CHAPTER XIX.
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CHAPTER XIX.
Other Provinces.
ANYONE going home from the colonies is astonished at the ignorance displayed by the "Old folks at home" of colonial geography. Colonists are apt to think that all in England are spectators of their steady rise and progress, and are consequently grievously disappointed at the crase and confused ideas which prevail, even as to the identity of the colonies. "You're going to Dunedin; I have a cousin in Brisbane; you'll perhaps see him," would be no improbable remark to be made to an intending emigrant; but the speaker might with as much reason say to a person going to Aberdeen that he would probably see some one else who was
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NEW ZEALAND GEOGRAPHY.
in Algiers. The new chum who arrives here, full of hope on account of having a pocket full of letters of introduction, is rather annoyed to find that they are of little use to him, as most of them are probably to people in Auckland, more than a week's sail from his port of debarkation, while others are addressed to persons living everywhere but the place he has come to. The want of knowledge thus indicated is bad enough, but it is not so culpable as when gross and glaring errors are made, as they are now and again by English newspapers of high standing.
In the course of these pages incidental mention has been made of some of the other provinces of New Zealand, and as perchance some readers may be a little uncertain, and yet desirous to know something of their whereabouts, I append the present cursory glance at them, which those who know all about New Zealand geography and resources already, and those who prefer blissful ignorance of these subjects, may leave unread.
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The islands of New Zealand are divided into nine provinces. Otago, including the late province of Southland, which was originally a portion of Otago, but was separated and established as a distinct province, and after a few years of independent existence has again been reunited, is the most southerly portion of New Zealand. Possessed of a genial yet bracing climate, considerable tracts of highly fertile soil, and large deposits of alluvial gold, Otago has advanced with rapid strides, and has far outstripped all its older neighbours. Some idea of the measure of this advance may be formed from the fact that the population in December 1858 numbered 6,995, while (about twelve years later) in February 1871, the figures stood at 69,491. This rapid increase is in a great measure to be attributed to the sudden influx of population on the discovery of gold. That this increase is not a mere floating population, there are abundant indications on every side, and it is further evidenced by the census tables, which in 1867 shew a slight decrease of about
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AUCKLAND.
one per cent caused by the reflux of the wave of 1862, while the increase of 1871 over 1867 is, without considering the re-united Southland, twenty-five per cent.
Auckland, the province in the extreme north of the north Island, comes next to Otago in influence and importance. Being the oldest province of New Zealand and for long the seat of the General Government, it was for many years the best known and leading province, but now she has been distanced by Otago, which shews every indication of being able to keep the lead. The climate of Auckland, and indeed of most of the north island, though truly delightful to live in, appears to be just a shade too hot for the British constitution. Not that it can be called a hot climate either, for notwithstanding that the city of Auckland is about the same latitude as Sydney in New South Wales, the heat is nothing like what has to be endured on the Australian continent; but the appearance of the children, who may be taken as the health barometer of any place, indicates,
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from a paleness of complexion, a tendency to an absence of that rude and ruddy health which promises so much for the stamina and vigour of future generations of southern New Zealanders. The lead which Otago has attained is so slight that there is not much to boast of: the European population of Auckland in 1871 amounted to 62,335, shewing an increase on the numbers in 1867 of twenty-nine per cent., but this was owing to the rush to the gold-fields at the Thames, the population of which has since dwindled down very materially. The mining on these gold-fields is exclusively quartz, no alluvial gold having been obtained, and the presence of some reefs of fabulous richness has given rise to a great deal of speculation and stock-jobbing.
The Maori wars were always a source of profit to the provinces of the north, and were sometimes, it was alleged in the south, fostered for the sake of the commissariat expenditure, but these wars are happily now a thing of the past, and Auckland, with her fine land and
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HAWKES BAY.
climate in which vines, lemons, and fruits of all sorts, saving the smaller English ones, grow in wanton luxuriance, will make more real and substantial progress than when pushed ahead and fostered by Government expenditure.
The other provinces of the North Island are Taranaki on the west, Hawkes Bay on the east, and Wellington in the south. The first has been aptly described as the garden of New Zealand, which in verity it is, but the hostile Maories have hindered settlement, and the whole province can only muster 4,480 inhabitants. It is on the coast of this province that the iron or steel sand, as it is sometimes called, is found in illimitable quantities. All attempts to work it to advantage have hitherto failed, but renewed attempts are being made, and doubtless the day is not far distant when it will be turned to a profitable account. Hawkes Bay is only a degree above Taranaki in respect of population, but it has made more material progress in the last few years than the latter province, large tracts of land having been leased
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from the Maories for grazing purposes, and occupied as sheep runs, many of them by men from the south. Wellington, the remaining province of the North Island, enjoys the distinction of its capital being the seat of Government, which elevates it to an importance it would not otherwise possess. It owes its greatness only to its central situation, the seat of government having been removed from Auckland at the instigation of the southern members of the Assembly, who objected to being made to journey to the extreme north every year to Parliament, besides the inconvenience which arose, in departments being so far removed from head-quarters.
