THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, November 20, 1851.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 3, Issue 76, 20 November 1851, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, November 20, 1851.

The Poets of the Old World have pictured the fortunes of mankind to have passed through three distinct epochs or stages. These, they fancifully pictured to be, The Golden Age,—when Earth and Man were young.-The Brazen Age.— when hoth had beome more hacknied in the ways and prattles of each other— And, Lastly—The Iron Age,—that in which we ore suppled to live, and in which the struggle for the means and enjoyments ot life, is in some countries a continued conflict of misery, privation, and poverty. Without dwelling upon the dreams of the poets, we may he thankful to n benefit ient providence which has enst our lot in a /Veto IVorld where enrth and man are young; where the soil teems with fertility ; where no cravings of a starving population are left unsatisfied b"t where daily labour is rewarded with an ample abundance of daily food; and where patient and well directed industry never fails to insure competence and comfort. Stript of all poetical garnishing* this is indeed the Golden Age of the Romancer's imagination; —hut as if to render the picture completely perfect, we hn\e suddenly become surrounded by lands from whose bosoms the real, ruddy, solid, a!l-covet.d metal is being dug in rich and sparkling heaps. In the minds of manv calm and reflecting men the discovery of this gold is aquestion of doubtful good, seeing that in the insatiable desire it has inspired to accomplish its possesion, it has disturbed, if not, for a time. destroyeJ the order, the industry, and the natural economy of the immediate, and neighbouring colonies, to those in which the discoveries have been made. It i» not necessary that we should orrupy our time in speculating upon the effects that the existence of gold is likely to have on other countries. Our business is to inquire into the influence it is likely to exercise in favour, or in prejudice, of the prosperity of New Zea land. We have already more than once directed public attention to this question ; but, as every succeeding arrival from Australia not only confirms the continued success with which her gold mines are being worked, but acquaint us with the further discoveries of new and valuable mines we deem it incumbent to afford our readers every information on the subject, in the anxious hope of being enabled to indicate how the New Zealand Agriculturists may best and most prudently participate in thesa new-found riches.

Whatever gain tlie colonies and the colonists may derive from the gold with winch their mountains and their va'lies teem, it will entirely depend upon the patient and persevering steadiness of the people of Net" Zealand whether their own share of that wealth and the marked improvement of their country shall not he one of the immediate and infallible result*. The experience of the craving crowds who rush >n flocks to each new discovered field is against the trade of gold digging as a successful employment to the bulk of its impatient searchers; for although a few fortunate persons may a'nass large suim, it is clear that the main body obtain but very moderate wages for their sever* and unremitting toil. And, it mint be remembered, that not only are they who first went first served, nnd in occupation of the richest spots, but that immense numbers of persons are daily flocking from every quarter, so that the field of ent?rprizo must ere long become so greatly o-ercroirJed that there will be

neither space nor chance for the last comers. Since we )a«t tout lied on this subject, a new gold field Ims been discovered at a spot called Ballarnt, a short distance from the town of Geelongi in the province of Victoria. There, also, the gold is ahundant and of excellent quality: and such the intense avidity for its acquisition that trades and business have been a- nndoned, agriculture negletted, and a general rush to the mines ensued. And not only hns this been the case in the province in whit h the gold has been found, hut such is the excitement which it has occasioned in the adjoining colony of Vim Uienien's Land, from which it is hut thirty hours soil, that farm servants, traJestuen, mechanics and the general mass of the population are leaving it in /locks, w-t '"'fCsf*"" ,line ' ,unt ' ret ' persons having adwrf from Hobart Town in one week. Nor is it merely from the neighbouring colonics that go'd diggers are flocking. Like eagles after can ion, they are gathering together from far and wide. The thousands who rushed to California are now rushing baik again. Of this we recently hi d conclusive demonstration by the flying visits of the first ships of the larger fleet wl-ich were loading at San Fr; ncisco nnd Honolulu, Besides tin se, us the intelligence of these golden c!iscoveiies have now reached England,<in fi»e or six months heme there will no douht he an immense influx of sailing and steam ships into Sydney, with ful' loads of golil diggers from every part of Europe. Need we ask how are these people to he fed ? It is rlt-ar, that deprived of their farm servants it will be impossible for the Agriculturists of Australia or Tasmania to meet the demand for bread that will and must nrise. The question therefore that forces itself upon our minds ia, whether the native nnd European Agricultuiists of New Zealand will abandon tlieir fertile possessions to join in this wild and uncertain gold scramble, or whether, by remaining prudently and patiently at home, turning every field and acre to their utmost account, making productive the barren waste, and husbanding the great resources with which they have been remains, we say, to be 'sreu whether they will thus command prosperity for their country, and at the same time, ensure easy and unerring iidles lor themselves-

We rejoice that hitherto but few of our | sterling husbandmen, cither native or Euro) can, have hetn tempted to stray. '1 hey will find, ere long, that their forbearance lias been a wise one ; for New Zealand must not only speedily become the Granary of the Pacific, hut the great rendezvous of ihe Pacific While Shins. Captain Sullivan of the A in- rtran Whaler whi< h left the port <f Au klnnd on the 9th of (he present month, departed in the highest satisfaction with it as a port of relre-liment and refit, and with the determination 10 ninke its advantages fully known to every Arm rican Whaler he encountered. The great risk of desertion of their seamen will deter these ships' from visiting Sydney, Hohart Town, or -any Australian port; so, ns a matter of neiessity, Auckland is sure to become their resurt; and, once visited, judging by the approbation bestowed by those that have already touched, there can be little doubt, that, situated in the very centre of the wha'ing grounds, it will become the most favourite port in these sens. Here, then, are incitements to industry and perseveinnce. A brilliant destiny is the perspective of New Zealand. And whether gold will be discovered in her hilts or vallics, —as we firmly believe it ere long will—it will depend upon the constancy of her people, whether they shull not largely reu'ize for their country, j therfoets dream—Tub Agb op Gold.