THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, November 18, 1852.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume IV, Issue 102, 18 November 1852, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, November 18, 1852.

When we consider the numerous examples of untiring and successful industry exhibited by the native New Zealanders;—when we look around us and behold them supplying the markets of the European with flour, corn, meat, and every variety of food ; when we contemplate them accomplishing their own individual prosperity and achieving their country's advancement, by their ready and intelligent prosecution of the arts and

acquirements of civilisation, we caitnot but deeply lament that ihcyliavc failed, as yet, (o direct their attention to the breeding and feeding of sheep—a branch of rural industry for which their country is so especially adapted, and which is so preeminently calculated to conduce to Iheir personal wealth and national aggrandizement. Lot ns slate a few simple facts connected with Australian Sheep Farming; and if our native readers will but reflect upon these and copy the examples we shall cite, they will not only become very great benefactors to the human family, but speedily elevate Ihemselves and Iheir kindred lo a condition of much and well-deserved opulence. About sixty-two years since, the English nation deemed it advisable lo banish their convicted felons to a remote and almost unknown couniry. That country was New Sniilh Wales; and the spot, where the first convict ship finally landed her living cargo, was where the rich and prosperous city of Sydney at present stands. The privations and hardships to which these people were for many years exposed were of an exceedingly painful character. Crops failed; for the early agriculture of the colony was extremely precarious. Sheep and cattle were destroyed, strayed, or driven away—provisions were, almost continually scarce, and of the worst quality,—supplies were rare ; for (here were then no neighbouring colonies, and no trading vessels to hasten to their relief:—in a word misery and starvation repeatedly stared them in the face. In the hope of mitigating such sufferings, Norfolk Island was colonized, with a view that it might become the granary of the infant-mother settlement. The attempt, to a certain extent, prospered; however, it afterwards was deemed prudent to extend the plan, and in a different direction. With this view, Colonel David Collins, of the Royal Marines, was dispatched lo form an establishment on the South Coast of New Holland. The spot selected by that officer was near to where the now flourishing city of Melbourne exists;—but, after a short stay. Colonel Collins apprehending a scarcity of water, struck his tents, re-cmbarked, and made sail for (he Dcrwcnt, (the principal river of Van Dien.cn's Land): —arrived there, he first broke ground on the 9th of August 1805, at a spot called Rest Down; but subsequently changed bis position, and established his "Camp" five or six miles lower down and on the opposite side of the river, at Sullivan's Cove, the present magnificent port of Hobart Town, which was founded on the 19th day of February 1804 —a little more than forty-eight years since. For many years, the difficulties of New South Wales, Norfolk Island, and Van Diemen's Land continued to be of a very disagreeable kind. They were established and maintained merely as repositories for the Crime or Great Britain. The first great instrument of amelioration—lhc primary means of raising New Holland from her degradation—of emancipating from barbarism and convening New Zealand to christian civilization —were SHEEP! Captain Macarlhur, an officer of the 102 nd Regt., became possessed of a few of the fine woollcd sheep from the Merino flocks of King George the Third. A small bag of the wool of those sheep was sent to England; and such was the price it realized, and such the approbation it commanded, that the greatest anxiety was manifested to increase the breed and to improve the fleeces by introducing the finer sheep of Germany and Spain. In the year 1810, the weight of Australian wool exported did not probably | amount to one thousand pounds. At the

present period it amounts lo many many millions of pouiuls. "When the vast capabilities of New South Wales and Van Women's Lain) for the brcedng ami feeding of sheep and the great prices ibtainablcror their wool first became known n England, an extraordinary emigration to hesc colonies immediately took place. I'housnnds upon thousands of Englishmen eft their native land lo tend sheep and iccuniiilate riches in Hie wilds of Australia. »v this means the conviol population became he less numerous class, anil were made Ihe ervanls or the free scalers. Men and Sheep nrreascd and multiplied. The people became rich and powerful. And so greatly did they prosper, that oilier new Colonies •gore foiiut'cd and have since grown into eminence in various parts of the mighty land of Xew Holland. The settlement of Europeans in Xew Zealand is also lo be traced 10 Unsuccessful Sheep-farming of Australia ; —and although as vol the breeding of these most prolific and profitable creatures have scarcely been attended 10, especially in the Northern part of the Northern Island of New Zealand, still, as the natives become conversant of the vasl benefit their lands will derive from depasturing sheep thereon; of the groat and easy profit to be acquired by the sale of the carcase and Hie fleece, we feel convinced that they will not much longer neglect availing themselves of the mighty means which have raised New South Wales, Van Women's Land, Victoria, and South Australia, lo pastoral, agricultural and commercial opulence, more especially when ihev learn that Ihe wool of New Zealand commands as high a price in the English markets, and when they can prove that the pastoral land of New Zealand, will maintain at least six sheep where that of Australia will barely support one. In a future paper, wc shall furnish a few particulars with respect to the expenses and profits of Sheep Farming. In the meanwhile, wc would urge our.native readers to contrast the numbers of Sheep depastured in the middle Island and Southern portion of the Northern Island, with Ihose that arc to be found in the Northern Country. They will perceive that here in the North there arelcssthan 14,000 sheep; whilst at Wellington there arc from 40,000 to 50,000; at Nelson from 70,000, to 80,000 ; and thai at Canterbury, where the European settlement is of barely two years creation, sheep are pouring in " from Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart Town, and Launceslon by every ship. Many and great things as the Natives of Ihe North have accomplished in the culture of their soil—in the acquisition of ships— in ihe construction of mills—and in the accumulation of wealth—they may be assured that they have yet pursued no source of individual and collective aggrandizement so certain and so easy as that to which (he depasturing of Sheep would inevitably lead. The gold mines of Australia might become exhausted in a moment, and still the country would continue to increase in wealth and consequence;—but,, were her Wool to fail—were her sheep to disappear—although she might not return lo (lie condition with which sixty years since she had lo contend, she would no longer be a land capable of feeding and clothing, much less of enriching (lie thousands and lens of thousands of human beings which Europe is now pouring upon her. What sheep have accomplished for Australia, — they will vol as largely achieve for New Zealand. Now, is Ihe time to profit by their management. The immense population pouring into the one country will the sure to disperse some of its thousands lo the other. Why not then produce the mutton to feed them, and ihe wool lo spin them blankets 1