AKAROA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 548, 3 February 1858, Page 4

AKAROA.

[FIIOH OITK COKRESI'ONDENT.] Those who are meditating a visit to Akaroa ■ by the steamer on her maiden trip will be well j

pleased to learn that fruit is abundant, and luscious in quantity and flavour, howbeit very tardy in'season. Our gardens are in beautiful order, particularly that of the Minister. I should feel no hesitation in stating that in a few years, few if any, properties in this island of a similar character will be found of greater beauty, or displaying more genuine cultivated taste. Its position is of so beautiful and picturesque a character, cosily nestled back in a pretty vale, with a background of timber of natural growth, surmounted by lofty crags, sheltered from all the cold winds of the boisterous south, and facing the sun on its northern, western, and eastern slopes. The roads and paths that have been recently formed through our forest lands are rapidly and significantly proving their value; "the bush" is now ever resonant with the labours and industry of sawyers and woodmen, who, working (with few exceptions) with great diligence, are jealously saving the fruits of their perseverance for investment in land; it is thus that men themselves strike root downward and acquire a genuine amor patrice that transforms them into thinking and reflective characters; not the easy prey of dilettanti speculators in the sea of political economy, but rather the jealous conservators of the public rights in which they are sensible their own lie involved. One of our oldest settlers just returned from a somewhat lengthened visit to England i-emarks, with pleasure, that Akaroa has commenced to wear "the air of the world." The signs of progress are accumulating " ~hn all sides. A new Court House, and the old French Block House transformed into a new and sightly lock-up, the new Custom House, and the stately building opposite to it designed as a store for wheat and its product, &c, by our industrious and enterprising miller whose flour stands in such high repute, the erection of •other new buildings in contemplation, and the furbishing up of old properties, all evince a new spirit. The increase in population and traffic betoken a better state of things, all the more gratifying that it is no way due to a spasmodic or ephemeral touch, nor owes any thing to the galvanic and temporary impulse arising from land-sharking or speculation. To cast the eye over our town and suburban lots, the great increase of post and rail fencing of a most heavy and substantial character would give a newcomer the idea that some law obligatory of private fortification had suddenly come into force, suggestive of chevaux de frise and stockades. A little dip into the sea of statistics shews an increasing revenue from the Customs; also that the removals coastwise of timber fully equal 600,000 ft. for the year, the produce of the labours of the sinewy arms of our sawyers and of the still harder mills—one of which is by j water, and the other two (more recently set at work) "of the vapour of water, born of fire." Akaroa, but a few years ago, was represented in the matter of tonnage by one little cutter, the Catherine Johnston. Now we enumerate the pretty and graceful Mary Louisa, whose parent was Nicholls of Auckland —the swift and staunch little schooner called the Sea Bird— the staunch and strong Palinurus, bewraying -lier Fatherland, s Old England, and the solemngoing, arid: much enduring Caledonia, with her appropriate motto of "he that toileth, overcometh." These measure some 80 tons, but, by reason of the laws, although owned in Akaroa. they are affiliated in Port Lyttelton.. They are constantly employed in the conveyance of the natural riches with which we are so liberally supplied by a kind Providence which has marked out as our speciality the craft of the woodman in all its varieties. They also bring the contents of our. two large wholesale and retail stores, wherein, as an old sea dog expressed it in my hearing a few days since, you might procure every thing from a book of homilies or a shorter catechism to a tin-tack or a box of effervescing powders. A bill passed during the last session of the Provincial Council, and in due course assented to tiy his Excellency, provided for the erection of a jetty; but as yet (and the longest day is passed), our coasters, while landing their wheat and shipping their flour, still conjugate the verbs fto hump' and 'to wade' in all their moods and tenses; too often with a predilection for adverbs and adjectives of an irreverent character gravitating towards the superlative. The fading idea of a jetty, is not unattended with a growing belief in myths, or suspicions of anti-podean " cosas d'espana." The millers in turn make no secret of their opinion, that, when built, it will be verily a bridge of sighs. However, to turn joking adrift, 6000 bushels of wheat, total quantity arrived, multiplied by 60, shows an amount of weight that, divided over the shoulders of his Honor the Superintendent, the Venerable Archdeacon of Akaroa, who is chaplain to the Council, the Executive Council, and the honourable members for everywhere, would suggest, to say the least on the subject, an immediate attention to this want. A country that has so often employed eloquent pens in describing its rich soil and groaning crops should not want those appliances Avhich save money and time, which is both money and credit to our enterprising farmers. This veracious chronicle would still be incomplete, did it not contain the fact that our old preAdamite acquaintance and quondam host, James Bruce, has let his ancient hostel to an old Christchurch settler, who for some time past has been engaged at Otago in dairying and pastoral pursuits, but who has recently arrived here, by * Spec,' and entered into possession; bringing with him the reputation of being cunning in the manufacture of all cool and effervescing drinks, and all such other potations as arise in the conceits of thirsty and would-be bibulous travellers; to which, it is said, he joins a marvellous ' sleight-of-hand in all sorts of confections. He intends to alter, modify, and adorn the house, laying it out with especial view to the entertainment in comfort and privacy of those settlers who, the clip being over and harvest operations provided for, intend to reward their much-en-during better-halves (believe it) and treat their bairns both small and tall with what our Transatlantic cousins call "apleasure racket;" introducing them to the beauties of our primeval forests, and the chequered light and play of beams and shades their massive arms among. There is one treat only to be enjoyed in New Zealand, and it must be confessed we should like

