The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 377, 24 November 1849, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Me just and fear not: Let all the ends Uiou aiins't at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's. ~S AT U R dTyT N O V E M B E 11 24, 18 49-

The departure of the Moa on her first voyage, seems to us to possess an interest which claims somewhat more than the ordinary notification of the fact in our column of "shipping intelligence." Built as she has been, altogether at Auckland, we cannot but be gratified by the judgment and spirit with which she was planned, and the beauty and completeness of her construction ; and we may be excused for having felt, as we walked through her, two or three days since, some pride in anticipating the verdict which those who may shortly examine, and compare her with similar vessels at the great shipping emporium for which she has sailed, will have reason to pronounce respecting our local skill and resources in naval architecture. Then her cargo — composed as it was almost exclusively of New Zealand produce— (regulus of copper from the rich mines of Kawau, wool-lashing made from the unrivalled Phormium Tcnax, prepared in considerable part, we believe, by Mr. Holman's process, which we lately described,—and timber from our noble forests, which the imagination may regard as frowning reproach on man, who does not more

largely avail himself of the advantages which they offer) — was calculated to give a cheering idea of the natural resources of this country, and to strengthen the expectation that, however adverse circumstances may now and again temporarily retard its progress, New Zealand will one day, (and we trust the day is not far distant) rise to the importance in the Pacific, and to the internal prosperity, for which a bountiful Crhator has so manifestly designed and qualified it. We are sure we only express the sincere feeling of the numbers who witnessed with pleasure the sailing of the Moa, on Thursday, and of the community in general, ' when we coidially wish her such success as may amply requite the efforts and outlay of her liberal owners, and render this beautiful vessel as beneficial as she is already creditable to the colony. The best friends of New Zealand are not its political agitators, but the men who devote their time, talents, and capital to the promo- , tion of its industry, the development of its resources, and the extension of its commerce. To put one's own shoulder to the wheel, and make the best of whatever is really available for useful purposes here, will prove far more I profitable — as it surely must be more agreeable ' to every lightly constituted mmd — than to live in perpetual worrying and fault-finding, fretting at the present, and desponding as to the futuie. The capabilities of this country to maintain a large export trade are known ;—; — (not fully indeed, for we are persuaded very much remains to be brought into view) ; — but so well known, it might be supposed, to stimulate and reward a hundred times more enterprise than has yet been embarked in the unfolding of them. California has unexpectedly opened a new and remunerative market for some of our most abundant and easily prerpared ] reduce ; and let us, in passing, counsel our agricultural friends to look forward to next year, and, in good time, to make their arrangements for raising an abundant supply of potatoes, and other vegetables, by which they may really, though not literally, dig Californian gold for themselves. New Zealand timber is already sufficiently known and prized at San Francisco to command, not an extravagant, but a good, an amply paying, price.* Here are powerful incentives to a prompt and vigorous augmentation of effort in these particular lines. Then, for the market of the world, there are our minerals struggling to the m^/gcc, as if to ask men m% they do not appropriate their treasures. What, for example, might not 1 be made of the coal, strata of which abound around us ! To go no further than Captain Hoseason's repovt of his experiments, in 1847, on board the Inflexible, as to the fitness of New Zealand coal for the use of steam-vessels, there is abundmt evidence of its excellent quality ; particularly when it is remembered that those experiments were made with mere surface coal, not obtained from a pit like the coal of Newcastle, and, moreover, that this coal had been lying for more than six months on the open beach at Nelson. At that time Governor Grey made a most favourable report on the subject to the Secretary for the Colonies ; why, we may well ask, has nothing really effective been done since to develope that source of wealth ? Suiely the most cogent motives should operate to induce the Government and private individuals to unite their endeavours earnestly in their respective departments, for the promotion of an object of such vast and obvious importance to the Colony. Adverting to the idea that we have riches at our feet at home which may be secured without the hazard of Californian adventure, we are reminded of a passage in a late number of the New Monthly Magazine, which is worth quoting in this connexion :—": — " Real wealth is only to be found by industry or talent. Rice is gold to Carolina, sugar to the West Indies, cotton to Egypt, wine to France, and industry to Great Britain. The historians of the middle ages called the fishery the gold mine of Holland, ' which,' say sone of them ' sheweth us the great wisdom of God in His great works of providence, who bestoweth not all blessings upon every nation ; but when He denieth or giveth lessof one blessing to one nation or country, He alloweth them more of another, which is also often observed with respect to particular persons. This variety,' adds our worthy philosopher, 'likewise showeth the necessity and advantage of one nation or kingdom trading with another.' " So we may say, flax, timber, various agricultural and mineral products are — or should be — gold to New Zealand. Why should not our colony own and profitably employ many Moas?

* It has been stated that the Captain of the Danish Schooner Johanna Oluffa, who came to the Bay of Islands to procure timber for the San Francisco market f was obliged to leave without making purchases, owing to (he hi^h prices demanded by the Merchants, — 16s. per 100 feet.But we are informed, on the authority of Captain Monro, of the Nancy, that he offered payment by Bills on Hamburgh, the discount on cashing which would, of course, be taken into consideration by them. Besides, the quantity he wished for wai not ready, and he was unwiliin; to wait. It ii desirable that the matter should be thai correctly underitood, as it would be obv'ously as injurious to spread a belief that the limbr merchants were asking exorbitant prices, as it would be foolish and culpable on their part were they to do 10. The fact it that at this moment there is an abundant supply of timber to be obtained at Auckland at 12s 6J. per 100 feet (for ihipment); and there would bn little delay in procuring any further quantity that might be required.

We are indebted to the kind attention of the Harbour Master at Russell, for the Polynesian of the 6th of October, — (a week later than the date of that brought by the Lady Leigh) — which reached the Bay of IsJands to oar address, by a Danish vessel, the Johanna Oluffa, Captain Engers, from San Francisco ; and as the state of the Sandwich Islands now excites more than ordinary interest, we are especially glad to receive intelligence from that quarter. We are gratified to hear that the Islands were " in a very quiet state, both physically and politically ; no volcanic eruptions, no outbreaks of the body politic." The crops were doing well ; the weather favourable ; and sugar bringing a good price. On. the other hand, we are told that the market was considerably overstocked in proportion to the limited demand, so that there was little sale for goods, except by forcing them off at auctions. The Polynesian holds out no great encouragement to those who look to Honolulu as " the dernier rcsoit for cargoes that have come into the Pacific in search of a market." " The Hawaiians " says our contemporary, " are a poor people, and their consumption of foreign productions is quite limited : so let those who are thinking of shipping goods from California, or elsewhere, here, not be dissappointed if they come to a bad market." Considering that the Polynesian is the official journal of the Hawaiian Government, we cannot but admire the disinterestedness and integrity manifested in this warning. But, indeed, that Government maintains in its general conduct, — as respects both great and minor matters — a high standard of morality, of which some older and more advanced States fall lamentably short. The harbour of Honolulu was filling up so rapidly with the whaling fleet, that the season promised to be one of unusual activity. The summer's cruise of the whalers in the Oehotsk and Kamtschatka Seas, and other cruising grounds, had proved very successful. As the Johanna Oluffa left San Francisco on the 13th September, her news from California was forstalled by the L'idy Leigh } which left on the 17th ; but the lively correspondent of the Polynesian, who signs himself " Panorama," continued his graphic sketches of Californian life and adventure in that journal. One of his letters which will be found in another column, contains various particulars of interesting information, some of which will he new to the reader here.