1856 - Fitton, Edward. New Zealand: its Present Condition, Prospects and Resources - CHAPTER IV. WELLINGTON.

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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 minutely dwelt upon than others; because,--from the beauty of its scenery, the great amount of its shipping, and the number of natives frequenting the neighbourhood of its harbours,--Auckland is more likely to have attracted the attention of persons, who form their ideas of a whole country from the most salient points of interest which it affords, than the less populous, but, perhaps, more strictly emigrant settlements in 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

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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 accommodation, for their growing flocks, will he of great benefit to the stockowners of Wellington, 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population have steadily refused to permit any purchase or occupation of their territories, beyond the boundaries originally made over to the English Government.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 Handbook to New Zealand, written in 1848. The

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following brief description and particulars are compiled from more recent authorities.

The town is situated in the beautiful landlocked 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 extremity of the harbour. The formation of some excellent roads has recently opened up many good agricultural sections, within moderate distance 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 importance, its trade being nearly, if not quite, equal to that of Auckland. The town is very

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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 entertainments, 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 described in another chapter; 1 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 description 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

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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 settlement.

The latest accounts from Wellington shew, that the colonists suffer almost as much from a want of labour, as in any of the other settlements. 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 supplies for export at a rate nearly as high as any of the New Zealand or Australian ports. The

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following are recent retail prices at Wellington, as given by the local newspapers.

"Wellington Markets.--Retail Prices, Nov. 18, 1854.--First flour, 30l. per ton; bread, per 2 lb. loaf, 8d.; beef, 7d. to 9d. per lb.; pork, 8d. to 9d. per lb.; fowls, per pair, 4s. 6d.; ducks, per pair, 6s.; geese, 7s. each; turkey, 8s. each; fresh butter, 1s 6d. per lb.; salt butter, 2s. per lb.; potatoes, 23l. per ton: eggs, 2s. per dozen; cheese, New Zealand, 1s. 4d. per lb.; Bathurst, 1s. per lb.; maize, 12s. per bushel; ale, 2s. 4d. per gallon; ham and bacon, 1s. to 1s. 2d. per lb.; firewood, per load, 1l."

Persons interested in the fluctuations of colonial 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 100 lbs.; bread, 9d. per 2 lb. loaf; beef, 7d. to 8d. per lb.; mutton, 7d. to 9d. per lb.; pork, 6d to 8d per lb.; fowls, 5s to 6s per pair; ducks, 6s. to 7s. per pair; geese, 5s. to 6s. each; turkeys, 7s. to 9s. each; fresh butter, 1s. 8d. per lb.; salt ditto, 1s. 4d. per lb.; potatoes, 7s. per cwt.; eggs 2s. 6d. per dozen; cheese, 1s. 6d. per lb.; maize,

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10s. per bushel; bran, 3s. per bushel; raw sugar 4d. to 6d. per lb.; loaf sugar, 1d. to 8d. per lb.; ale, 4s. per two gallons ; ham and bacon, 1s. to 1s. 2d. per lb.; firewood, 40s. to 45s. per cord; onions, 6d. per lb.

"Wellington Markets.--Retail Prices, April 25th, 1855.--First flour, 53l. per ton; bread, per 2 lb. loaf, 10d.; beef, 7d. to 9d. per lb.; mutton, 7d. to 9d. per lb.; pork, 8d. to 9d. per lb.; fowls, per pair, 4s. 6d.; ducks, per pair, 6s.; geese, 7s. each ; turkeys, 8s. each; fresh butter, 1s. 4d.; salt butter, 2s. per lb.; potatoes, 12l. per ton; eggs, 3s. per doz.; cheese, New Zealand, 1s. 4d. per lb.; Bathurst, 1s. per lb.; maize, 12s. per bushel; ale, 2s. 4d. per gallon; ham and bacon, 1s. to 1s. 2d. per lb.; firewood, per load, 1l."

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

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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 experience, 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 attendance bad, and by some of my fellow-passengers the place was condemned wholesale. Six months has witnessed 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 improvements 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 10s 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 everything, is very trying. Yet those who try succeed. I

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think I told you my first impression of the country was disappointment, so different from the prairies of America, so like the most poverty-stricken districts of England, that I was getting absolutely disheartened until I 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 to wind and sun to grow anything and everything. 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 uncommonly 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, I went to the land office, marked out the two 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

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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 I could depend upon (which is now nearly impossible) 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. 10s. 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. Labourers 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 returning to England, and they will bring back "lying reports about the land."

The following description of Wanganui or Petre, a district about sixty miles north-west

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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 sacrifices. So that now, holding it under the aegis of the Government, I feel the assurance that it is indeed mine; and, on the other hand, I 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

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of its former most promising days; for of those settlers who left it, when to their eyes it assumed, 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 beneficial 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 conjointly 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 implements 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 respecting this settlement, there are two only

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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 unproductive.

