NEW CALEDONIA—ITS PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 458, 4 March 1867, Page 3

NEW CALEDONIA—ITS PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES.

[From the Sydney Morning Herald. 1 Though only eleven hundred miles distant from Sydney, there are few here who have any idea of Now Caledonia. By most it is thought a barren island of which the French have taken possession merely for the purpose of establishing a penai settle* tnent, while others believe it is-becoming a naval station, to be of use in case of war ; and it is not so long ago that I hoard the opinion expressed that the naval and military forces of New Caledonia would some d'ij make a descent on these shores. There are others who know that it is of wmr u-s to Sydney, inasmuch as the French Go-1 rernraonfc spends a considerable sum ofj money in this colony, and that there are traders on the Island who supply them* selves almost solely from this market, whose ' requirements increase every year; few, if any, have the slightest idea that the day is not for distant when the exports rom New Caledonia will be of very vast importance to all of the Australian Colo- ■ nie-s

New Caledonia was taken possession of by the French iu September, 1853. Missionary settlements had been made prior do that date, which twice bad been driven t-oui t:ie island. The natives in the sou|them portion are now completely sub- 1 j iued. They are more or less to on the! seaboard of the ee u coast, and on some portions of the no, th.we ,r cu.m There! we excellent harbotr.e all \om d the isiau-k out Noumea and St. Vincent on the west] coast, and Kami(„ on the east, are const-j dried the best. Not tnsuv years ig.i white! men were killed and eaten very near to! where the capital now stands, but at the pre ent moment one can travel with safety ehis portion ol (tie country, as the natives app.-cr most peaceable and well disposed. 1 vi-ited some native villages. Fearing evea now the white population, the plantations are always placet at a distance I. huts, and are situated in positions untilely bidden by tiec»; a narrow bush 11. ck, which can only be I . need b\ those who have been accustomed to travel in the country, leHiug to them. They plant coeoanutg, bananas, vrros, and taros, princ’pclly; the two Jr'ter forrair? the most important portion of their food. At tir. t s’ght tin ,e plantations appear disorderly, thou ,h one cannot fail to be struck with ll’o luxuriance of the v get'tion. The system of i,r> ntion is pe feet ; the nativ. in, kc a trench ( > bring wat-r to the t ip of i ! 'e fi.-ld, trorn winch small canals b, in? down the stream to the foot of every t ee which lequires moisture ; the not-ve walks over h ; '. land, finds a pi -nt wanting wr‘n- ' and cleverlv with bG foot t u :.s the car-i ■ eit. As for eosl une of bcV’i mah i and ivmah;the Jess said the bet^r—'tinu*t| ho.sce i to be t npiveia! cd. In the'.r o- n vii ages the men Pr-ely do anythin?: the ■nd Homcn fish and do >dl the h.-* r d wo k ; ■c ronng wo non spend n o t of their t : ne on > t, -" -r by (he fire, e.jiing yams and o h or sirok' ig their pit s. Led gentlv, too men cm be made to work will, and have nrovi d t>m nsel«-c: moo us id f> so.no of the colon's' . and i i f.e uT;.:ounric: ; but it is useless to endeavour to compel them t) do any beni labour; a ; j re it many who have been in the enploy of Europe ns have died in lonse-juance of be-ng sent to the fields whi' t the dew, which i always very heavy, was s.ill on the giound. Tlrs gives them severe colds com wb’ch they never recover. In their own vllc-es they always remain by the fire til! the dew ha* di appear: 1. The na tive population, in some pets, is decreasing vc. y rapidly : at a recent census it was found J hat one t.ibe had fallen olf by onehalf during live years. Flie capital of the co'ony wrs fixed at the head of a buy, named by tho natives Noumea, situate at the south-west end of the rdar.d. The site was selected on account ot the beauty of the harbour, which ;s very extensive and perfectly sheltered. The town st. etches alon? the shore of the harbour, and is enclo-ed on the other sides by bills. In one respect the spot was badly selected, th re being no water in the immediate neighbourhood ( The Town was first called TVI de France., out last year the oritinnl name of the bay! was given it. All the convicts are sta- i tioned on an island opposite to the tow> . If the Gi (voviinmnt is able to carry out the design that has been adopted (even in the, adoption of a plan (o lay out the cite, it, wps necessary to have the sanction of the! Home Government) Noumea will be an! exceedingly pretiy pi-ce. The space reserved for Government oilices a d bud I , ings is very large. It is impossible not to! he struck by the dulness of the p'ace as you land ; sol-'i.vs passing from one Go ver ment ollice to am t icr, nav.-d . nl n i litarv officers toing about, -how you at., once that you are in a military sctriemenM There is not tlm least sign of animation ini the streets, the dulness of which oppres-esj you, but. the beauty of the climate canijot fail to have a very contrary effect, and nil experience tends to show that if- ia.—rs ihealthy as it is becutifl. The summer heat is. I am informed, not so great as in Australia, whilst the winter is not colder than our spring. The near st plantations of importance to the cap-tal are on the banks of the Kiver Dombca, situated at the head of the bay of that name, distant about te n mile* 1 from Noumea. Ibe river winds in a valley of immense extent, enclosed by some of tho highest mountains in the island. Tinvegetation throughout tliii valley is be-1 yond description. Streams, which have never been known te want water, intersect it in all directions. A large portion of the land shows signs of old native plantations. It is in most parts ready for the plough, there being no rocks and very few trees toi prevent its passage, Some large sunar-

cane plantations hare been made here, and | the rapidity of their growth, their size and quality, surprise all who bare lived in sugar-growing countries. It is probable that there will be at least 100 to 150 tOUB of sugar exported next year. When people see this in Sydney, they will begin to think something of New Caledonia. The next article of importance which wa| shall seek to supply ourselves with from New Caledonia is coffee. It is only a little more than two years' e. 30 that ’attempts were made at coffee-growing ; prior to that date experimejts hr :’, been made with success, but nothing of importance had been done. The trees planted at the Government Model Farm surprise all who

is stated that in two years they have ati lined a size not reached in three or four years in other countries. Universal attention has now been drawn to this important article, and before the end of the present year upwards of one hundred and fifty thousand trees will be growing on the island.

Rice is being grown in several parts of the colony with great success. At the Model Farm there ere some large fields growing beautifully ; and on the Dombea it has also done well; but it is on the east oosst that the most important plantations h«ve been made. Ma ize Inis for some time been one of the chief snin-c.-a of revenue to the small farmers, mil is now very extensively cultivated 1 lie extraordinary rapidity with winch it grows, and the beauty- r of the produce, is such as to maker this an important article of export. Aheiciyjthis year large shipments have been-made to New Zealand, and very extensive co.itracts have been entered into for future seasons.

Cocoa nut oil and beche-le-mer have for many years ir on exported, but to no very large extent ; coooanut trees grow in great abundance on the eazt coast particularly, end the production of the oil could be increased 10 a great extent. There are fine forest' scattered over the island and timber of tlie finest description can bo obtained.