CHAPTER IV
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CHAPTER IV.
SOIL, CLIMATE, AND PRODUCTIONS
.
The first impressions I received of New Zealand were very favourable. We were four days in Cook's Straits, with a great deal of calm weather, and were an equal period at D'Urville's Island. The luxuriance of the vegetation and foliage on every side, as far as the eye could reach, was very conspicuous. The hills of which D'Urville's Island is composed are covered with trees from the water's edge to the very summits. On landing and rambling among the hills, this richness is even more striking, chiefly by reason of the variety of the plants which meet the eye. Coming, as we did, from a long voyage, it would be difficult to describe how agreeable the scene was to our senses, improved as it was by the fineness of the weather. The day on which we entered Port Hardy was perfectly cloudless. The time of year corresponded with July in Europe, and the clearness and brightness of the atmosphere were such as I thought I had never seen surpassed. The scenery may have appeared more beautiful
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on account of its being the first we had beheld after the voyage; but it was such as to convince us that the country we had chosen as a new field for colonization could not be poorly endowed, and it was quite apparent that the impression generally produced upon the passengers was of the most favourable kind. There was some surprise at the hilly nature of the country; but the general disposition to make the best of everything, which from first to last has been so conspicuous among all classes of the settlers, and which is, I believe, an important cause of the success of the Port Nicholson Settlement, prevented any expressions of complaint.
The favourable impression of the richness of the country thus produced was not weakened on entering Port Nicholson. We had anchored on the previous evening at the heads, as the wind failed us. The next morning was extremely fine, and we received a visit from Colonel Wakefield. Though the wind blew right out of the harbour, we got under weigh in the forenoon, beat up, and came to an anchor in the afternoon under Somes Island. Several of us being naturally anxious to visit the shore, we obtained one of the ship's boats for the purpose; but not knowing the nature of the ground, we neglected to observe that the tide was ebbing, and when we wished to return, the boat was high and dry. By the aid of some natives we got her off, and returned to
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the ship, satisfied with our inspection of the shore, limited as it was.
From the situation of the ship, and the character of the hills by which Port Nicholson is surrounded, we could not form a very accurate conception of the nature of the country. The present site of Wellington was too distant to be seen distinctly, while the river and valley of the Hutt were shut in by the hills, so as to be partially hidden from the view.
On the following day we visited the mouth of the Hutt, and the adjacent beach, with a view of determining where we should fix our temporary abodes. Having decided in favour of the banks of the river, the landing of the passengers and their effects commenced on the following day, every passenger cheerfully taking his part in the work.
When we were fairly "squatted," as I have before described, I had ample opportunities of examining the country about Port Nicholson. The favourable impression of the soil, which had been created by the richness of the vegetation, was confirmed during the three months of my residence on the Hutt, previous to my visit to Sydney. With the exception of the hills facing the Strait, and the high land around Evans Bay, the hills around Port Nicholson are covered with the richest verdure to their summits, which are level, so as to be susceptible of cultivation. The
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soil of the hills is extremely rich, and it is the flat land at their tops, as well as their sloping faces, which the natives use as their potatoe grounds.
I may here mention that the natives exhibit great skill in their mode of clearing wood. Their clearances reminded me of what I had seen in America; the stumps of the trees which had been cut down at some feet from the ground being left to rot. In burning the brushwood and branches, they first scatter them over the ground equally, so that every part of the soil is equally improved by the ashes. This is much better than burning in heaps according to the American practice, as the latter plan fertilizes unequally.
The consumption of the settlers caused a great scarcity of potatoes among the natives themselves towards the end of the year. They had sold their whole stock, and they must have suffered some privations until their next crop was ripe for gathering in. But in one respect this had a good effect, for so soon as they began to experience a scarcity of potatoes, they extended their clearings, and the quantity they subsequently raised became equal to the supply of their own wants and to our demand. This, together with the great number of pigs possessed by the natives, created a feeling of security among the settlers. With an abundant supply of pork and potatoes, nothing like
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want, or even scarcity, was likely to overtake the settlement.
The hills around the Port have since been surveyed and opened for selection, and they have generally been chosen by persons having early orders of choice---a proof that they are held in high estimation by those who have had the opportunity of examining them.
Disappointment was at first felt in consequence of an impression that there was a great scarcity of land in the valleys; but this opinion, which prevailed generally at one time, and was widely reported in England, has been corrected by experience.
At first it was thought that the valley of the Hutt was the only one in the neighbourhood of Port Nicholson, and this was believed to be more limited than it has since been found to be; but as the surveyors, the settlers, and some exploring parties extended their examination of the country, rich and fertile valleys, though narrow, have been discovered in every direction; and there is now a general impression that the available land in the Port Nicholson District, will be found sufficient to support a dense population.
