INTERCOMMUNICATION OF THE NEW ZEALAND SETTLEMENTS.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 107, 9 June 1847, Page 2

INTERCOMMUNICATION OF THE NEW ZEALAND SETTLEMENTS.

The unfortunate disturbances now occurring in the South, tend, with inci easing force, to impress on us the utterly ignorant and foolish manner in which the Company's settlements in New Zealand have been located. Isolated, disconnected, unprotected ; placed in such positions as from the nature of the country to be extremely difficult of defence; they are at the s«me time in the very kind of country which the natives, had they the choice, would select for their mode of warfare. Great Britain is now called on to protect a number of small settlements formed by a trad* ing company. What mattered it to the Broadstreet lJiiectors how their duped emigrants eventually fared, if they could, by dispersing them, lay out an immense town with innumerable town-allotments, at each place— as many settlements, so many towns — and thus sell their lands at an increased rate 1 Would that the men who lent their names to such a scheme, and by so doing induced hundreds of respectable families, in their fulness of confidence, to emigrate under their auspices, could now be made to feel a retribution which is unfortunately falling on the poor settlers ! Instead of taking the motto " Union is Strength" for their guide, they acted on a system which may be headed dispersion gives us more town allotments* Unlike tiie Jiee Master who joins his weak stocks to make a strong one; they, by their short-sighted scheming, have now on their hands, or rather have handed over to the Government, a number of weak swarms, perfectly unable either to feed or defend themselves. It is now too late, indeed it would be bad policy in reference to the effect it would have on the native mind, to abandon the disturbed settlements ; there is, however, one thing we can do, and that is, in their intercommunication, to bring them nearer together, and nearer the capital. How is this to be effected 1 We see no difficulty in the way. The present route must be changed for a nearer one ; and we must call to our aid the power of steam. However advantageous it may be to have roads intersecting the country, we must, for some time to come, be dependant, for military supplies, solely on water communication. Let any one who feels sufficient interest in the matter, lay before him a map of New Zealand J he will then, we hope, experience no difficulty in understanding us as we proceed. The voyage from Auckland to Port Nicholson, as at present undertaken, by the East Cape, is at least 550 nautical miles. Without any consideration as to distance, the passage is often a stormy one, as contrary winds are almost sure to be encountered ou one side or the other of" East Cape- The distance to New Plymouth, by the present route, is about 710 miles. Now, the voyage to the southern settleilements, by the Manakau and the West Coast, is almost a straight line compared to the acute angle necessarily traversed ou the opposite sea. We find New Plymouth lying exactly two degrees from Manakau Heads, or 120 nautical miles. About 160 miles more brings us to Wellington. The difference will be more readily seen when contrasted, thus t

But, some will exclaim the Manakau is a dangerous bar harbour. This will prove on exami nation one of those general assertions which are repeated without reflection. That the entrance has a bank in the centre, is correct ; but then there is a deep channel on each side. Even now, without lights or buoys, coasters occasionally enter at night, and we have not yet heard of an accident occurring. We consider this harbour of so much importance that we think it very remiss on the part of the Government or the Admiralty, not to have had it carefully surveyed, and the channels buoyed off at the least. The finishing stroke to this change would be to place a steamer on the western coast. We should then be only two days from Wellington, and scarcely one from New Plymouth. A steamer, too, would overcome the only insurmountable difficulty in the western na\ igatioo,. ingress or egress of the Manakao during contrary wiuds. JJesides, there is abundttuce of

coal on thn route, both at Coal and Massacre Bay, at Wangaroa, and Mokau. A small steamer, (and we think that one fitted with a screw-propeller would be best adapted for the service,) would be able to call on the various settlements lor the purnose of ass-sting them in their intercourse, and supplying them with mrans of protection in times of danger and distress. Before we conclude, — what, let us ask, has become of the boasted 365,000 set aside by the New Zealand Company, in their Nelson scheme, foi steam mrvigation ? Admitting that they did not realise their they certainly raised by their land sales in that settlement £132,000; which would make the Company nearly 262000 in debt for steam purposes to their Nelson settlers We trust our friends in the South will ere long find means to compel the Company to iulfil its engagements.

Jjy West toast. Miles. "2 f New Plymouth 140 J5 o J Nelson 280 § "*' 'j Wa:iganui .... 210 (Wellington.... 300 ify iias^ ! Coast. Miles. 710 665 640 550