"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 within 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 which is not more or less clothed, on one side or other, with woods of majestic growth.

"As regards the next assertion, I would observe 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 super soil, in general, holds a large percentage of decayed organic matter. Every farmer knows that mould

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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 elsewhere, 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.

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The consequence of this experience is, that agriculturists are opening, or rather I should say, have opened their eyes from the delusion that bush land is El Dorado; and the once comparatively neglected fern sort is now in urgent demand, and eagerly purchased too, at most extraordinary 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 spreading 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.

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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 breaking 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 intricacies and difficulties offered by stumps, logs, and root ramifications, loads his bullock cart with his crop in open field, and very conveniently 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 potatoes, 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, 12s. per bushel; potatoes, £34. 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

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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 Ahuriri and Manawatu, both of them districts recently acquired by the Province, may in this place, be interesting to the reader.

LAND SALE AT AHURIRI:--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 25l. to 35l. each for front allotments, and from 10l. to 17l- for those in the rear. The Scinde Island allotments went from the upset price up to 30l. each, according to position, and exclusive of improvements, &c, all the improved lots being purchased at the upset price by the parties owning 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

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flowing into larger ones intersect and irrigate the block. The land at a distance, resembles a champagne country dotted over, or rather ornamented, 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 following words:--

"This highly favoured district bids fair to become the Goshen of the northern island. Each

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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. Commissioner 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 occasion of a grand 'tangihanga' for Apatri, an old chief drowned last year. Several fatal cases have occurred in almost every pa 2 along the east coast. The most important death here is that of Karanema, the eldest son of the principal 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

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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 further 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 British law has as yet no representative, the characteristic independence of the Maori is apt to become a little overbearing and offensive to the Pakeha; 3 but at Ahuriri, the natives are intelligent, 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 extermination a few years ago, have been amicably settled before the Court of the Resident Magistrate, Mr. Domett, to whose tact, temper, and

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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, 1855.

STATISTICS OF MANAWATU, APRIL 11th, 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 extinguish the native title in this district have been hitherto unsuccessful. The following statistics of its European population, &c., are interesting, and may, we understand, be depended upon in all essential particulars.

"Manawatu contains a population of 78 Europeans, 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.

"There are in this district, in the occupation of Europeans, 284 3/4 acres fenced and under cul-

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tivation; 12 of which are cropped with wheat; 31 1/2 with barley; 33 with oats; 1 1/2 with maize; 17 1/2 with potatoes; 133 1/2 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 31st March, 1854, it appears, that the revenue for that period, exclusive of loans on debentures, and advances on account of loans refunded, amounted to £9404. 18s. 10d. 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. 10d.; 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. 10d.; 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

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ending the 30th of June, 1854, amounted to 26,445 1/2 acres; and for the quarter, ending the 30th of September, to 8,612 1/3 acres. The balance in the hands of the Commissioner, at the end of the latter quarter, amounted to £13,441. 8s. 3d., of which £2,144. 10s. consisted of deposits not available, leaving an available balance of £10,596. 18s. 3d. By a Provincial Gazette for November, 1854, a large number of sections of land in the Oharius, Tukapu, Horikiwi, Pahantanui, Harbour, and Pakuratahi districts, were declared open for sale under the regulations of the 4th of March, at the fixed price of 10s. an acre.

A recent number of the New Zealander, an Auckland newspaper, in comparing the returns 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 statements. 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

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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 leaving Wellington, were wholly occupied in securing for the province large tracts of available land; and several millions of acres were purchased by him from the natives, the purchase-money of which must be provided from the money arising from the sales of land. In subsequent returns of this province, the receipts from land sales will form an important item, and must in fairness be attributed to the exertions 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 received, 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-

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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 regulations.

"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,

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not often very severe, and are more so in the north island, and especially in the neighbourhood of Wellington than in other portions of the colony. In the year 1848, an earthquake was perceptible in the whole of the north island, and in Wellington several buildings composed 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 preference 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. However, on the 23rd of last January (1855), a severe shock was again felt at Wellington, and also, in a slighter degree, in other parts of New Zealand.

None of the settlements, excepting Wellington, 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 details of the earthquake on the evening of the 23rd of January, which seems to have visited the whole

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country, although to a less serious extent than at Wellington. 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 constructions 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 injury was sustained, the bridge being destroyed, and the road rendered impassable. The inhabitants of Wellington 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 of 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:--

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"New 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, providentially 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, together 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

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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 houses put together like a box, as the houses in this country are built, could have outlived such a rattling. 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 everything 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 surrounding 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 my knowledge, and nearly smothered the inmates with water, besides

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bringing their light buildings down on them. Five natives, 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 suppose 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."