The known portion of the valley of the Hutt is now considerable, and from the character of the hills, there can be no doubt that numerous smaller valleys open into, or communicate with it; indeed, little doubt is entertained that there is a commu-
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nication between the Hutt and a considerable tract of rich table land connected with Hawke's Bay and M'Donnell's Cove.
The great fertility of the valley of the Hutt has been often mentioned, and I can bear witness that too much cannot well be said in its favour. As soon as the woods are cut down, grasses spring up, affording excellent food for cattle, and all the seeds that have been sown there have produced luxuriantly.
It may not be out of place here to make a suggestion as to the necessity for a regular exploring staff to precede the surveyors. Most of the discoveries of fertile valleys have resulted from accident. No systematic examination of the country has taken place. The surveyors consequently have had but an imperfect conception of what they were going about. They have worked as it were in the dark, and they have, therefore, lost much time upon land which, had it been previously explored, they would not have attempted to lay out for appropriation at present. If, for instance, the mouth of the Hutt had been carefully examined by a competent exploring staff before the surveying party were placed upon it, it would not certainly have been chosen for the site of the first and principal Town. Thus, six valuable weeks of unprofitable labour would have been saved, and Wellington would have been ready for selection and occupation at a much earlier period.
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There is, and will long be, ample employment for a body of explorers, such as I venture to recommend. Although we have an ample supply of rich and fertile land, in proportion to our present wants,---enough, indeed, to support a very considerable population, yet, an inspection of the map will show how small a proportion the known parts bear to the unknown parts of the district. In fact, we know but little of the interior country, and yet, it must be evident, that from the extensive stream of emigration which is likely to pour upon New Zealand, the officers of the Company ought to be prepared to point out in what direction the most eligible districts lie. This, I repeat, is not the proper business of the surveyors. They have their own duties to perform, and if my view is correct, a previous exploring of the country is a necessary preliminary to all surveying operations. If the valley of the Hutt alone were fully explored, I feel confident, it would be found to communicate with other valleys of equal fertility.
The natives allege that it does so, and it has hitherto been found that their accounts are correct. In other directions also the character of the hills leads to a similar supposition, which it would be well to have the means of verifying as early as possible. It must indeed be quite evident that the operations of surveying are distinct from those of exploring; and what I desire to see is that
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that they be performed by distinct sets of persons, the one being the pioneers as it were of the other.
The Porirua district and river, the mouth of the latter being about ten miles from Port Nicholson, but parts of the district being less than half that distance, have also been partly opened for selection. The land in this valley is of the richest character. The mouth of the river Porirua forms an excellent harbour for small craft. It is a bar harbour with thirteen feet water, without any surf, and with anchorage outside under Kapiti or Entry Island. In the opinion of nautical men the bar may be deepened so as to admit vessels of larger draft of water. The Brougham was at anchor for several weeks under Kapiti, where she took in a cargo of whale-oil. This district is rather less heavily timbered than the Hutt, and the cattle find abundance of food there.
What the cattle and sheep do feed upon I am unable to say: they browse to a great extent on the young shoots of various trees and shrubs, and they find great abundance of agreeable and nourishing food, even before any grasses spring up. The rapidity with which they fatten is very remarkable. On my return from Sydney, I was struck with their condition, although the period of my return was just the end of winter. I recollect seeing an account somewhere, that the cattle which had been landed at Port Nicholson
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were starving for want of herbage. There is not a word of truth in the statement. The cattle landed lean from on board ship, became fat in a short time, without the least care on the part of the owners, as they are invariably turned loose to shift for themselves. Even the horses of the settlement are left to get their own living; they too manage somehow or other to feed themselves into high condition; in short, it was a standing joke at Port Nicholson, that the only raw-boned animal in the place was carefully fed upon hay and oats, and regularly groomed; whilst the other horses which were left to watch over their own interests, like true self-relying Colonists, were, as I said before, invariably fat.
It should be observed, moreover, that the oxen which worked all day and were only turned loose at night, were in equally good condition. The weight of some oxen has reached 900 lbs. and I know of no cases in which oxen have been fed artificially.
I have not the least doubt that the feeding of stock will become a profitable occupation in New Zealand. Preparations are already making for some establishments of this kind. One gentleman from Sydney is about to commence an establishment on Watt's Peninsula at the entrance of Port Nicholson. There are but few large trees on the spot, and they are confined to the shores of Burnham Water; but there is abundance of vege-
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tation, and as the soil is favourable to the purpose, I believe it is the intention of the enterprising proprietor to burn off the natural vegetation, and introduce artificial grasses---a course which I have no doubt will prove successful.
A great number of sheep have also been imported from New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, and they have thriven well. I learn that some New Zealand wool has already been sold in London, at prices about equal to those of Australian wool, and I have no doubt that considerable exports of wool will take place. Several persons in Port Nicholson are about to turn their attention to the keeping of flocks, and I cannot see any reason why it should not be a considerable source of prosperity, unless indeed more profitable occupations should take up the exclusive attention of the Colonists.
