NEW ZEALAND NOMENCLATURE.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 123, 4 August 1847, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND NOMENCLATURE.

The misfortunes of New Zealand, although they can scarcely, be, said to have commence^ as early as those of Tristram Shandy ; yet they undoubtedly began with its nomenclature. We verily believe there never was a country that) rejoiced. in such, a set of Godfathers, who have been the coiners of such illfavoured names.—; As a sort of general illustration of our meaning, we will just glance down that line in the snap which is generally supposed to be the line of demarkattan between land and water. There are seen sundry names, running at right an gles with the aforesaid land, from which we cull the following : — Cape Kidnappers, Poverty Bay, Cape Turnagain, Blind Bay% Cloudy Bay, Massacre Bay, Cape Foulwind, Doubtful Harbour, JQusky Bay, Traps ! and Snares! ! In addition to this agreeable catalogue, the Bay of Islands was denominated by the French, the Bay of Treachery, ' Have the names for the interior of the countiy been more happily choseu? Not a whit* The thoroughly English settlements formed by, the New Zealand Company, are to be designated, we perceive by Irish numes ; sucn as Ulster, and Munster. We doubt if there are twenty individuals in Cook's Straits who, were ever in silher of those places. Our ancestors when emigrating to America, endeavoured to carry ?.way with them such associations of , the mother country, as they found it in the power of names . ) Hft'oid. Hence, the settlements.inthe United States and Canada, generally received names -.^responding to those places in which the wOiigr.mta hud formerly resided, or vtere con-; ">cted with by the ties of memory or affection. 1 he on'y instance of this kind in New Zealand „ that of New Plymouth ; the original body .f settlers in that place being almost entirely '.< om Devonshire. "We are delighted indeed to find that such ji'>rribly unpronounceable names as Eaheino; ■"} iiiwe, and Tewaipounammoo, which beat all U l&sian words hollow, have given way to the l^criptive '♦ Northern" and " Southern" Is- ' i >ds. Southern did we say 1 Yes ! and we u.intain that •• Southern Island" is a much setter term than the •• Middle Island," It is .'ruothat the word middle implies something ;/. oil her side ; and heoce people at home may *-< . it acquire, a dim perception of thegrandeur, t " ! extent of the Company's territories. But >un the Southern Island is "middle" to, we vc nuite ignorant ; it may be to the Northern ' ! .ud ; and the'Soiithj Po^j-jOr it may v be, to u- ; >rmer ,p)aee aud a little island, called Stci^tj Islan.d. tt-J. some will s?y " What* in a name ?— the rose .\y an^ pther name would smell as sweej." ']>'!$• yet .who would not a priori rather. . joy, : ac to M A rcadia," or ?• La Serena," than 1 j ( "1.? Foulwind.ox Massacre Bay,—Ot who „ u „, ;.ot tancy Mr. Apollo Belvidere a more ;-,„,,,, pushed gentleman than Mr. GHuepot?-- - >• ; ..11.', Mpon it, names have their influence in, C 1) ' x> nutes we form of places and feriona '. •«•>, •• have 110 means of* judging $y-per-•l , luaintance; and for tb'i* reaidn we 'hr.x r . »v Zealand has been wronged < by its i. ,• ,t 1,-r.ure. Our Nelson friends have been ii.,\n • «.ird to change. Massa cre into Coal Bay -~.'.vf wo suppose their successwilll muchde-, -u-i or- the taste of the map makers.

There is yet, however, time to adopt a more pleasing and^ more rational mode of nomenclature* Thousands of places in this country have yet to be named by Europeans. The natives have long since had appellations for every part of these islands ; ana we reccommend that when they are sufficiently euphonious, they be retained as the names off districts or testates. For almost all the native names are descriptive of circumstances connected with the land. Now we are on the subject, we wish to inquire how it is, that some streets iv Auckland have not yet received names ? We give the street leading from the Roman Catholic Chapel as ao instance. Some caU it Chapel Street ; others the unnamed street on the hill ; by and by we shall have perhaps 1 street. 15 street, &c, as at Washington,. Again those very ingenious and accomoaating lanes planned after a capital T ha.ye not yet been thoughf wqrthy of a name. We suppose, frqm the imt ossiblity of passing through them, that they were designed for the capture of rogues when followed by the police. We propose, for the enlightenment of those, who in a hurry, 1 wish to make a short cut across the town, that j these places be called. *f Blind Lane." "Turn again Street," or "Cul-de-sac Place." It ! might hare the effect of preventing many a use less wa)k— for people will not always, as, they now sometimes do, make their escape over an unoccupied allotment.

The Streets.— No one who bas been absent from . Auckland for a few weeks, can fail to be struck wiih its improvement. Apart from the Government buildings oh the hill, lie finds that new houses have sprung up in every direction that he. walks, and many of them are of a costly and durable character. In viewing the latter, he cannot avoid reflecting, that they afford no doubtful testimony of the real opinions of. capitalists who have access to the best means of forming a judgment, that, at least this portion of the colony is in progiessiveand steady improvement; bui whilst.warmed with these reflections, jtjis a great drawback to feel that one is all the while standing ancle deep in mud; Were the disagreeable state of the streets of only a recent date, or did we perceive any great obstacle to their being amended, we should certainly feel no disposition to complain, but that they should he so long permitted to lay in this state,, while a comparative trifling outlay might remove the grievance, we confess we are somewhat impatient with the authorities. Perhaps, were the Council Chamber seated at the west angle of the town, rendering it necessary that His Exeelleney and Legislative suite should traverse our principal streets, we should be relieved of the necessity of making these remaiks, but as ii is, we deem it our duty to keep the subject before the eyes of those in power. Whilst on this topic, we would add, that almost every stranger who visits our port, vociferates loudly against the difficulty oF communicating with vessels in this harbour, and the want of some light wooden jetty, by which he might embark, at leas tin boats, at all stages uf ihe tide. We would fain hope that His Excellency may have some measure in contemplation, for the removal of these matters of complaint, and that its expense may appear in the forthcoming Estimates. H. M. vSteamer Jdflexible \i to sail this day for thf Southern province, with Government despatches. ; The .mail for Wellington and, Nelson closet ai quarter past 10 o'clock this moruiug. Mutual Fencing Act. — We understand that a petition upon this subject, addressed to the Legislative Council, has been prepared for presentation, and is now lying for. signature at Mr. Buckland's, Shortlaud-strcet.