OTAGO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 498, 12 August 1857, Page 3

OTAGO.

We find in the Otago papers of the J Oth and 11th of July some very important statistics of ths province, accompanied by editorial explanations in the form of a summary of general topics of interest for the information of friends at a distance. The population of Otago is shown by the census returns to have consisted on the 31st December, 1855, of 2,100 males, and 1,696 females, of whom 954 and 925 respectively inhabited the town of Dunedin and its vicinity. There were 1,626 natives of Scotland, 715 of England, 141 of Ireland, and 1,092 of New Zealand. These figures also include the hall-caste population. At the same date there were 10,000 acres of land fenced in the province, of which rather more than 5.000 were in cultivation. There were 1,152' horses, 15,£8 l head of cattle, and 129,902 sheep. The imports for 1856 amounted to £32,711; the exports for the same period to £24,669, and the Customs Revenue to £5,258. The current rates of wages are thus reported :— € sShepherds,per annum,with double rations 55 0 Agricultural Labourers do. do 50 0 Ordinary do. do. d 0....... 45 O Female Domestic Servants, per annum... 25 0 Trades, without rations, per day of 8 hrs. 10 Labourers, without rations, per day of 8 hours 7 The following observations of the '. Witness ' contain much interesting statistical and other matter. \ ' As will be seen by referring to the statistical tables, our population in December amounted to 3,766, which has'been increased by immigra-

•tion within the last six months to 3,944. These returns present many interesting subjects for remark; one of these is the important fact that more than .1,092 persons, or a fourth of the ■whole population, have been born in the colony. This fact speaks volumes foe the healthiness of the climate. Whilst in the home country a very large percentage of children die within twelve months after*their birth, the returns of death of this class in Otago show the percentage to be very low. The deaths over the whole community amount to somewhere about a. half per cent., or 19 to 3,796. The addition to our population by immigration during the year is 569, and for the eighteen months, 677. The Customs revenue for the last six months is £4,562, within £695 of the amount of the whole revenue of the last year, and considerably beyond the whole revenue of the year 1855. The export of wool for the last year is stated at 333,314 lbs., -valued at £19,316; for the first half of the current year it has been 253,699 .lbs., valued at £16,235. There are 1,259 acres more land under crop this year than there were •last year. There have been 18,867 acres of rural land sold during the same period. Artificial grasses have been more extensively cultiva.vated by 400 acres; the increase'of cultivation during the year of other crops at the following rates: wheat, 643 acres; oats, 118 ; barley, 17; turnips, 20; garden, 29. The cultivation of potatoes has decreased by 29 acres. The average crop per acre is returned at slightly under the average of last. The value of fruittrees is said to have increased beyond the estimate of last year by upwards of £2,000. The stock has increased in the following ratio: horses, 435; mules, 1; cattle, 7,383; sheep, 54,428.

The last matter we have to notice is the return of the revenue and expenditure of the Crown Lands Department. We, in remarking on the statistics published twelve months since, estimated the probable revenue from the Grown Lands at £10,000; we are gratified to find that that estimate, which at that time might have appeared somewhat exaggerated, has been exceeded to a not inconsiderable extent. The gross revenue for the year ending 31st December 1856, from this source is £17,383 : and for the quarter ending 30th June, 1857, it amounts to £5,083, or at the rate of more than £20,000 per annum. The gradually increasing demand for laud which this return shows, is perhaps the most healthy sign of the progress of the province. .It cannot for one moment be attributed to speculation, land jobbing with us being an unknown style of business ; it is rather to he attributed to the influx of population, which creates a steady demand for land for the parpose of bona fide occupation, just in proportion as immigrants arrive; and here we cannot help noticing the great advantage of devoting a large portion of the land funds to immigration; they so act and react upon each other that those funds promote immigration, and immigration produces a landfund—each accelerating the onward progress of the province. We may therefore very justly assume that the £20,000 voted during the last session of the Provincial Council for the purpose of promoting immigration will have a very beneficial effect upon the land revenue, and that Ofcago, with judicious management, will ere long outstrip some of the older provinces. From Mr. Thomson's report it appears that there is an amount of land available for agricultural purposes beyond that with -which we were previously acquainted, which will afford happy homes and snug farms to thousands of the over-wrought and halfstarved mechanics and labourers of the home country, whose distresses since the return of peace are very clamant. These lands are not the whole of the lands which, from the nature of the soil, are available for agriculture, but are so classed at the present time because of the natural facility which the navigable rivers afford for the conveyance of produce to market. Not only to farmers, mechanics, and labourers does the Province of Otago afford a field for colonization, hut, were its capabilities known, it would be equally attractive to capitalists. As not above three millions of acres have been granted or applied for, there is still a good opening for the investment of capital in thatmost profitable occupation—sheep farming. The ecclesiastical affairs of the province are in a satisfactory state. The settlement having been originally founded in connection with the Free Church of Scotland, the majority of the community are of the Presbyterian persuasion. There are three ministers of this body, who consequently form a Presbytery; and others are expected. Originally, a portion of the land funds were applied exclusively to the use of the Free Church, but that plan has for some time past been given up. The stipends of the ministers and other expenses of the church are chiefly obtained by voluntary subscriptions, which are liberally contributed. There are eight churches (some of which are also used as school-bouses) scattered throughout the province, belonging to this 'body. The money originally derived from the land funds was expended in land, but. the sums received from this source are far too small to deserve the name of endowment. Next to the Presbyterians, the Episcopalians are the most numerous body. They have but one minister, whose stipend is also raised by voluntary contributions. Efforts are being made, with a prospect of success, to create an Endowment Fund. This body has two churches—one in Dunedin and another in_ the Tokomairiro. There is one Wesleyan minister, a missionary to'the natives, to whom | his, attention is principally devoted. He occasionally ministers at Port Chalmers, where a churchy has been erected by the Wesleyans. There is another clergyman, who has a eongre-