The business of establishing the settlement, the choosing of the Town Sections, and getting the population housed, have hitherto very much confined the agricultural operations of the Colonists. Enough had been done, however, in the way of experiment to prove that agriculture will rank high among the resources of the Port Nicholson district. The wheat grown upon the banks of the Hutt from seed obtained from the Cape of Good Hope yielded well, and was of excellent quality; and bailey grown from some seed which I brought from New South Wales, where it had
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been raised from Cape seed, also turned out remarkably well. Oats yield abundantly, and Indian corn or maize is universally cultivated by the natives. Potatoes are produced in great abundance, as the climate admits of two crops in the course of a year. The native potatoes are very good, but those which have been raised by the settlers are as fine as those of any part of the world.
The native mode of cultivation is very rude, and yet in spite of such rudeness, their crops are large. They have no idea of sowing only the eye of the potatoe; but when they dig their potatoes, they simply leave some in for the next crop. In many cases the crop is left on the ground, the natives merely opening the earth about the roots, taking up enough to supply their immediate wants, and covering the root again with earth. But as the New Zealanders imitate closely, and improve rapidly, they will soon adopt more economical modes of cultivation.
Potatoes have already been exported to New South Wales, and will become a very considerable article of exportation. The demand in the Australian Colonies is at all times large, and there is no other convenient source of supply, with the exception of Van Diemen's Land. The same may be said of wheat. The average price of wheat in New South Wales is extremely high, sufficiently so to give a profit to the New Zealand
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grower; but if, as I believe, the cultivation of flax should be still more profitable, it will not be worth while to raise wheat for exportation.
All the vegetables of this country have succeeded remarkably well at Port Nicholson. When we arrived, we found turnips, cabbages, and other garden stuff in great perfection. They had been raised from seed taken out by the Tory. They were grown between the present site of Wellington and the Hutt; and as some of them were left to seed, every one who chose to do so, helped himself in passing, by which means excellent sorts of every species have been spread over the Colony. There were, when I left Wellington, several well stocked gardens within the precincts of the town; and now that the Colonists are fully in possession of their town lands, a considerable portion of the future town will no doubt be converted into garden grounds. I may mention in this place, that Colonel Wakefield has growing in his garden a considerable number of English oaks, raised from acorns, and they bid fair to succeed well.
When I quitted the Colony, several vines had been planted, but had not then produced grapes. I myself took about one hundred cuttings of different sorts from Sydney, many of which were flourishing, but were of course too young to yield fruit. From the nature of the climate of Port Nicholson, there can be no doubt of the ultimate
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success of the vine; but whether it will be worth while to make wine for exportation, must depend upon the success of flax growing, the profits of which will, I have every reason to believe, give it a preference over all other modes of employing capital and labour. It is, however, satisfactory to know that the climate is well adapted to the vine, as well as to all the productions of the more southern parts of Europe. The olive has been planted at Port Nicholson, and is in the same state as the vines; that is, it has succeeded sufficiently to give promise of productiveness, though time enough has not yet elapsed to enable us to judge of the fruit. The mulberry has advanced a stage further. I took from Sydney some bearing mulberry trees, which at once yielded fine fruit. In this respect, they proved more hardy than my apple trees, the blossoms of which got injured on board the ship. I had also a stock of peach and plum trees, which I have no doubt will succeed. I had also some filberts, which are already in a flourishing state. The walnut I could not introduce, as it does not grow in New South Wales. It succeeds well in Chile, as does also the old Spanish chesnut, and I think it would be worth the settlers' while to try both.
One drawback upon the cultivation of the vine, the olive, and the mulberry, is, that the English really know nothing about it. To cultivate them to any extent, we shall require French and Ger-
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man cultivators, to whom the most liberal encouragement should be given. The few French at Akaroa, on Banks's peninsula, have begun to make a business of cultivating the vine, and, I am told, with every prospect of success.
The production which I think is likely to yield a larger profit than any other, and is therefore better calculated to engage the attention of the colonists, is the Phormium tenax, or New Zealand flax.
This plant grows in great abundance in every part of New Zealand. No soil seems to be unsuited to it; but as there are several varieties of this indigenous plant, it yet remains to be ascertained which is the best species, and on what soils it may be most beneficially grown. Formerly the Phormium tenax was extensively cultivated by the natives; but at this time all that is gathered grows spontaneously. The best kinds flourish at Port Nicholson, at that part of the Taranake district which has been chosen for the New Plymouth settlement, and, it is said, around Hawke's Bay. Taranake formerly yielded the largest quantity for exportation; but the natives abandoned that part of the country some years since for Port Nicholson, where they occupied the place of the original inhabitants, who emigrated to the Chatham Islands. This I learned from Mr. Richard Barrett, who has resided many years in New Zealand, and who then lived with the natives
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of Taranake. He has since lived at Port Nicholson, and has only lately returned to his former place of abode.
