A GLIMPSE AT NEW ZEALAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 22, 28 November 1861, Page 3

A GLIMPSE AT NEW ZEALAND.

Fob oub Home Readers. (From the Southern Cross, November 5.) Under this heading we do not purpose giving a geographical description of New Zealand ; neither do wo intend adverting to the physical features which this colony presents for our observation. A glance at the Southern papers, to hand per ‘Airedale,’ lias furnished us with much of the current information we require to enable us to supply some facts regarding the progress of colonization in many parts of these islands. And first we will begin with ourselves. It will bo seen, from a perusal of the various sections of our summary for past month, that Auckland as a province has made very rapid strides, against difficulties that would have paralysed a less enterprising community. We have built and improved, felled timber and fashioned articles of utility and elegance. The woodsman’s axe has awakened echoes in our forest glades that were answered by the herdsman’s call, as he tended his stock of cattle in the clearance. The lowing herds and bleating flocks now browse over wide tracts of country which were impenetrable ta man a few years ago ; and cereals grow in patches, of greater or less ex-

tent, along a large border of our coast line which but lately was in a state of nature. Near Auckland, there are signs oi perennial prosperity, for in many districts, thcee now remain no traces of primitive rugged sterility to apprise new comers of the dillicuitics that have been mastered. Hut these difficulties are being encountered every dav, with varying success in other parts of the province according to the skill, patience, energy and capital of the individuals engaged. Let it not be supposed however, that the settlers of Auckland are content nith y\ hat has been achieved near the city, and tliai. tney do not seek to improve their own condition by developing the resources of the country in the most desirable way. Far from it. \Ve find that the settlers at Otahuhu, do not forget in their individual prosperity the advantage of associated discussion on agricultural topics ; and hence at the farmers club, which meets there at stated periods, every member ol the club in rotation reads a paper, on which a discussion is afterwards taken. i!y that means much valuable information is communicated, for agricultural experience in this province dillers in many particulars from borne experience. a artlier from Auckland is the prosperous settlement of Fapakura, and there too the settlers, alive to the good arising from competitive exhibitions of stock, daily, and farm produce, announce that they will hold such an exhibition on to-morrow (\\ ec.nesday), November Hie 6th. The state of that district may easily be conceived on a perusal ot the list for which prizes are offered. This includes—best yearling heifer, and best yearling bull, reared in the district best colt or filly, rising two years, suited for farm purposes, and reared in the district; two prizes tor butter, one prize for cheese, prizes for turnips, carrots, potatoes ; and prizes for collie, sheep, or cat tie dogs. The Auckland Cattle ."show will come off on the 20th -November, at Xewmarket, a short distance Irom his city. Owing to the native war, the exhibition of stock did not come oil'last y ear. The entries are numerous ; and considerable interest is manifested in the event. A public dinner will be held on the evening of the show. Following this show of stock there will, be, on the 28lh hist, a horticultural exhibition, the taste for gardening being generally diffused among onr population. And to foster and improve the breed ot horses, the Auckland annual races will come off, with increased interest, on the Ist and 2nd Ja-nu-ary, proximo. \\ e need not refer to our cricket clubs, book clubs, libraries, mechanics’ institute, Christian associations, and literary societies all over the province, to prove that yve cultivate the amenities of civilized life very much as men do in the old country, to which our affections over turn with tender regard, although we cherish our adopted home with fresher feelings of attachment.

Let us change from the North to the South—from Auckland to Otago ; and mark the altered circumstances ot our sister province, within a lew months. Gold has been the talisman of a prosperity so rapid as to bewilder the sober settlers ot Dunedin. Put we look upon the creation ot a rival to Auckland, in the Southern island, as a great advantage. The commerce of the country will be enormously developed ; and wo may yet command the chief tratfic of the Pacific anil Atlantic oceans. Dunedin has become a miniature Melbourne—“canvas-town” included. We hope it may consolidate into as splendid a city as a capital ot \ ictoria, although we would regret an imitation of its political Quixotism. Melbourne has sent diggers, bakers, barbers, auctioneers, merchants, traders of every description and overwhelming numbers, to Otago ; and the local prints chronicle the appearance of omnibuses in their streets, and on the road to the diggings, with unctions satisfaction. Portable codec shops perambulate the streets ; ami Victoria fishermen now supply the tables of Dunedin folk with tresh fish taken from the teeming water of our Southern coast. The land-laws of Otago should be altered so as to retain on the soil a goodly number of those who merely wont there as adventurers, hut who would make good agricultural settlers. California, and not Victoria, should be the model in that respect of that Southern province.

