GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. PROCLAMATION.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 259, 22 November 1848, Page 5

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. PROCLAMATION.

By His Excellency Major -General, GEORGE DE iN PITT, Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Gue/phic Order, LtcutenantGovernor of the Province of Neiu Ulster, #t., #c., WHEREAS, His Excellency Sir George Grey, K. C. 8., Governor-in-Chief in and over the Islands of New Zealand, hath this day quitted the Province of New Ulster. Now theiefore I, George Dean Pitt, do hereby proclaim and declare that I have assumed the Administration of the Government of the said Province dming the absence therefrom of the Governor-in-Chief, and I hereby call upon the inhabitants of the said Province to be aiding and assisting me therein. Given under my hand, and issued under the Public Seal of the Province of New Ulster, at Auckland,in the Province afore(L.S.) said, this twenty-fhst day of November, in the Year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and forty -eight. GEO. D. PITT, Lieutenant-Govei nor. By His Excellency's command, Andrew Sinclair, Colonial Secretary. God save the Queen ! I

Civil Secretary s Office, Auckland, November 20, 1848. eLS Excellency the Governor- in-Chief Las been pleased to dhect the publication of the following despatch, fiom LieutenantGovernor E hie, for general information. JBy His Excellency's command, C. A. Dillon, Civil Secietaiy. No. 105. ( Separate.) Government House, Wellington, October 29, 1848, Sir, My despatches, No. 103, of the 19th Oct., and No. 104, of the 21st Oct., will have put your Excellency in possession of information, connected with the occurrence of the eaithquake, up to the date of the latter of those communications. I now proceed to carry on the narration up to the present time. From the 21st October, to the 24th, tremblings of the earth, and slight shocks occurred at inteivalsj but as these occasioned no damage, and their intensity appealed to be lessening, public confidence revived a good deal, and persons began to follow their ordinary occupations ; but at about 2, p. m., on the 24th, another sudden and very violent shock took place, renew ing the terror and the apprehension of the inhabitants, although it caused little additional damage, beyond some further breakages of glass, or other fragile articles, in the houses. Piom the 24th, up to the present time, tremblings of the earth, and slighter shocks have frequently been experienced, but the character of the motion caused by the shocks, seems changed, not only is theie less of a veitical motion, but it appears to be caused by a force acting at a greater distance than formerly, in fact, the shocks now experienced, seem to be little more than the continuation along the earth's surface, of a vibration produced by a heavy distant concussion, preceded by a loud rumbling noise, much more distinctly heard, and moie in advance of the shocks than ivas the case, during the earlier and heavier shocks. Such being the case, I am happy to say, public confidence is rapidly re\ivmg, and much activity prevails in clearing away the fallen buildings, and putting up new ones of wood. 1 have had a list made shewing the buildings principally damaged or destroyed, and now transmit to your Excellency a copy. The wooden buildings have, I believe without exception stood well, su&taining no further damage than the loss of the chimneys,, and fortunately by far the majority of the buildings in the settlement were of wood, so that notwithstanding the many dwellings destroyed and the immense loss of property yet the population are all under comfortable and

secuie shelter, and such property as could be saved is in security and out of the weather. In my Despatch No. 103 19th October, written on the day of the occurrence of the most violent and destructive shock experienced during the whole earthquake, I described the panic which existed among the inhabitants, and the strong disposition to quit the colony which prevailed. I also intimated to your Excellency that I had gnen dhections foi the temporary detention of any vessels wishing to lea\e the Poit during the continuance of the eaithquake, and that this proceeding had had a beneficial result in allaying the prevailing panic. No occasi onhas hpwever existed for enforcing a compulsory detention of any vessel, so many passengers and so much cargo offered for the ship fiist about to quit the Poit that it was the interest of the agents to detain her for some days, during which the chcumslances of oui position became so fai modified and so much moie cheenng that I considered it unnecessary to keep up the embargo, and instead only required the Captain or Agent of any vessel to lodge with the Collector of Customs, (for the purpose of being posted up publicly,) a list of all passengeis about to leave the Piovince, 48 hours hefore a cleaiance could be given. A regulation of this nature became absolutely necessaiy in the circumstances of the colony, to pi event persons taking advantage of the occurrence of the earthquake to abscond Avithout paying or making provision for their debts. The " Subraon" for Sydney was the first vessel ready, and on the afternoon of the 2Gth October, she sailed from the harbour, having on boaid sixty-one passengers, (men, women, and chilJien.) Unfortunately her sailing was delayed to rather a late hour in the afternoon, and the pilot in whose charge she w as, attempted to take her against a strong south-easter, through Chaffer's Passage, dining which about 8 v. m. she stiuck within 100 yards of the shore, upon mis ling stays. All Ines wcie proudentially ; saved, and the passengers landed about thiee fourths of a mile fiom the pilot's lesidence, where many were accommodated for the night, | whilst the others obtained shelter under tempolaiy tents formed by sails erected on the beach. Or the 27th and 28th the weather being moderate a good deal of the cargo was got out and sa\ed, but the vessel itself, a line new baique of 500 tons, is, I fear, a complete wreck. I have suspended the Pilot from his office until a pioper ltnestigation can be made into the ciicumslances under which the " Subraon" was lost. In consequence of the wieck of the " Subraon," and from a hope geneially experienced that the eaithquake is now neaily over, I believe that many who had intended to quit the Colony will lemain. I would hope even that the injury which the Colony is likely to sustain by the impression which the occurrence of so severe an earthquake must natiually make in England, will not be so great or so permanent as w r as at fiist anticipated. Awful as the visitation was during its continuance, and calamitous as have been the results, theie are yet many circumstances of consolation and encouragement in connection with it. First, such convulsions appear to be most rare. No similai ones have taken place since the settlement was established ;' nor can I ascertain that the Natives or others ever remember any of such violence and long continued duration. Secondly, the worst shocks have not been the fiist, and thus a timely warning has been given to quit brick or other dangerous buildings, and little loss of life has ensued. Thirdly, not a single wooden building has been destroyed, o--, as far as I am aware, even injured ; and thus, amidst all the alarm and apprehension which so sudden and fearful an occurrence naturally excites, places of shelter and secunty have existed for the whole population ; and no other real injury i has been sustained by a large number of the inhabitants, than has been occasioned by the i breakage of fragile articles in their houses. Fourthly, theie is no doubt whatever that not a single brick building in the town had been | really well and properly built, so that it is impossible to say how far brick buildings, if really well and substantially put up, would have withstood the violence of the shocks experienced ; even as it was, some one or two buildings of bricks have been left, comparatively speaking, uninjuied. I will, however, endeavour to collect fuither information, and I cause proper reports to be made in reference to the whol* subject, and trust I shall be able, in a future despatch, to afford your Excellency further and interesting details,

It lemains for me to add, that as far as I am able to judge fiom the information I have received from Taranaki, Wanganui, Nel son , Alcaroa, Otakou, and the East Cape, that th c earthquake has been much less felt at all those places than at Wellington ; and at none has any damage of consequence been sustained. It must not, however, he forgotten that, from the absence of brick buildings, no common standaid of comp.uison exists as to the strength 01 power of the shocks of each place, and that, theiefore, it is difficult to judge of the intensity with which they may have occurred at each respectively. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your Excellency's most obedient humble servant, E. Eyre.