The early trials of the New Zealand flax will most likely be made from the wild plant, but as soon as it becomes an article of exportation it will be cultivated. My reason for so thinking is, that the number and great difference of the sorts must cause a considerable mixture of inferior with the superior qualities. Hence it will be necessary to discourage the one, and encourage the other. At present it would require much ground to be travelled over to collect the finest sorts only; by cultivation they would be always at hand, as none other would be worth the labour and expense.
It was some time before the colonists paid any attention to this subject, or indeed to any species of production. This was not because we undervalued its importance, but we were for some time busy with a succession of occupations connected with getting ourselves settled upon the land, temporarily as squatters, and afterwards upon our town acres. We really had no time to think of the future; the immediate business of settlement necessarily occupied us. After the town acres had been chosen, our thoughts began to take a more extended range. The utility of having some exportable staple came to be appreciated, and at length New Zealand flax fixed all our attention.
The first public exhibition of the interest which
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was growing up on the subject appeared in the shape of an advertisement, addressed "to the ingenious," in the Port Nicholson newspaper, the New Zealand Gazette, of the 12th of December. It was as follows :---
"A suitable reward will be paid to any person who may invent a machine to aid manual labour in preparing New Zealand flax or hemp, provided it complies with the following conditions: ---
1st. The machine, if to be used by one person, must not cost more than £5, and in any case must be durable.
2. It must be so easily applied, that one week's instruction shall enable the most ignorant to work it.
3. It must enable one person to render fit for shipment not less than 50 lbs. weight of flax daily.
4. It must be easily made and removed.
"Gazette Office, Taranake-place,
"December 10, 1840."
I know not by whom this advertisement was inserted in the Gazette, nor am I aware of any of the circumstances connected with it. I republish it here, merely for the purpose of showing that the attention of individuals was directed towards the subject.
On the 24th of December, an advertisement, signed by several persons of known enterprise, was published in the New Zealand Gazette, calling
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a public meeting for January 4th, to form an association to discover the best method of preparing New Zealand flax for exportation, and "all interested in the future prospects of the colony" were requested to attend.
In anticipation of this meeting a statement was drawn up by a gentleman who had made the subject his study for some time, and I believe had been engaged in the growth of flax in Ireland. I have no means of verifying his calculations, as I myself have neither made nor witnessed the making of any experiments, but I believe them to have been conducted with care; and as far as anything can be relied on in the present imperfect state of our information, I think the statement which follows is entitled to confidence.
"The native hemp, or phormium tenax, is the article of local produce which of all others can, with least delay, and least capital, be rendered fit for export in large quantities. It can be procured in a state fit for making cordage within six months from the present time, if an adequate capital be immediately raised, and proper machinery be erected and set to work.
"It can be prepared in any required quantity at a price which would command an extensive and ready sale, and, at the same time, leave a large profit to those engaged in the trade of preparing it. As a rough estimate of the nature of this important article, I beg to submit the following calculations for consideration.
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"Let it be supposed that in a flax farm of 100 acres in extent, each plant should occupy a space of two square yards, or a square of nearly fifty-one inches in the side, the total number of such plants to an acre would be 2,420; take as an average each plant to yield 12 lbs. of the fresh-cut green leaves per year, this would give rather more than 2,900,000 lbs., or about 1,296 tons, annually, of fresh-cut leaves off a farm of 100 acres extent.
"I have prepared a small quantity of the fresh-cut leaves, by way of experiment, and the result enables me to state, that about one-fifth of the gross weight of green leaves, prepared according to my plan, can be had of hemp, in a fit state for making good ropes or cordage: besides which, a quantity of coarse tow, equal to about half the weight of the fresh-cut leaves, is obtained in the operation of cleansing the hemp of short fibres and pulp. There would, therefore, be procurable from such a farm, about 250 tons of hemp in a proper state for the ropemaker's use, and about 600 tons of a coarse tow, fit for making ropes of inferior quality, and coarse packing canvass.
"This coarse tow would, if sold so low as 3l. per ton, almost pay the whole first cost of the prepared hemp, including rent, expense of cultivating and procuring the raw leaves, and the wages of the operatives engaged in the preparation of it. The hemp, if sold even so low as 15l. per ton, would be nearly all profit, as the cost of
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procuring it would be almost, or altogether, covered by the value of the tow. A capital of no more than 5,000l. would be sufficient to set on foot an establishment capable of turning out from 600 to 700 tons annually, and, in any case, would pay full 80 per cent, profit on the value of the hemp sold.
"I am of opinion that an establishment of the kind, having extensive rope-walks in connexion with it, would be one of the best paying investments of capital which can possibly be made in this place. I shall send a sample of the prepared hemp, for your further satisfaction."
