WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1850. THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLONY.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 396, 30 January 1850, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1850. THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLONY.

The termination of a period of ten years since the Foundation of the Colony, naturally leads to some reflection upon the progress we have made, and, more especially to a^ riew of the position in which we now stand, veith referencie to the future that may be reasonably expected in our affairs. The view, whether retrospective or prospective, must necessarily excite mingled feelings ; — for neither countries nor individual? seem destined to an unchequered lot j but, on the whole, it is calculated to furnish us with matter— though not for proud exultation, yet for thankfulness as to the past, and, though not for excited and romantic anticipation, yet for solid and animating encouragement as to the future. We have been enabled to collect from the most authentic sources -a 'feiv statistical facts which, so far as they go, will enable our readers to form their own judgment respecting this Settlement. We refer first to Agricultural ( e#prt» and results, believing as we do thatwe^poasessso: amply the capabilities of. soil, cltatote, and: the other essentials to agricultural p^6sj)irity, ' that it needs only a moderate amoftrji of enterprise and perseverance to give us ah Elevated place in this sphere of productive industiy. According to the official returns just completed, we find that the number of acres in cultivation

in the district of Auckland, at the close of c year 1849, was 6,193*, w hile in 1848, it wa returned as 4,338^, and in 1847, as 2,691, 1™" exhibiting a large progressiAe, increase in the total. A considerable portion of this incre ase has been in pasture land, the number of acres ln the years 1848 and 1849 respectively haying been 2,742f and 4,054 acres. Notwithstanding the general cry for more land for depasturing purposes, — a cry which we are far from saying is not warranted by the exigencies which are experienced by many— it would thus seem that a gratifying advance has been made in the effort to meet this necessity. The most observable differences in the other numbers are in the ctops of wheat, oats, and potatoes, the former of which shows a falling off in the last year, — the latter two a marked increase. The number of acres of wheat cultivated was, in 1847, 364^; f n 1848, 397£; and in 1849, 214f, a declension in 1849 which would be discouraging if it were not accounted for by the known fact that wheat has not yet been found so profitable in this neighbourhood as some other crops, and that there has been only a transfer of the cultivation from one article to another (as potatoes) which was found to pay better. The "Returns of Oats were, in 1847, 2841 acres ; in 1848, 330 acres, and in 1849, 58&j acres. In potatoes we notice the most gratifying increase. The numbers of acres reported as under potato cultivation were, in 1847, 247 ; in 1848, 294|; and in 1849, no less than 775 acres, — a return which indeed we have reason to believe, is rather below than above the truth. There can be no doubt that the advance thus made in this department of farming will go forward with yet greater rapidity, now that the market for California is ascertained to be so secure, ready, and remunerative. | It should also be noted here, that there is a l large and interesting amount of agricultural work done by the Native population, the fruits of which, although not included in the Returns, or indeed produced within its actual limits to which they apply, yet find their market in the town and its vicinity, and virtually, if not technically, belong to the Settlement. Before laying aside the Agricultural Return for 1849, we may note that it reports in the District, 25,062^ acres of Uncultivated Land: —698 Horses ;— 6,955 Horned Cattle.; 1,701 Sheep ;— 275 Goats. The Prices of Produce as given in it are, Wheat, Oats, and Barley, each 4s. per bushel ; Maize, 3s. 6d. ; Potatoes, £4 per ton ; Hay, £5 per ton ; Turnips, £3 per ton; Horses, £15' each; Horned Cattle, £12 ; and Sheep £1. In these general statements taken collectively there may, we think, be found some proof that the Auckland district is moving on in agricultural progress, with steps which may not be the less sure because they are sometimes slow, to the realization of Captain Fitzroy's anticipations when— rin answer to a question proposed to him by the Parliamentary Committee of 1838, — <c Are you not of opinion, taking into considerasion the position of that country, the fertility of the soil, and the salubrity of its climate, that it must grow into great importance V — he replied " Certainly ; it corresponds in that hemisphere to Great Britain in this hemisphere. It must go on holding out temptations to settlers of all descriptions; it is quite impossible it should remain in its present state." We turn now to the Exports from Auckland, which, we need not say, furnish, in a j young colony like this, one of the most testing criteria of our real state and prospects. Here the result is very satisfactory. Looking back for six yeais, we find the «stimated value of exported articles as follows; — 1844, £3,037; —1845, £27,239 j— 1846, £40,187 ;— 1847, £12,670 ; — 1848, £15,096; and 1849, £26,168 Usi We say this is satisfactory, notwithstanding the fact that the amount in two of those years exceeded that of the last ; for the simple and conclusive reason that the higher sums were from articles which either could not be permanently produced to so large an extent, or, if produced, would not command so certain and steady a market is those which have mainly made up the total in 1849. The principal article of export in 1846— the year which stands highest,— was Kauri Gum, the exportation of which on so extensive a scale lasted only about a year, the purposes (of varnishing, &c.)' for which it was employed not furnishing the foundation of a certain demand, or perhaps, of any demand at all at a, remunerating price;— ("for some time," says Dr. Dieffenbach, "it was. supposed that this resin, or gum, of which plenty is found in the ground even lqng after the forest has disappeared, would furnish a valuable article of export ; but it has not hitherto repaid in England even the cost of its collection in the colony :" whereas, during the last year, the most extensively exported articles have been such as copper ore, timber (merely sawn, or made up into the frames of houses,) potatoes and other commodities which we can continue to supply largely, and for which there is sufficient reason .to believe we shall continue to obtain a prompt and remunerative sale. Examining the Re-, turns for 1849 quarterly, we find these results : Ouarter ending April 5, 1849, £4,646 0 0 " « July 5, 1849, £1,850 9 0 «« « Oot. 5, 1849, £& 593 5 Q « " Jan. 5, 1860, £11.079 0 0 Making the total for the jear, as already siated, £26,168 14 0

