THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS. (From the Sydney Morning Herald, January 18 )

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 404, 27 February 1850, Page 2

THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS. (From the Sydney Morning Herald, January 18 )

A Company for the prosecution of the Southern Whale Fishery from the above islands has now been instituted. By Royal Charter the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount of his subscription — a privilege which only the paramount import' ance of the objects of the Association can have induced the Crown to bestow. The capital of the Company ii £100,000. The objects are two-fold— first, to carry on the fishery from a station in the South Pacific, and thus participate in the various advantages of that branch of industry which are now almost confined to the Americans ; secondly, to colonise the islands already referred to, which have been fixed upon as the station. Messrs. Enderby, to whom the islands had been granted, retain a moiety of their intereit in them, and Mr. Charles Enderby has proceeded thither, and must have arrived ere nocv, with the first whalers and colonists. " In the whole range of the vast Southern Ocean" (says Sir James Clarke Ross) " no spot could be found combining so completely the essential requisites for ft fixed whaling station." " But" (nays Mr. Enderby in his pamphlet entitled 'The Auckland Islands') " when the subject of forming a new settlement for the purpose of prosecuting the whale fisheries, is mooted, then all at once some new light breaks in upon the settlers of the adjacent colonies, and they for the first time perceive how much it would tend to their own benefit if such a fishery could be established where they happen to be located. They covet the possession of the goose as well as of the golden egg." We own the soft impeachment. When we noticed this subject on the publication of Mr. En derby's former pamphlet, entitled "Proposal for re-establishing the Southern Whale Fishery," two or three years ago, we expressed an opinion and deiire that the head quarters of the) company should be here. Yet we are not disposed to deny the weight of the authorities quoted by Mr. En* derby, by whom a preference to all other places is given to the Auckland Islands, nor the many obvious advantages which, independent of authority, they seem to possess as a place for refitting the whalers, and depositing the produce of the fisheries for ulterior shipment. By the plan to be adopted (we quote from the Prospectus)— The neceisity of employing expensive ships of large tonnage in the Fishery, will be entirely superceded, since the vessels to be employed will not, as now, bring home their produce, but deposit it in a store at the island station, from whence it will be reshipped, to England or elsewhere, in other vessels freighted for the purpose in the adjacent colonies, where they can at alt times readily be had, and .where also the necessary supplies of stores, provisions, &c. (over and above the produce which the islanders themselves may yield), can be equally procured. Thus there will be always ships on the whaling grounds, or returning thence with produce to the station ; always supplies of oil awaiting shipment to England, and cargoes on the way thither. By these means a very considerable saving of expense will be effected, not only in the outset, but in the whole course of ulterior proceedings. The following is a summary of the chief advantages to be anticipated from carrying on the Fishery in the manner stated, viz. :— I— Diminished cost of outfits, equipments, and repairs. 2— Savings in the disbursements of the vesiels, and their wear and tear. 3— Cessation of trading by the masters on their own account, and its attendant evils. of m efficient, and superior elm of