This is certainly a brilliant promise; but although I will not venture to anticipate what profit the future cultivator of New Zealand flax is likely to realize, I have a very strong conviction that it will be our staple article of export; and that, like the wool of New South Wales, its profitableness will be such as to make it not worth while, for many years to come, to invest capital in any other exportable commodity. I ground my opinion chiefly on the large European demand, and on the great variety of purposes to which our flax may be applied. It combines the qualities of hemp and flax, some samples having the strength of the former, and others having the fineness of the latter. Cordage and coarse sail-cloth are made from the strongest kinds, whilst some samples I have seen have been of a silky texture,
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and I believe that in France cambric has been made from it, of great delicacy and beauty. It has also been manufactured into paper of excellent quality, both in this country and in France.
The public meeting took place on the 4th January, as advertised, and the following is the account of the proceedings which appeared in the New Zealand Gazette:---
"In conformity with the notice inserted in last week's paper, a meeting took place on Monday last at Barrett's Hotel, to consider the best steps to be taken to secure, at the earliest moment, some efficient mode of preparing New Zealand flax in larger quantities for shipment to Europe. The meeting was most respectably and numerously attended, and Colonel Wakefield was voted into the chair. Several gentlemen addressed the meeting on the extreme importance of the subject under consideration, and suggested various means of attaining the purpose for which they were convened. The meeting concluded by appointing a Committee to prepare a suitable address or proposals on the subject. The Committee met on Wednesday, and prepared the address which appears in this day's paper, and to which we invite general attention.
"It will be seen that a good subscription list is added to the address, and we hope our fellow Colonists will make the amount up to five hundred pounds. The absent proprietors, who will
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reap so large an advantage, unattended with the necessary discomforts of early colonization, we are confident will be prepared to add an equal amount to that subscribed here, and we may safely rely with confidence on the well known liberality of the New Zealand Company. We may, we think, assume that the subscription will amount to two thousand pounds, an amount, there is little doubt, which will set many an active and ingenious brain to work for the prosperity of New Zealand; the work of discovery once in the hands of such men, we feel confident a few months will find us in possession of the machine or process, which will enable us to freight a hundred vessels with a new production, which will still further augment the exporting power of our mother country.
"It would be impossible to place too much importance upon obtaining the means of preparing flax suitably, and in abundance for export. The plant is in boundless profusion, and the demand in Europe and America will far surpass any means of production of which we may become possessed. Instead of labouring under the fear which too commonly haunts producers, the fear of over supplying their markets, we have rather to fear the contrary, and especially at the most important period of production---its early stages. Manufacturers say, send us plenty, send us ten thousand tons to commence with---less is not worthy our
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attention. That is, send us some thirty ship loads as a sample. What an inexhaustible field such a demand suggests? And how trifling the amount of subscription necessary, we suspect, to enable us to open such a field of prosperity to these islands. Indeed, should any ingenious individual provide us in a suitable manner, as he will be the cause of the fortunes of thousands, a fortune ought to be secured to him for conferring so great a blessing on his fellow-creatures, by securing a patent on certain terms, or agreeing to some trifling export tax on every ton of hemp shipped."
The following is the address alluded to above: "Proposals for raising a subscription to reward the ingenuity of any person who shall invent a tool or machine, or discover a process, by which the phormium tenax, the indigenous produce of the islands of New Zealand, may be rendered available as an export for commercial purposes, at a price and in a quantity to meet the demand in the European market.---A meeting was held at Barrett's Hotel, on Monday, the 4th January, 1841, Colonel Wakefield in the chair, in pursuance of an advertisement issued by several gentlemen deeply impressed with the indispensable necessity of finding some staple commodity as an export for the islands of New Zealand. At that meeting much valuable information was communicated, and samples of New Zealand flax in dif-
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ferent stages of preparation were exhibited, and a provisional committee was appointed, consisting of the following members, intrusted to raise the necessary subscriptions to carry into effect the object proposed, and having done so, to report to a general meeting of subscribers.
MEMBERS OF THE PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE.
Dr. Evans,
Captain Daniell,
J. C. Crawford, Esq.
J. Watt, Esq.
W. B. Rhodes. Esq.
D. Scott, Esq.
G. Hunter, Esq.
H. Moreing, Esq.
R. D. Hanson, Esq.
W. V. BREWER, Esq. Secretary.
GEORGE HUNTER, Esq. Treasurer.
"The Committee having met, submit to the public a brief explanation of the object proposed, and earnestly solicit the contributions of all classes to a project so deeply affecting the prosperity of this community. Satisfied as this committee are, in common with all impartial observers, as to the salubrity of the climate and the vast agricultural as well as mineral resources of these islands, to say nothing of the fisheries and other branches of industry that are beginning to develop themselves, it must be admitted that hitherto the expectations entertained of the phormium tenax, as a staple calculated to rival the cotton of America and the wool of Australia, have not been realized. The failure has arisen, not from any disappointment in the quantity of the flax, which is found growing spontaneously in every part of these islands,
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on every description of soil, nor from any falling off in the growing demand for the raw material, but solely from the impossibility of any longer obtaining the native labour necessary to render it marketable by the first process of stripping and cleaning.
