semi-swindlers, and needy adventurers; your higher order, of men of desperate fortunes, and young reprobates spurned or coaxed into banishment.
"You would build with rotten materials, your colony would be disgusting."--Wakefield's Art of Colonization.
GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE, LONDON.
[PREFACE]
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PREFACE.
THE following pages are for the most part the substance of information collected from time to time during a residence of more than four years in New Zealand, for the use of friends who contemplated emigration to that country. My plan has been to obtain, as far as possible, the opinions of persons universally acknowledged to be well qualified to give advice on practical colonial questions; consulting each on the subjects with which he may be supposed to be best acquainted. Thus, for example, I am indebted for the excellent article on the establishment of a sheep-station to Mr. Charles Hunter Brown of Double Corner; for information on agricultural matters, to Mr. W. G. Brittan and other experienced New Zealand farmers; for Church and educational statistics, to the Rev. Henry Jacobs, M. A., Sub-Warden of Christ's College, and Secretary to the Board of Church Trustees; and for a Map, which for minuteness and accuracy of detail can hardly, I think, be surpassed,
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to Mr. Edward Jollie, a very experienced and able surveyor.
To all those gentlemen I am only too happy to have an opportunity of publicly acknowledging my obligation, as well as to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, the Provincial Secretary, and the surveyors and other officials in their respective offices, from whom I have obtained very valuable assistance.
I have taken no pains to render my book amusing to the mere fireside traveller, who may easily find plenty of well-written and very interesting accounts of New Zealand scenery, national customs, massacres in the days of heathenism, and missionary labours and success at a more recent period. But I shall be more than satisfied, if those who really think of settling among us find in it any information which may prove useful in the way cither of direction or caution; and both, they may be assured, will be needed by them, if they wish to avoid the mistakes into which most of us fell in the early days of the settlement.
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CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION.........1
LETTER I.
Objects of the Canterbury Association. --Advantages of the plan. --Landing of the first colonists at Lyttelton. --Public works at Lyttelton, Christchurch, and in the rural districts. --Progress of the settlement checked for a time by the discovery of gold in Australia. --Canterbury proclaimed one of the six provinces of New Zealand. --A Settlement founded at Kaiapoi. --Emigration agent despatched to England. --Census of 1854. --Slight shock of earthquake. --Extensive sheep robbery. --The Provincial Government accept the liabilities of the late Canterbury Association. -- Bishop of New Zealand and Governor Brown visit Canterbury..........8
LETTER II.
Character of colonial society. --Rapid rise of the industrious working man. --What sort of persons ought to emigrate. -- Advice to intending settlers. --Hints for the voyage......23
LETTER III.
Climate of Canterbury. --Mr. Fox's account of the New Zealand climate generally. --Facilities for the breeding of sheep, cattle, and horses. --Gardening. --Mr. Cass's meteorological journal.........36
LETTER IV.
Boundaries of the province. -- Proposed route for a traveller who enters Canterbury from Nelson. --The Hurunui river,
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Motunan. --Double Corner. --Mason's Pass. --Mount Grey. --River Ashley. --Rangiora. --Agricultural land. --Probable extent of the plain between Double Corner and Timaru. -- Rivers Waimakeriri, Selwyn, Rakaia, Ashburton, Rangitaka, Cust, Eyre, Cam, Purarekanui, Halswell, Avon, and Heathcote. ---Native settlement of Kaiapoi. --Church. -- Ferry. -- Papanui church. --Christchurch gardens. -- Riccarton. --Anecdote of Mr. Deans. --Cashmere. --Mr. Wilson's stud. --Avonside Church. --Heathcote Ferry. --Bridlepath. --Lyttelton. --Pigeon Bay. --Akaroa. --French Farm. -- Lake Ellesmere. -- Rapaki. --Lake Coleridge. --Talbot Forest. --The coal districts. --Cattle and sheep runs. --Advice to the bush traveller.........53
LETTER V.
The Church of England in Canterbury. --College and Schools. --Literary and scientific Associations. --The Christchurch Club. --Newspapers.......75
LETTER VI.
Sheep-farming. --"Starting a station."--Waste land regulations. --Pasturage. --Agriculture........88
APPENDIX.
A. -- Narrative of Overland Journeys from Nelson to Christchurch, by Messrs. E. J. Lee and F. A. Weld.......105
B. -- Census of 1854 .....Table facing 125
C. --Table of Exports during the year. --Account of Immigration..........130
D. --A Sermon, preached before his Honour the Superintendent, and the Provincial Council of Canterbury.. 132
E. --Appeal on behalf of Christ's College..........144
F. --List of Occupiers of Runs...........158
Map...........Facing 100
