THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, February 12, 1852.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 4, Issue 82, 12 February 1852, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, February 12, 1852.

In the "Messenger" before last, we endeavoured to direct the attention of ou r native traders and ship-owners to the great benefit that would result to themselves in j articular, and to Netv Zealand in general liy exhibiting to the Commercial world the extent and value of their costing trade, by means of entering their ships and cargoes ot the Custom House. It is to be hoped that the commercial

progress and prosperity which England, America, Franco, and other great mercantile nations are so eager to blazon, and the knowledge of which is so essential to their welfare, may not he overlooked l>y the intelligent New Zealanders, but that they will readily assist their friends and well wishers in proclaiming the extent and rapid increase of their industrial enlerprize, so that the fruits of their fields, and the produce of their toil may not only b e brought to a ready but a profitable market. It is by extensive intercourse with strangers, by an abundant sale of their own wares in the dearest, and by a purchase of commodities, which their country is unable to produce, in the cheapest markets that national grentness and prosperity is insured. To attract purchasers, merchants spend vast sums in advertizing the various goods they are anxious to dispose of ; und, with the same object, the windows of the shop-keeper are filled with the goods he desires to sell. It is precisely to advertize the commodities conveyed to Auckland for sale, that we and the other newspapers are desirous to behold the natives universally entering thoir ships and cargoes. Those entries will be copied from the Custom House books to the pages of the "Maori Messen gcr," and not only will the natives be thereby enabled to discover the amount of produce conveyed by each other to market; 'nit as the " .Messenger" is trans mitUd to every quarter of the habitable globe, ships in search of refreshments or of cargoes will at once perceive the character and extent of the commercial wealth of the land and people of New Zea'and. To afford you a practical i'lustrntion of the value of the information derivable from the entries of ships nt the Custom House, you need but look at the schooner "Falmouth," from Honolulu, and the barque "Kabrina." from Hobart Town. Both these vessels have been induced to visit Auckland in order to load with onions for San Francisco. Had neither of these ships arrived, onions wou'd have been of comparatively little value, and the natives have received little or no money for growing them. But had it not been f»r the Custom House entries which informed those strangers that onions were of excellent quality and abundantly grown, would not the chances of a profitable market to the na'ive grower have proved marvellously small ? You are a prudent and sagacious people. Pay attention to the words of your frien fs and seriously consider these things. Since our last, the Commissioner of Police has exerted himself in the most praiseworthy manner to collect a mass of information relative to the number of canoes, their crews, and the quantity anil and description of produce conveyed by them to Auckland and Omhunga. during the month of January. Leaving the printed returns to tell their own tale, let us just say a word or two, relative to the beneficM efTect these returns are calculated to produce upm the minds of mankind in general. Uy those returns, it has been shown thai between the Ist and 31st of January, (in all probability the dullest month in the vear.) the canoes of eight tribes imounting to 141 canoes, navigated by Gil men and 175 women, liavo landed,at Mechanic's and Commercial Bay, produce of the following kinds and quantities namely:—9l9 kits potatoes, 94£ tons firewood, 123 kits maize, 31 pigs, 9 kits flax, 107 kits onions, 3 goats, 52 kits cabbage, 350 bundles grass, 114 kits peaches, G kits kumeras, Ift fowls and 2J tons fish. Whilst at Onehunzatwo tribes in 10 canoes, navigated by 93 men and 39 women, have, between the 15th and 31»t of January, conveyed to market, 7 kiis potatoes, H tons firewood, 4 kits maUe, 29 pigs, 7 kits onions. 13 kits peaches, 3 kits kumeras, and £ ton fish. The estimated value of this produce (which is altogether exclusive of that conveyed overland or in coasting vessels) is .£285; or, taking £35 as the value of that brought to Onehunga from the Ist to the 15th"janunrv. oq-wl to JC32O worth per mqnili or £3340 per year. Now, -surprising as this must, no doubt, be to the Europeans resiling amongst you, it cannot

fail to be infinitely more surprising to Hie world in general. What n noble reply "this fragmental portion of your industry to those who have teen wont to stigmatize you as mere barbarinns of a scarce liigher order tlian the indolent, ignorant and sanguinary savages of New Caledonia and other islands of the Pacific. Such reports as these are admirably ca'culated to dispel such injurious illusions—to demonstrate that you are as intelligent as you are brave, and as industrious a s you are intelligent. That, as a people, your progress in civilization is rapid and continuous, and that by your own prudence and foresight you are untiring in your efforts to take your stand amongst the -.Wealthy, the worthy an J the religious of \\\fc nntiouß.