"The Committee beg to repeat emphatically that the only impediment to the export of an article which grows wild upon the highest hills and in the deepest swamps, which in its nature is a perennial, requiring little more attention than the periodical cutting down; which may be considered as producing, after all deductions and losses, an average of 2 1/2 tons per acre of available fibre, valued at 15l. per ton when prepared for shipment---is the want of some tool, machine, or process, for the economical performance of a very simple task, which has hitherto been successfully accomplished by the New Zealand women by the aid of a mussel-shell.
"The Committee cannot believe that anything more is requisite to supply this want than to invite the attention of ingenious persons in Europe, and in these Colonies, to the subject. They propose, therefore, to offer a reward for such an invention or discovery, feeling confident that the Directors of the New Zealand Company and other friends in England will co-operate with them in augmenting the subscription, and that the Company will undertake the special duty of making
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known the subject as widely as possible in Europe, and of promoting and rewarding the experiments of scientific men.
"The Committee need not insist upon the obvious fact that the land-owner, the merchant, the mechanic, and all other descriptions of persons in the settlement, are interested in providing that which, if obtained, will rank New Zealand among those wealthy Colonies which supply the mother country with the raw material of those manufactures upon which its prosperity, if not existence, now depends.
"Subscriptions are to be paid into the Union Bank, in the name of the treasurer to the Association.
SUBSCRIBERS' NAMES.
|
|
£
|
s
|
|
£
|
s
|
| W. Wakefield
|
5
|
5
|
M. Murphy
|
2
|
2
|
| G. S. Evans
|
5
|
6
|
W V. Brewer
|
2
|
2
|
| H. Moreing
|
5
|
5
|
David Scott
|
5
|
5
|
| D. Sinclair
|
5
|
5
|
H. St. Hill
|
5
|
5
|
| F. A. Molesworth
|
5
|
5
|
R. D. Hanson
|
5
|
5
|
| A. Hort, Jun.
|
5
|
5
|
J. T. Wicksteed
|
5
|
5
|
| W. B. Rhodes & Co
|
5
|
5
|
W. M. Smith
|
5
|
5
|
| Henry Shuttleworth
|
5
|
5
|
T. M. Partridge
|
5
|
5
|
| J. C. Crawford
|
5
|
5
|
S. Revans
|
5
|
5
|
| Ridgways & Co.
|
5
|
5
|
J. & G. Wade
|
5
|
5
|
| E. Daniell
|
5
|
5
|
Hay & Machattie
|
5
|
5
|
| Waters & Smith
|
5
|
5
|
J. Dorset
|
5
|
5
|
| Willis & Co.
|
5
|
5
|
|
|
|
| H. W. Petre
|
5
|
5
|
Total
|
£130
|
4
|
Soon after the meeting a select committee was appointed to receive specifications of inventions, and to report upon the same. The committee
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was bound not to divulge any invention that was made known to them, in order that those who were not fortunate enough to secure the favourable opinion of the committee might not be prejudiced, but might avail themselves of any advantages which their invention should enable them to secure. No report had been made by this committee when I left Port Nicholson; but I understood that several inventions had been submitted to them, which promised to fulfil the desired object---that is, to reduce the flax to such a state as will permit it to be exported without being liable to injury during the voyage. As to the nicer processes necessary to bring it into a state fit for manufacture, it will be probably more advantageous to perform them in this country, where they can be effected much more cheaply.
The great object is to separate the fibre from the refuse portions of the leaf. If this be not done, the fibre, that is, the flax itself, will heat in the packing, and become useless; but if the fibre be freed from the refuse a little more perfectly than the natives are in the habit of doing, there will be no danger of its heating, as that which is even rudely dressed by the natives very seldom heats, and then not to a great extent.
In Sydney the New Zealand flax is held in great esteem. It is invariably made use of where much strength is required, as, for instance, for whale lines.
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Before I left Wellington, string was manufactured from flax dressed in a peculiar way---I believe chemically, and not mechanically. This would do for string or twine well enough, but hitherto chemical processes have had the effect of weakening the fibre, and therefore have not been adopted or encouraged. Since my departure I find that cordage, string, and door-mats have been manufactured at Wellington for home consumption.
There is no limit to the extent to which flax may be raised by means of cultivation. It has been shown in the above extracts, that the return for a given outlay will probably be large, and the quantity which a given space will yield is inconceivable to those who have not witnessed it. It is not like a plant which merely yields a fruit or a seed; the whole plant itself is crop, every leaf yielding produce.
One fact has not, to my knowledge, been mentioned. The flower of the plants abounds with honey, which the natives frequently suck. Thus, should bees be introduced into New Zealand,---and I see no reason why they should not,---they will find abundance of food in the flower of the phormium tenax, as well as in others. I mention this in case any one should be disposed to take bees as an experiment.