gation not entirely of his own persuasion, to whom he ministers regularly in Dunedin. Education is one of the most puzzling questions which the colonists have to deal with. Apart from its religious and political aspect, the scattered nature of the population makes it a subject extremely difficult to settle satisfactorily. The Provincial Council made very liberal provision for education, having voted £5,000 for school buildings, besides paying the passage money and guaranteeing the salaries of five teachers at £100, and one at £200 per annum. There are consequently public schools at the Tokomairiro, the Taieri, the Green Island, Port Chalmers, and a High School in Dunedin ; and provision has been made for the introduction of six additional teachers, and for the establishment of schools in five additional districts. There are two private schools in Dunedin for young. ladies; and voluntary efforts in the cause of education have been made in some of the outlying districts. We have not the statistics relating to schools before us ; but in the town of Dunedin, 120, and in other districts about 130 children, are being educated at the public schools, which have been opened about 12 months, and they work very satisfactorily. The highest rate of fees is £1 Is. per quarter; the lowest, Bs. x ■

We add a few paragraphs of general interest.

Expobts.—The exports from this province, although they have received a considerable shake from the low rices of agricultural produce, in the neighbouring colonies, yet maintain themselves upon a satisfactory footing. The Thomas & Henry has just sailed with a cargo valued at £3,104. She was preceded by the Gil Bias and the Dunedin, with cargoes valued at £'3,338 and £'3,111; making the total exports for the month £9,553. A large portion of these exports consists of wool, but we are glad to observe that oats and potatoes again form a considerable item in the month's exports. The Robert & Betsy and the Content, now lying in harbour, present a further opportunity to the country settlers to ship their,surplus stock. It is a fortunate circumstance for the interests of all classes in this pi-ovince that markets in Australia should rule high for oats, and horse-feed 'generally, rather than for wheat, as, whilst yielding a handsome return to the farmer, it will enable us to feed our own population at a cheap rate: so that in the event of any reduction in the price of labour, the change of circumstances will press less hard upon the labouring portion of the community than it would otherwise have done. Prom the tone of the Australian, papers, and from other sources, we are led to believe that there will be a good market at Melbourne for all kinds of horse-feed ; and it is worth, the consideration of our agriculturists whether the production of peas and beans would not be a profitable addition to their present' operations. We also learn from a reliable source that there is and will always be a demand for good malting barley, for which remunerating prices may be relied :upon.—• Witness, June 20.

Ctjeious Discoveky.— Some time since some men, who were making alterations in the [ stables of Mr. Flanagan, situate in Stafford Street, Dunedin, turned up from a depth of several feet beneath the pavement a few silver coins of ancient date. One is.a coin of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, dated 1568; two others are evidently of the reign of Henry VII; another is apparently a Dutch or German coin. Amongst the coins is a copper token, which presents the appearance of having been plated with silver. This token is in a good state of preservation, and bears date. 1760. On one side there is a profile of George the Third, with the following words of the nature of a prophecy:—l76o around it; "George the 111 reigns 1809;" and on the reverse side " Long live the king." The name of the prophet or artist is "Kettle." How or where these coins came in the place in which they were found is a subject for speculation. In all probability it must have been subsequent to the date of the token 1760. CookY visits to New Zealand were between that date and 1777. That the coins were lost hj any of Cook's sailors does not appear feasible, in as much as coins of Henry and Elizabeth were not current coins of the realm at that time, the old currency having been called in during the reign of William and Mary. They may have been buried by the natives, who used to be in the habit of burying money or other valuables by way of security. If so, how the natives became possessed of them may form a fertile theme for discussion to those who are dispssed so to occupy themselves. — Ibid.

Reported Volcano.— A. short time since a rumour was in circulation that an active volcano had been discovered near Mount Misery, on the range of hills lying between the Tokomairiro and the Kaitongata. The spot has since been visited by a gentleman, who has obliging^ stated to us the result of his observations. On reaching the supposed volcano, he saw smoke rising from the,ground in quantities equal to that emitted by an ordinary chimney. The earth in the neighbourhood had evidently been subject to the action of fire, and in some places the ground had fallen in. On further examination it was discovered that the smoke arose from a bed of coal, which was in a state of ignition. A few specimens of the coal were brought away. It appears to be of good quality, presenting much the same appearance as that found at Coal Point, near Molyneux, and in all probability it is a part of the same seam, which we have no doubt extends the whole distance to the Tokomairiro. The spot where the fire was burning is not so accessible as many other places in which coal has been found, so that the discovery of its existence in the Kaitongata range is not of any immediate value-, but it is certainly

not advisable that the coal, which hereafter may be of great value, should be allowed to be consumed, especially as our informant states that the fire could, if attended to at once during the winter, be easily extinguished. The attention of the Government has been drawn to the subject.—lbid.