maiters and seamen, and gradual formation of V a valuable Naval School. 5 -Increased security against dishonesty on the part of agents. 6— Greater control over the operations or the vessels. 7— Considerable diminution of leakage. 8— Saving in the interest on outlay and insurance. 9— lncreased profits. 10— Annual returns of produce, thereby insuring a regular and sufficient supply of oil, »nd greater steadiness in prices. The Islandt are now much frequented for the purposes of the fishery, especially in the months of April and May, when the whales come into the bay to calve. They are also found to be desirable places to wood and water, and where vessels may heave down to repair. The harbour — called sometimes Rendezvous Harbour, sometimes Sarah's Bosom, sometimes Laurie Harbour, and now Port Ross, which is at the north extreme of the principal island— contains several secure anchorages ., Tl.e Islands lie in the li ftude of 51 ° S., longitude 166 ° E. The range of the thermometer is from 38 ° to 78° — the average temperature in the month corresponding to the English April— during Ross's stay baring been 45 * 27. not quite a degree less than in England in the same latitude. The general humidity of the atmosphere does, however, give a sense of greater cold than the instrument expresses. There are occasionally high winds and heavy rains, although the weather is generally good at all seasons of the year. With respeofc to the colonization of the Islands, the Prospectus proceeds, as follows :— " The "Auckland Islands having? been granted by her Majesty's Government to Mr. Entlerby and two of his brothers, in furtherance of the project, have been placed by those gentlemen at the Company's entire disposal, on terms highly advantageous to its interests—since the grantees make no other reservation than that they shall share, in equal proportions with the Company, any net profits which may accrue from the sale or lease of the land, after a suitable and sufficient site for the Whaling Station has been selected, Thus, whilst the Company will acquire, free of any charge, an eligible site for the business of the Fishery together with the power of precluding (as regards the Fishery) the local competition of others f it will possesk a beueficial interest, in common with the grantees, in the residue of the land, and consequently have a direct motive for turning such residue to a u9eful and profitable account. It ii only reasonable to asaume that the establishment of the Fishery will attract settlers to the Islands— and, as it is proposed to afford them due encouragement, the effect will be to enhance the value of the land by means of its progressive cultivation. It is to be understood, however, that although the colonization of the Islands may, and no doubt will, become an important feature of the undertaking, still it is but a secondary consideration in comparison with the establishment of the Fishery, and that the success of the latter is by no means contingent upon the introduction of any population, beyond ouch parties as may be actually employed in the Companyfa service. The colonization of the Islands will ensue as a natural consequence of their being mada a whaling station : it will require to be neither forced nor hurried, but will keep pace with the progress of the Fishery, and prov» valuable as a subsidiary mea■ure, though never constituting a primary object.— Should any net revenue be derived from the laud, the moiety thereof accruing (as stated) to the Company, will be added to the profits of the Fishery, aDd constitute, in fact, a bonus to the shareholders. Should, OU the Other hand (though contrary to all reasonable expectation) the land yield no net leveime, still no loss would be entailed upon the Company on this account, became the prosecution of the Fishery and the colonization of the Islands being wholly independent of each other, the profits incident to the first would remain, so long as it continued to be carried on succeisfully.' The quantity of land does not exceed 12,000 acres — very little opportunity has been afforded for judging of the quality of the soil, although some of the visitors ha»e described it as very superior— and as little proof of course has been obtained of the influence of the climate. Very properly, therefore, the capabilities of the Islands for general colonization are not calculated upon ; and the neighbouring colonies already in being are looked to, as for a time at least, yielding all supplies that can be wanted. The trade likely thus to arise is adverted to as follows :— " It is stipulated that the harbours of the Islands fcliall be free ports, open to tbe ships of all nations. This will be a great advantage as well to the Company as the settlers, becauie vessels, and paiticularly whaling' ships, if pre-assured of obtaining at the Islands supplies of stores and provisions, will not fail to make them a place of reßort, and by means of their expenditure will greatly enhance the prosperity of the colony,— as will be obvious, when it is considered how greatly the Sandwich Islands, and other places in the Pacific, have beuefitted in this respect from the visits of the American whalers. So keenly alive are the authorities of Manila to this circumstance, that they have lately directed all tonnage dues on whaling •hips visiting that place, and on all export duties on the stores supplied to them, to be suppreised for three years, by way of experiment, in order to encourage such vetsels to repair thither. 11 From the surrounding colonies of Australia, Van Diemen't Land, and New Zealand, the whaling colony at the Auckland Islands will at all times be able to obtain whatever supplies of proviiiont, stores, &c, it may require, and thus an inter-colonial traffic will be created and kept up, conferring mutual benefit." The inducement! which this undertaking offers to capitalists we think considerable. The inducements to colonizing emigrants not employed in the establishments of the Fishery Company, we conceive to be overrated ; but as it seems to be the intention to proceed gradually with respect to the latter branch of the project, we do not apprehend that any material disappointment will ensue. We sincerely trust that the Enderby enterprise will succeed in its main objects, ai its success cannot fail to prove highly advantageous to these parts of the world; but we still think it would have been more certain of luccesi had the head quarters of the Company been fixed between Cape Howe tnd Moreton Bay.