Of the mineral productions of New Zealand very little is as yet known; indeed, many years
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must elapse before the resources of the country, in this as well as in other particulars, are even partially unfolded. Coal is an exception to this general statement, for it has been found in several places, and probably exists in most parts of both islands.
I recollect, before I left England, a native who died in this country, distinctly and with great earnestness stated, that coal was to be found on the southern island, and he pointed out the neighbourhood of Port Otago as its precise locality. Soon after the arrival of the Tory, coal was brought to Colonel Wakefield by some natives, and samples were sent to the New Zealand Company.
In January last a cargo was imported into Port Nicholson from a place called Wanganui, in Blind Bay, and it was found to burn well. This coal was obtained by the crew of the vessel on the beach by means of crow-bars and pickaxes, requiring no mining operations, and accessible to everybody.
Recent accounts state that coal has been found at Evans Bay, in Port Nicholson. To what extent it may exist there, has not been ascertained; but should it turn out to be both good and abundant, it will confer upon the place a high degree of importance as a steam-boat station.
Among the resources of New Zealand I must not omit to mention whale-fishing. The seas
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around New Zealand are the resort of the black whale; and almost the first Europeans who established themselves on the shores of either island were drawn thither by the abundant supply of fish in the neighbouring waters. There is scarcely a harbour in Cook's Straits, and on the eastern coast of the southern island, in which there are not whaling establishments. These are what are called "shore parties," who keep a look-out for whales, and when one makes his appearance they man their boats, and generally succeed in capturing him. The cutting up and boiling proceeds on shore, and when a sufficient quantity is collected a ship is sent---sometimes from station to station---to collect it. The Brougham, which was employed by the New Zealand Company, and which lately made so short a passage to England, namely, ninety-two days, was loaded with oil collected in this way, chiefly from Captain Daniell's station at Porirua. This, then, is the first export of oil on account of the Colony of Port Nicholson, and perhaps the first which will appear in the official returns under the head of oil imported from New Zealand; but in point of fact New Zealand whale-oil is not new to this country, though it has appeared under another name; for before the islands became a British Colony, the ships which were sent to collect the oil from Cloudy Bay and other stations, were cleared from the Sydney Custom House, so that the oil
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ranked as a Colonial, and escaped the heavy duty of a foreign production.
Henceforth, New Zealand being now a British Colony, the collecting ships will proceed to England direct from the places where the oil is made, and the nominal amount of the exports from New South Wales will be proportionably diminished.
The system of "shore parties" for which New Zealand affords such facilities, is much more economical, where it can be adopted, than the pursuit of the whale by ships equipped for the purpose. A ship requires a considerable daily expenditure for wages, provisions, and wear and tear, and it must be better to confine that expence to the time the ship is absolutely wanted. Where the whales are at a distance from any coast, ships are of course necessary; but where, as on the coasts of New Zealand, whales come within reach of boats from the shore, the great cost of pursuing them with ships is saved. This advantage is well understood by the settlers at Port Nicholson, who bid fair to be the purchasers of the greater part of the oil made at stations already established, and have begun to form new stations.
The supply of fish has hitherto been abundant, but it can hardly be doubted, that in time they will be driven away by the active pursuit of the shore parties. Whenever this shall happen, the Colonists of New Zealand will still possess the
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advantage of being able to carry on the fishery in vessels of moderate size, which will be constantly employed in fishing, the oil taken being brought to New Zealand for trans-shipment into emigrant vessels about to return home; a process far less expensive than that of the South Sea fishery carried on in European ships fitted for a three years' voyage.
Now that I am on the subject of fisheries, I may mention that the variety and abundance of fish fit for food are very great. Many, of which I do not know the name, are extremely fine flavoured. There is one called the "habouka," which is sometimes as large as to weigh 100 lbs., and is of excellent flavour. There is a fish like the sole, and the crawfish and oysters exactly resemble those, of this country.
There are various birds in the woods, but I know but little of them. Wild ducks and pigeons abound, but are easily scared away, and in the Taranake district, it has recently been ascertained that there are quails; their existence had been asserted by the natives by imitating their cry, and the information was confirmed before I left, by one of the surveyors of the Plymouth settlement, who had shot one there, and brought it to Wellington.
The excellence, variety, and abundance of the timber trees of New Zealand have frequently been mentioned by others, and I can do but little
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else than confirm, and perhaps in one or two trifling particulars, correct their statements.
The kauri is the wood most prized, because of the large size which it attains, and its fitness for the top-masts of the largest ships. None grow south of 38 deg. south latitude, consequently there is none at Port Nicholson; but this is not to be regretted, as it invariably grows upon a poor soil, and we have abundance of other woods of perhaps more extensive utility than the kauri.