The town of Wellington received a great fillip from the establishment of the seat of government there, but the province generally has steadily advanced with the rest of the colony. Wanganui, the second town of the province, is a thriving little place. In Wellington, hanging on the skirts of the general government, may be found plenty of pampered Maories,
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THE DUSKY SWELLS.
occupying a place which has been accorded to the aboriginal inhabitants of no other country in the world. One or two of the chiefs are members of the colonial ministry, and many others enjoy government pay as native assessors and similar appointments. These men and their wives and daughters are invited to entertainments at Government House, and the amusing spectacle has been seen of a hoary savage who knew well the flavour of human flesh, clothed and apparently in his right mind, engaged in the endeavour to lift with his hand a whole shape of jelly from the vice-regal supper-table and convey it bodily to his plate. For these dusky "swells" the supper is evidently the chief feature, for it is told in Wellington of one of the Maori belles, that, in giving the "court milliner" directions for a new ball dress, she told her to "leave plenty of room for kai," that is, the food.
Amongst the remarkable natural features of the North Island are the hot springs, which are numerous and of varying temperature, so that
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in one a rheumatic patient may enjoy a health-giving bath, and in another boil "kumeras" for his dinner. The strange yet beautiful terraces of coloured silica, each step or terrace containing a clear bath, which are formed in connection with these springs at Rotomahana, are unrivalled by anything throughout the world; and as to the springs, travellers who have seen both say, that the great Gyser itself must yield the palm to some of the hot springs of New Zealand. The district containing these natural wonders was till very recently a sealed book to European travellers; but the beauties of Maori-land are now thrown open to the world, and these attractive recesses invaded by a four-horse coach and its concomitants. A recent writer in the Pall Mall Gazette, speaking of these hot-springs, says: "I believe that Rotomahana will one day be the health-resort of half the world, and its natural beauties and wonders alone will well repay the trouble and expense of a journey to New Zealand."
The provinces in the South or Middle Island
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CANTERBURY.
are Nelson and Marlborough, in the north; in the middle, Canterbury and Westland; and Otago to the south. Of these, leaving Otago on one side, Canterbury is the most important. Differing very greatly in its physical features from Otago, Canterbury consists mainly of a vast plain, stretching from the southern alps on the west to the sea-board on the east. The province was originally founded in connection with the Anglican Church, as Otago was with the Free Church of Scotland, but, like Otago, it has since greatly lost its religious distinction.
The principal productions of Canterbury are wool and grain, both of which it largely exports. Christchurch, the capital, will always retain a reminiscence of its origin in the names of its streets, these being named after English sees. It is a scattered town, the ground covered by it measuring a mile square, and it is generally asserted to be the most Englishlike of colonial towns. How this idea should have arisen, is to some a matter of difficulty to discover, but it is perhaps due to the fact
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that the inhabitants have planted, many English trees and hedges which may lead colonists to recall old associations. Between Christchurch and Lyttleton, the port, there lies a long-extinct volcano, and through this the Canterbury folks have with great energy driven a tunnel and opened railway communication. This tunnel, from the nature of the hill it traverses, is specially interesting in a geological point of view, besides being a triumph of engineering skill for such a young province.
Westland, which lies, as the name indicates, on the western sea-board, was at one time included in the borders of Canterbury, but remained a terra incognita till the discovery of gold in 1865. A road was made across the islands, and carried through the passes of the lofty alps, traversing some of the most magnificent mountain scenery in New Zealand, but still communication with the provincial seat of government was too slow, so much so that the request of the inhabitants of the west coast district to manage their own affairs was granted
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NELSON.
them, and their district was separated from the province, and constituted a county. From that anomalous position it has now been raised to provincial honours.
The discovery of gold on the west coast roused for a time the province of Nelson into activity. Nelson is a thriving province, but slow-going compared to some of the others; its chief town, bearing like the province the name of the victor of Trafalgar, has been not inaptly dubbed "Sleepy Hollow." For those who like a quiet life, Nelson has probably few equals as a residence, as it enjoys a picturesque situation and charming climate. In the southern part of the province are large deposits of superior coal, but until quite recently little attention has been bestowed on them, and we in Dunedin draw our supplies of fuel chiefly from Australia. Now, however, this lucrative field for enterprise has been entered upon with every prospect of success.
Of Marlborough, the only remaining province, it is sufficient to state that it also is steadily
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advancing with the rest of the colony. It occupies the north-eastern corner, as it were, of the Middle Island. It exports a considerable quantity of timber to other parts of the colony, besides growing the great colonial staple, wool.