to witness its enjoyment by the children of our Plains. What would they think could they I assist (to borrow an idiom from my French neighbours) at our matutinal concerts; could they listen from their little cribs to the anthem of praise ascending from the bosom of our woods to the eternal Father and Lord of us all from the feathered chorus composed of those "bell birds " of whom Cook so rapturously wrote? It proves, in poetry at least if not in fact, that, like all other rules, the general one that "it is always darkest just before the dawn" must be accepted cum grano salts, since it is at that very time that the sweet and solemn morning hymn of praise begins to rise. You will be fain to exclaim vires acquiriteundo! Time and space, and (it is as well to be honest) your patience, must all have an end, or I would have run onto speak about our dairy stations; the splendid condition of the milking mothers of our herds, and their rich produce of butter and that cheese which is styled ' Port Cooper,' and of the staple provincial export, wool, of which our two stations produce just forty bales. In conclusion, to prevent mischief, if it is true, as asserted, that patients who are under Homoeopathic treatment are wise in avoiding the negative effect of the perfume of flowers, let them stand warned in time not to venture on a visit to us. So odoriferous are we that we are only to be described as Esprit de Millefleurs fait expres par Madame Nature a Akaroa. Wednesday, Jan. 20, 1858.—Arrived this day the U.S. whaling ship Milo, G. H. Soule, commander. Captain[Soule called off Hicks Bay on the 3rd of January, and landed to procure some onions, potatoes, pumpkins, and all those esculents so grateful to weary cruizers for the cetaceous monsters of the deep; scarce had he been on shore a quarter of an hour when a heavy gale sprung up, and with his boat's crew he became the forced guests of the Maories, feeding on fruit and vegetables, without salt or pepper or any of those arts a la Soyer so necessary to civilized man—a course of anti-scorbutic diet quite Morrisonian: on board too much of salt, on shore too little. What an opportunity lost this was indeed for a comfortable and quiet perusal of that pamphlet of 1856, in which the author so earnestly laboured to prove salt to be the forbidden fruit. The ship, meanwhile, was obliged to keep to sea, and it was not until the expiration of the sixth day that this unwilling separation a mensa et thoro was concluded. While cruising on the middle ground the Milo fell in with an English water-cask full of fresh water; a very handsome boat 17ft. by 7ft., elm built and copper fastened, but little the worse for her solitary cruize; and a blue gum spar 90ft. long, covered Avith iong weed and shells. These all appeared to be thus held in a charmed spot by some ocean eddy. The Milo's skids are handsomely garnished with bunches of the most beautiful onions of the finest quality, provocative in the highest degree of epicurean thoughts, doubtless, if for once we may judge from external appearances, fully confirmed by gastronomical proof. "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." The ship's company was this time rewarded by finding a large budget of letters waiting their arrival at Akaroa, and on anchoring almost every man was to be seen with a sheet or two of closely written matter from some loved, one itt the fatherland. Better this, better far;' than deserting, and rudely severing that thread which when once thus cut the Parcae in their very best of moods scarcely allow to be rejoined, and never in its pristine integrity. The Captain reports a steady continuance of most rugged times—while cruizing between Jar vis Bay and Cape Howe he experienced fifty-one gales of wind in ninety days, during one of which his three port boats were considerably damaged. According to the report of Captain Soule, the Maories at Hicks Bay evince strong symptoms of any thing else than having profited by contact with civilization; he states that, during his forced visit and stay there, one of their number overheard or was present at a time when a settler engaged in trading pursuits, named Malcolm, formerly as he understood a magistrate in one of our West Indian possessions, was giving him in course of conversation some advice relative to his dealings, at which they saw fit to take umbrage and forthwith visited their anger by turning him and his wife and his two daughters out of their own house, breaking their furniture, and robbing them of some twelve or fourteen pounds in money. An American vessel, that had preceded him on a visit for the same purpose as his own, was boarded by quite a number of natives, with three tons of potatoes, for which they insisted on payment as if for five; and the Captain was obliged to accede, if not indeed too glad to get rid of them by complying with their demands- Captain Soule farther states that they made strong overtures to him to sell them ammunition and guns of any description, alleging that any prohibitory laws to such traffic formerly existing had been rescinded, offering him "any price;" the nature of such offer being quite enough to convince him that their allegation was incorrect. It is remarked also by Captain Soule that there was no Justice of the Peace there.

" What's a Visitation ? " —Mr. Spearman, of Newton Hall, at the recent dinner of the Durham County Agricultural Society, was reminded, by the absence of clergymen, of a story which perhaps he might be permitted to relate, as he had it from a very good source—viz., from a very excellent divine, who was himself a prebendary of a Cathedral Church of Durham. Two honest farmers, in riding along together, encountered a large number of Clergymen; and one of them said to the other, " Where be all these parsons coming from? " To this his friend replied, "They've been at a visitation." The other, no wiser than before, says, " What's a visitation? ** and the answer he received was, "Why its where all the parsons goes once a-year and swops their sermons." His friend, on being thus enlightened, quietly remarked, " Dang it, but oor chap mun get the worst qn it every time."— Gateshead Observer. The ' Univers' has the following remarks on the Day of Humiliation in Great Britain, and admits that England is still Christian, while deploring that she is not Catholic:—" England offers to the world at this moment a magnificent and noble example. An entire nation is doing-

penitence and is humbling itself before God, imploring His pardon for its faults, confessing that its sins have brought about the evils which afflict it, and supplicating him for victory. This is certainly a grand spectacle and a solemn lesson for the world. England—that haughty nation whose vessels cover the seas, whose empire extends over immense countries and over nearly three hundred million souls—humbles herself before the Almighty, and promises to act in future in a more Christian manner. This is certainly a grand example, and we recognise in such act 3 that the seeds of Christianity still exist among that nation; we foresee the glorious and admirable deeds it might accomplish were it to devote the immense resources it derives from its daring and persevering genius to the cause of truth and justice. England of the 7th October, 1857, is Chistian England; were England Catholic, we should believe in her salvation."