The kahikatea has been spoken of by some writers as a very indifferent wood, but I have reason to believe that this is an error. The wood is similar to the American white pine, but of closer grain. It has been much used by the settlers, and has answered well hitherto. It works easily, and is admirably adapted for the joiner's work of houses to which it has been applied. It has been taken by some ships as spars, but I do not know with what success.
The totara is a wood of a different character, but of equal utility. It is very hard, of a reddish colour, and works well. I have seen some furniture made of the totara at Wellington. It is capable of receiving a good polish. The furniture I allude to was made from wood that had been for a considerable length of time sunk in the river, having floated down the Hutt from the large totara forest discovered by Dr. Dieffenbach, the Company's naturalist.
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The rata is also used for almost every purpose, being close-grained and easily worked. I believe it is well adapted for ship and boat building.
The rewa-rewa is a very pretty wood, marked with streaky spots of a lightish red colour. It would make a very good furniture wood.
There are many other woods at Port Nicholson, but they have not been brought under my notice; they are however known to be for the most part useful woods, and are sufficiently numerous to give the settlers a wide choice. The kahikatea, from its great abundance and serviceable properties, has been almost the only wood hitherto employed by the Colonists.
When I left Wellington, a steam saw-mill was just on the point of being erected by a company, which will for some time keep the town and neighbourhood well supplied with sawn timber of all kinds. From the demand which arose as soon as the town acres were chosen, sawn timber was very high priced, and sawyers consequently were enabled to earn enormous wages; but when the mill is in operation, I apprehend the price of deals and scantling will be reduced one-half---a matter of considerable importance to a rapidly rising town.
Shingles, a sort of thin short board, about the size of a tile, and used for covering houses, are already made to some extent at Wellington.
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Staves have also, I believe, been made of some of the harder woods.
The climate of New Zealand is as salubrious, as it is favourable to production. It has been stated in many of the settlers' letters which have been published from time to time, that although exposed to wet for days together, they never experienced the slightest ill effects. I can confirm this statement to the letter; indeed, the superiority of the climate is a fact upon which all the settlers agree. I have been frequently exposed first in fresh water and then in the sea, and then again in fresh water, and have allowed my clothes to remain on, without the least inconvenience. For the first three months that I was in Port Nicholson, I was incessantly occupied in the water, and yet I never had a cold. Then our tents and houses were not at first very well calculated to keep out the rain. In England the consequence of this would have been serious disease, and yet I heard of no case of illness from exposure.
The temperature throughout the season is singularly equable, as will appear by the following table of the temperature at Port Nicholson, from an account kept by Mr. Revans.
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STATE OF THE THERMOMETER AT PORT NICHOLSON,
FROM APRIL, 1840, TO APRIL, 1841.
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At Port Nicholson, the temperature in winter seldom sank below 45 deg. On one or two mornings before day-break there was a thin film of ice upon shallow-water in pools, but it did not remain. Snow never fell at Wellington, though it can be seen on the high mountains in the neighbourhood. Some of the highest peaks, such as Mount Egmont and some of the mountains on the South Island, are above the line of perpetual snow; but in the plains the snow seldom falls, and never remains.
The summer weather is equally removed from the extreme. The heat is never oppressive; and even were the temperature higher than it is, the constant breezes at Port Nicholson would obviate all inconvenience. Nothing, indeed, can be more delightful to the feelings than the climate. The only fault I ever heard attributed to it, is the prevalence of high winds; but this has been exaggerated, owing, probably, to the number of settlers who, having lived in the inland counties of England, had no previous experience of sea-coast weather.
On the suitableness of the climate to production I have anticipated almost all that need be said while speaking of the vegetation and the condition of all sorts of stock.
It has been commonly supposed in England, that the winter must be severe in the more southern parts of New Zealand. This is not the opinion
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of persons who have resided there. As I cannot give any information on the subject from my own experience, I will only refer to the statements of others. According to reports from captains of whaling ships, who had visited Port Otago, and who were questioned on the subject by Colonel Wakefield, the winter there is scarcely less mild than at Port Nicholson; and native inhabitants of the place have concurred in declaring that snow remains only on the hills. The growth of vines at Akaroa, in Banks' Peninsula, which were planted by the French colonists in the depth of winter, almost proves the mildness of the winter climate in that place. And Major Bunbury, in bis report to Governor Hobson of a voyage to the southward in Her Majesty's ship Herald, dated 28th June, 1840, in speaking of Stewart's Island, the southern extremity of New Zealand, says, "In some excursions I made, I was much pleased with the fertile appearance of this beautiful island; and although the winter was so far advanced, it was not so cold as I had anticipated from its being so far to the south. Indeed, the number of parroquets seen flying about, gave it rather the appearance of a tropical island. The cassowary has also been seen in different parts of the island; and I am told by Captain Stuart, that he has seldom found snow to lie here for any number of days, even in the depth of winter."