Canterbury, with its railway in prospect ami present pastoral interests, is a great and influential province ; but beyond the formation of an association for securing the reduction of the price of firewood we have not much that is fresh to record about it. Vv e should add that the scarcity of timber in t anlcrbury is doubtless a very good reason why such an association should be’ formed ; and we only regret that it is impossible onr pioneer settlers have not the facility for exporting to Lyttelton those thousands of tons of timber which they cut down and destroy to effect clearances, for it would well repay the labour and cxpencc cutting, and n't the same time render our Canterbury friends independent of associated action to procure cheap inch \ et, strange as it may appear, the provincial geologist has discovered an extensive coal mine at Malvern Hills, in Canterbury province, and the Lyttelton Timex complains that, owing to the desire to find gold in that district, the more pleasing intelligence that an available coal mine had been discovered, lias “ fallen upon apathetic ears.” The coal in question is estimated to contain 85 per cent, of carbon. The mine will be easily ■worked, being situate on the borders of the plain, limaru is a thriving settlement in Canterbury, which holds (hat it can “walk alone”—politically. Marlborough is essentially a shoep-breed-ing country, its vast natural resources remaining otherwise undeveloped. The railway, by which it was intended to connect the port of Picton with the Wairau valley, and thus bring (he producing country into (he vicinage of a sea port, has received a “ severe blow and great discouragement” from the present government. Mr. Fox, (he Colonial Secretary, in a letter dated September sth, officially announced to the Superintendent of Marlborough that “ his excellency has been advised to refuse his assent to the Picton and Wairau Kaihvav Loan Ordinance.”

The mining interest in Nelson has grown to be of groat importance, and onr friends in that province are not slow to take advantage of every available means to improve their position. The Dun Mountain railway or tramway, when completed, will reflect immense credit on the province, and tmd to the prosperity of the entire community. The mineral wealtli of Nelson is great. Tts pas-

toral interests have occupied very considerable attention. Among its manufactures we may mention its ale and woollen fabrics, as of great merit and very considerable commercial value. Agriculture is, we have been given to understand, progressing satisfactorily at Nelson. The province of Southland, which is a slice off Otago, is the remaining province in the Southern island. Uy the Southern News we learn that the price of town allotments in Invercargill, the seat of government, has not sustained any abatements in consequence of the rush to the adjacent gold-fields. oold has been discovered there also. There are many marks of progressive development recorded in the A 'ewx, which we are now compelled only to hint at, but which, on reading pleased us very much. Ecturning again to our own island, turn to the sister province of Wellington, with whose prosperity we are very intimately bound np. The Xew Zealand Spectator savs, —“ Wellington bas been very unfortunate in its societies for promoting the improvement and developing tlxe resources of the country.” That journal then records the death of the horticultural and agricultural societies, and avers that the annual races are dying away. We deeply regret this state of things, but can sympathise with our fellow settlers of Wellington in many of the unavoidable causes which led to this result. But we fall in with the suggestion made in the same article, that a “ Pastoral Society, having chieflv for its object the improvement of the breed of sheep by means of annual Shows” should be established. Prudently conducted such a society must do good. These remarks only apply to a section of the province of Wellington for we find in the T Vanyanui Chronicle, of October 10th, a report of the dinner that came off on the occasion of the first annual ploughing match held in that district. Eight ploughs drawn by horses and five ploughs drawn by oxen, took the field, and the ploughmen reported to have performed their work in a creditable manner. We trust this agricultural 5 association will be most Paces are announced to come olf in the same district ; roads arc being made, and we also find mention of proceedings of several literary mutual improvement associations in the neighbourhood. The Wunqanv.i Chronicle, was recently enlarged. This is the third enlargement since its establishment five real’s ago. But there is one fact in relation to Wellington that ought to be mentioned—its chamber of commerce is a pattern to every chamber of commerce in New Zealand and particularly so to that of Auckland, which has larger interests to guard. In the Eangitikei district there are two Hour mills at work the propertv of settlers ; and the local print quoted above anticipates that two additional water-power mills will be erected there within the next twelve months. Hawke’s Bay province detached from Wellington by the Now Provinces Act, is making rapid strides in colonisation ; and although mistakes have been made by the men in power we have good reason to believe that the right path will be gained without much further stumbling. This province has most enterprising and intelligent settlers and a large pastoral interest, but tbe increasing population must create agricultural interest not second even to the pastoral, It has a delightful 'climate with an increasing commerce at its port of Napier. And what shall we say of Taranaki, the “ garden of New Zealand ? ” Her settlers are refugees, her homesteads are ruins, covered in many instances by the prolific vegetation of the soiland what were recently cultivated fields, producing wheat iu abundance, are now so thickly overgrown with thistles as to he inaeeessablc to man or boast. The “civilized and intelligent Maori” whose ruthless hand has wrought this transformation, claims the land, by right of conquest, that lie has changed from smiling landscape to a stat e of savage nature. But it must not always be so ; and Mount Egmont again will delight the eyes and make glad the hearts of happy Taranaki settlers. In (his article we have only taken a cursory view of the colony ; but on the whole, the prospect is encouraging. YV e have not specified the auriferous wealth ot Auckland and Wellington, which recent discoveries of the precious metal manifest. Neither have we carried our readers’ attention from point to point, and settlement to settlement of this and sister provinces, while we indicated the specialities of each, for that course would be to intricate for a newspaper article. But we have drawn such a picture, from patent and leading facts, as may materially assist our friends in our old country to estimate our progress as a whole, and separately as provinces. While there is much to create sadness in the north, there is also much to cheer us. Wo have faitli in the future. Onr settlers are not the men to be deterred by shadows or frightened by realities. They arc' here to rear a second Britain in the South, and they will do it. No vain regrets for past mishaps shall deter us from continual effort. Ours is a present duty, which we will discharge in the noble spirit of the poet— Trust no future, howe'er pleasant; Let the dead Past Imry its dead : Act —act in the Uvinsf Present, Heart within, and God o’erhead!