THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 202, 6 November 1869, Page 7

THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

The Telegraph comments upon the visit of H.M.S. Blanche to these Islands as follows ;—“ Her Majesty’s ship Blanche, being at the Antipodes along with the Duke of Edinburgh’s ship Galatea and the Challenger, was despatched to the Auckland group, as agent in destraining for rent ‘ upon certain premises ’ ; to wit, ‘ the islands and other lands demised to persons named Enderby, by lease, dated on or about the Ist of March, 1847, the rent thereby reserved not having been paid.’ Cromwell once sent a ship of war as an ambassador; but this was the first time in history, we should think, that a vessel of the Royal Havy carried a writ from the Court of Common Pleas, and ploughed the billows to do the work of a bumbailiff. It was probably the first time, too, that a distress warrant was ever levied upon an archipelago, and that Britannia had to ‘ put in a bailiff’s man’ for arrears of rent. Having a ship to spare, and nothing better to do with her for the time, Britannia has naturally enough looked up the deserted bit of property ; and the Auckland Islands are once more ‘in the occupation of the owner.’ Before 1806, they were totally uninhabited ; and we are not aware that there is anybody upon the little group now! Stay ! surely there must be a broker’s man on them still—for, if not, what is to prevent the Flying Dutchman or anybody else from making himself at home on the islands ? John Doe or Richard Roe must certainly be left in possession ; and the imagination fondly dwells upon the wretched official, and wonders how he likes it. Does he wander on the sands taking inventories of the penguins and limpets, and getting the whale skeletons ticketed and ready for the sale by auction? Does he label the old oil-casks, and count up the rotten planks and timbers of the whalers wrecked there? The islands would not prove such a bad bargain either, if any gentleman were desirous of renting a sea-girt empire of convenient size, with unquestionable ‘water privileges.’ The whales are said to be coming back ; and, for anybody of an enterprising mind, near at hand lies the vast and mysterious Antartic Continent, in which—for anything that is known to the contrary—there may be found the Elixir of Life, the Philosopher’s Stone, gold mines absolutely without limit, or any other now incredible marvel. Right through the globe, almost beneath our feet, lie these delightful islands, in an excellent position for a per-planetary tunnel—should M. de Lesseps turn his attention that way, after the opening of the Suez Canal in November next. Who wants to take the lease of a snug little insular kingdom ? for why should we be ashamed of playing estateagents when the British Navy thinks it no degradation to take a turn at being sheriff’s officer ?”