EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND.

Evening Star, Issue 3124, 22 February 1873, Page 3

EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND.

(From the Times , s lh November.)

Numerous letters have been received by the re'atives and wives of some of the first detachment of laborers sent out by Messrs Hrogdeu to New Zealand, for employment on the railways the firm lias contracted to make in the Colony. The letters concur in seating that, as regards wages, hours of labor, prices of provisions, and the delightful climate and character of the country, the writers find themselves in even more favorable circumstances than they were led to expect. The following are extracts : Picton, July 21, 1872. —“We had a very good voyage. There was no sickness, op board Beef is *2id per lb; mutton, Lid per lb. lam getting as fat as a pig. This is not like the old starvey pork (,s(o) home, but good living, plenty good beef and mutton, potatoes and flour as cheap as at borne. . . . My dear Mary, do not be frightened about the sea, it is better than riding in a railway train. You and the children will be rigged out with what you need. I hope we shall meet and all our

children by Christmas. . . . Batter in summer is 4d to 5d a pound. The goldfields are 12 miles from here, but this is sure ami easy work—si:; shillings a day, no lost time, our passage paid 'to wherever we are sent. . . . We landed without one penny in our pocket?, but, thank God, we had a place to go to, and the best of everything to eat. Tea is cheap here; brer Is a -quart,’! Another writes on the same day in much the same strain, mentioning also the landing on “ Probus Feast Monday.” Re entreats “his dear Nancy” to come out and “enjoy the good living.” Another writes : —“l’icton, 28th July, 1872.—My dear wife and children. . . . . I wish you and the

dear children were here to dinner to-day. 1 have spoken to the agents for you, and 1 want you to buy a new felling-axe and a new balthook. Ask Jack —— to buy it for you ; pay him to go to Truro ; he knows what a good felling-axe is ; he can get one for about os ; here they arc 2(,)5. 1 here is no snuff sold here in Pieton town, nor smoking tobacco ; cake tobacco is 6s per lb. Pay day is next week with us, so I cannot send you any money. Tell your two brothers that tliis is the place for them. They can get o\;t easily, and have their wives with them.’ 1 Another Pieton, 2‘Jth July, 1872 —Dear wife ami children, . . . .

lam feeling double the man I was when we left England. We had a splendid voyage out. We had two or tlxree jgsxlca o£ wind, but they were in uur favor. We anived at Wellington, New Zealand, on the 9th of July, and stayed there four days, and then went to Picton. 50 miles, by steamer. Wo got to Pietou about 9 o'clock on Saturday evening, and was welcome received there, X can assure you this is the p'ace for living, . I wish I had Walter here ; he would earn *2<j3 a week. . . . People here are all alike ; there is no pride whatever. If you think of coming out, do so at once, and come. Co to Mr , he will give you ail particulars. Dear wife, this is just the place for families like ours. If yon are coming, get a good outfit. If it coses 190, what odds? 'I here is plenty of money here If you come, send word. If you do not come, 1 shall, if it shall please Cod to spare me, come lippic i;i two or three ygarj, and have some money In qiy pocket;-, 1 hope. Female servants can get any amount of money hero, Cive my love to Miss , and tell her that if sho was here she could get two or three pounds a week as a barmaid. As for servants they cannot get any one here ; that was the cry when we got to Wellington, The people came on hoard inquiring for female servants ; there were a few gills about 14 or 15, who were engaged in a minute at good wages. . . Families is what they want here. 1 am very comfortable here; like all colonials, we make a hut and live in it, but have got to co >k our own food. (five niy love to all enquiring friends, and tell thsm that I am first-rate. Wc can go oift and catch a pig any time we like, two or three miles out in the hush. My b other was talking about coming ; I will he would, he could not do a better thing. ’Tie better to U Irvwg Uke * geirtk'gaa tbw tu

be in England starving. A working man can spend more money here npon comforts than he can earn in England. A working man is thought as much of here as a gentleman is in England. 't here is not the comfort as regards feather-beds; we have got to carry our beds with us where we go, but that is nothing after we get used to it Please tell John that there is plenty of work for him here ; carpenters get 9s for eight hours a day. My love to father and mother, and all friends. If you arc able and willing to come out, go and see Elizabeth Mind and get a good outfit; there is pleuty of money here to pay for it.” . . . Another:—“ Picton, Aug. 1, 1872. —My dear wife, I send you these few lines hoping this* wiR find you and my dear children well, as thank God it leaves me. My dear, I was very much put out when they told me that you had only a week, as I said 10s, I am afraid that my children have goue sh<rt of food, when I have plenty to spare. I want you with me and the children. We are getting 6s a day for nine hours. Every man gets the same, but we that have been on the road before are going to get something more, but I cannot as yet say what; but I can say this, that any man is an enemy to himself to stay at home to work if he can get it, for such wages as he must take. Out here Jack is as good as his master. I am going to ask you once more to come out, not for my sake, but for the dear children’s sakes. I know it is a great trial for you, but England, except for you and friends, is nothing to me ; I wish 1 had left it twenty years ago. If you won’t come I shan’t serve you as others' are going to do, but I hope if you have any lovo for me you won’t stay away I will write to my brother Thomas, and he will help to send you away. Bring all the things you can, as they will be of great value here. . . . . Please to write and let me know the name of the ship, and when she will sail, and by the time you. arrive all things will be n ady for you, . Mary Ann and Bessie would do well here If your two boys were here they would ge 15s a week each. They could have horses to ride wherever they went, so it is not like home. ”