SUMMARY OF MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE ON NEW ZEALAND. (Continued from No. 45.)

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 47, 30 August 1845, Page 4

SUMMARY OF MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE ON NEW ZEALAND. (Continued from No. 45 .)

Lieut. G. Wood — Is a lieutenant in the Indian Navy, and author of a work " Travels in Texas." Went out to New Zealand in 1841. Found the country generally very different to what he had expected. It was a more rugged mountainous country, and more averse to cultivation. Thinks, undoubtedly, the settlement of the native question has hindered its prosperity in a great measure ; but that the native inaccessible nature of thecountry has kept it back — the want of roads. Thinks that the settlement of the native title should have been dealt with more summarily than it has been, and agrees with the previous witness (Mr. Child) that he would have some shorter and more equitable settlement than the one now adopted. Is examined as to the statements made in his work, entitled " Twelve months in Port Nicholson, or Notes for the Public." Is aware that at Port Nicholson no arrangement of any sort is provided for employing labourers by the Company. The Company have made a road entirely at their own expense between the river Hutt and the town, a distance of about seven miles ; also another towards the valley of the Kaiwarra, for two miles ; a carriage-road and bridle-path through the Porirua district about fourteen miles. Is examined as to his expectation of getting employment under the Company. Went out with no hopes of getting a situation. Wished to be employed to go Tound the coast, and see every eligible situation ; thought that as he and Captain Sharp had been surveying the Birman coasts, they might be of some service in looking at these. Thinks a great portion of the difficulties have arisen from the precipitate sending out of the settlers, before an adequate preparation for their reception had been made. The settlers could have afforded to pay a higher price, if roads had previously been opened, so that they could at once have been put on the land "they "were to occupy and cultivate ; but doubts if that higher price would have remunerated the Company for the making these roads. The impression of the witness in England was, when he left, that he "should find the land quite ready to go upon when he got to New Zealand — that the surveys were far in advance. G. B. Earp — Went to New Zealand in the latter end of 1840, and left in May 1842. This witness is examined at great length as