Now, looking at the items which make up the unusually large aggregate for the December Quarter, we find that, while of Kauri Gum only 50 tons, value; £300, were exported, there were 335 tons of Copper Ore, value £3,210 ; 74 Houses in Frame, value £2,555 ; and 285,930 feet of sa,wn Timber, value £1,633 10s.— rthese^three jjtems, articles; of which we have all but an inexhaustible supply, amount* ing to no less than £7,390. It is also ob>* servable that other atticjes of safe and repaying export, appear in that Retuwia.ta.much lower figure than we are warranted in expecting them to realize even in the current year. Potatoes are there returned at only 8£ tons, value £35 ; but that the export for the present quarter is certain to go very far beyond this is too notorious to need proof. Flax and cordage together reached only to £530 ; but, with the improvements now made and making in the preparation of the Phormium Tenax, and the readiness, rising almost tp earnestpess, with^ which it "is purchased at Sydney and elsewhere, we cannot but see in this " mine of New Zealand wealth" the promise of a trade largely augmented beyond this. > Any view, however rapid, of the' points to which we are here adverting would be incomplete, if we omitted to bear in mind the opening presented in California, to which we have so frequently referred that we need only name it now. Our geographical position in relation to that country, and our capability of supplying it with timber, potatoes, and other articles suited to its urgent wants, give us advantages there with which no rival is likely to compete successfully. It is Remarked, in, a, letter received ihis week, by one of our townsmen from a friend who had just removed from San Francisco to, Honolulu, " This California is a great matter for you, as there must always he a great demand for flour, and yours- is the nearest place where it can be got." What is stated of flour (as particularly interesting to the individual addressed by the writer) applies more forcibly to some other articles, such as potatoes, which the Sandwich Islands (even if they could furnish them equally good and durable in quality) cannot send in anything approaching to the required quantity. Accordingly we find the Polynesian ot the 22nd of last month admiting that " of exports, except the supplies for the ships which had resorted there, they have had scarcely any ;" and lamenting that " the present supply isf exhausted, and that vessels which have resorted there (to Honolulu) for cargoes of produce for California were obliged to return with but a partial Supply, or seek in more distant groups what they are now unable to furnish." New Zealand is specified by our contemporary as one of the places to which such vessels must go far the supplies which the Sandwich Islands could pot .afford them. This is an additional and significant illustration of the extent and worth of the market opened in California for various of our most abundant products. Ship-building has made some progress during the year. We learn that in 1 849, 21 vessels — 808 tons.-~were built. Though most of these were small craft for coasting purposes, one was our beautiful Moa, which we look on with continued pleasure not only from her own ! value to our trade with Sydney, but alsa a3 a model for other vessels, and a conclusive evidence of .what we have means to accomplish from our local resources in nav^l architecture. ' -, Other matters might'be 1 adverted to but we trust ,we have'stated, enoiish,',toi justify us in speaking, of the condition of the Settlement 35, on the whole, gratifying and encouraging. Additional incitements and- .aidsto effort are undoubtedly both desirable and practicable, particularly the' cheapening of the price of land and the "opening up of the country" to our farmers and stockholders. But, while we seek in every proper way for other means of improvement and advancement, let us diligently and perseveringly work those which are already at our disposal, rather striving to realize the benefits which a bountiful Providence has brought within our reach, than permitting ourselves to be so dazzled by deceptive, though golden, dreams of marvellous prosperity at a distance, as to abandon the substantial good which honest and industrious enterprise holds out here, Jot the shadow which has tempted multitudes to California— and to ruin. Let it be remembered that in this Settlement we still possess, and possess in increasing develbpement, the .combination of advantages thus aptly summed up in the Address from the inhabitants of Auckland and, its vicinity which was presented to Governor Grey three years ago, 'on the occasion of the Seventh Anniveisary of the Colony ; — " Its splendid an£ accessible harbour ; the safety of its extended coast-line ; the immense extent of level and cultivable land around, and in its neighbourhood; the many navigable rivers in its vicinity, rendering easily available further immense and still unexplored tracts of' country \, the variety and singular richness of its mines ; the facility of working and shipping their products. - h and though last, by no means least in importance, the value of an' immense and intelligent Native population, rapidly becoming civilized, industrious cultivators of the soil, large producers of exportable articles, and excellent customers for our manufactured goods."