to the natural capabilities of the country, and enters into a long description of the properties of the Phormium tenax or flax plant. Has seen flax produced by manufacturers in the mother country ; recollects one portion in particular, which had been obtained by Mr. Hardman, of Belfast, a large manufacturer of flax ; who stated that specimen of flax to be equal to Dutch flax, for which he was paying £120 per ton, — that is, always supposing the gum to be cleared away. The finer kinds of mat, called Kaituka, made by the natives before the introduction of blankets were made from cultivated flax. Similar plants are found all over the Pacific ocean ; in Manilla they have a plant of the same kind ; has seen articles made from it similar to those made from the New Zealand flax plant, but of extraordinary fineness, so that one kind of Manilla shirt, a Spanish shirt sells there for 30 dollars. Is of opinion that the cultivation of the flax plant would not be expensive ; it would only require the planting out at first, and keeping it free from weeds. The packing has always been, and is now, very loose, and the flax suffers in consequence ; no hydraulic presses havingbeen sent out for the purpose ; The better kind, which was sent to Sydney, was exceedingly valuable for whale lines ; for a whale line of a couple of hundred fathoms long ; requiring great strength for a strait pull, New Zealand flax is better suited than any kind of hemp. The witness then gives evidence as to the different manufactures from New Zealand flax, quoted in our number. He is then examined as to the woods of New Zealand, which he considers to be very valuable. The principal timber, the Kauri, has been very recklessly thinned by the natives and settlers ; immense quantities have been cut and burnt. There is a great deal of valuable wood in the neighbourhood of Wellington, which, when they are known in England, will take a very high rank as furniture woods ; particularly the Totara. Coal has been found and worked in Massacre Bay more extensively than elsewhere. It exists on the west coast of the northern island near Mokau, and, according to the testimony of the natives, it exists in the vicinity of Port Nicholson, neat* Kapiti ; but from the natives having found out that the coal at Massacre Bay was set great store by, they would never point out the place. It exists also iv considerable quantities in some part of the eastern coast of the southern island, in Otago. It is easily worked; the only trouble of getting it at Massacre Bay is the employing of men to get it out. It is an anthracite coal. A quantity sent over to this country was tested by Sir J. Rennie as. sleam coil ; and the opinion he gave was, that it was a beautiful coal, second only to the Hartly End coal. The witness then describes the minerals found in New Zealand ; the copper, chiefly found at the Barrier Island, and by report also in the Southern Island ; if the report of the natives is to be credited, the Southern Island is more rich in minerals than the Northern : states that iron is found in large quantities ; but a new colony, or any other, could not compete with the mother country in iron ; black oxide of manganese is also found, but not to any great extent. Among the commercial resources of the colony he would place in a high rank that of whaling. Should say at a rough estimate that the amount of oil exported from Wellington this year (1844) would not be less than 1,200 tons, the proportion of whalebone would be ten per cent, of the oil iv quantity, but its value would be in a greater latio. The northern part of the island, particularly the Bay of Islands, was very much used by whalers ; according to residents in the Bay of Islands, as many as 80 ships at one time have been refitting in that port ; French, American, British, and Dutch ; the Americans having the preponderance of numbers. Conceives there can be but one opinion of New Zealand as a British colony, as regards oil and whalebone from the fisheries ; the Greenland fishery is now not worth pursuing ; and New Zealand forms the centre of the only part of the world in which whales abound. Thinks New Zealand would present advantages, even to the deep-sea whaling ships, which they have not had hitherto ; it would give a full and complete superintendence to the parties sending out those ships, insteading of employing large ships with considerable crews, and giving them apparatus on board whereby they might prepare their oil there. Would make them go out to sea for a couple of months, and come home with the blubber they have obtained. After some evidence as the trade between the colony and the South Sea Islands, and Valparaiso, the witness is examined as to the quantity of sheep imported from the Australian colonies. " Had we been in a condition in New Zealand to have occupied our land during the late depreciation of property in New South Wales, it would have been the making of us, and a service also to New South Wales, as it would have prevented the prices there going down so low. Has known an instance where the sheep at a particular station there were valued at sixpence a-head. Has heard a Woollen manufacturer say, that

I the wool from the sheep in the Australia^ market is very short r but very fine, not averaging more than two and a half pounds per fleece in some cases ; the great object is, to combine length of staple with fineness of fibre, and that, in the opinion of all competent judges, New Zealand is admirably adapted for, from its climate, and also from the food. Thinks that wool would never form a leading article of production, inasmuch as the nature of the island, and the limited quantity of land, would always prevent its becoming an extensive sheep growing country ; but it would be of great importance as an auxiliary, and would help to turn a feature, which has been mentioned as a disadvantage in New Zealand into a positive good, namely, the hills which exist. After some further general evidence, the witness states he has seen considerable quantities of rope made in New Zealand, — in a very rough way, and that when flax is produced in greater quantities, and in a better condition, rope-making would be a profitable occupation in the colony. He then describes the native trade. States it is now ascertained that there are 1 00,000 native people in New Zealand, every one of whom? would wear, if they could get it, a blanket a-year. If it is supposed that only half that number of blankets could be sold, which it is not, the price of an ordinary blanket averaging from 255. to 305., that alone would create a profitable trade ; and say only one-fourth of the number mentioned would be sold, supposing only 25,000 could be disposed of amongst the natives yearly, that would give an amount of about £375000 for this article alone, but there are others of British manufacture equally valuable. A considerable trade in blankets has been carried on with the natives. They like the blankets much better than their mats, although they are not so healthy for them. Scrofula and consumption are the chief diseases to which they are subject. Thinks consumption has been caused by the use of the blanket in conjunction with other causes. Since the European settlers came, the native has been in the habit of getting a great deal of money, which has led him to live in great luxury as respects his food ; he will get up from a good European supper, and creep into his den, sleeping on the cold ground as formerly, and from the alteration in his mode of living, he has become much more liable to take cold. He has made an alteration in his mode of living, but none in his mode of lodging.