BRITISH SOUTHERN WHALE FISHERY. [From the Sydney Morning Herald, June 25.] (Concluded from our last.)

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 211, 7 August 1847, Page 4

BRITISH SOUTHERN WHALE FISHERY. [From the Sydney Morning Herald, June 25.] (Concluded from our last.)

Sydney,- we should think, would answer the requirements of this description. Mr. Enderby, however, has had another place altogether in his mind. " The Auckland Islands are situated in latitude 51* south, longitude 166' east, and are distant about 160 miles from Stewarts Island, the southernmost of the New Zealand group. They were discovered in the year 1800, by the captain of one of the whaling ships belonging to my firm ; consequently, it was through our instrumentality that they were secured for the British crown. "The climate of these islands, though somewhat colder in summer, is warmer in winter than that of this country ; and is in fact all that could be desired for the present object. "Containing in all about 100,000 acres of land, the greater part of which is represented as susceptible of cultivation, the Auckland Islands are not too large, though quite large enough for the purposes of a whaling station of the nature of that designed. " As they are uninhabited, and not so close to any other islands that boats might pass from the one to the other, they admit of being colonised without infringing any pre-existing rights . of aborigines or others, and afford the security required against plunderers and marauders. They are within about a fortnight's sail of Van Diemen's Land, and in the immediate vicinity of important whaling stations in and about the bays on the coasts of New Holland and New Zealand. * ,As the New Zealaaders make excellent seamen, recruits for the whaling service might be drawn from amongst them, if this should at any time be found necessary to compensate deficiencies. It may however be predicted, that the re-es-tablishment of the fishery upon the basis proposed, would always insure a sufficient supply of British seamen. The Auckland Islands are likewise admirably situated for carrying on the whale fishery on the coast of California, since the vessels to and from the islands would, as before observed, have to pass through the very best of the sperm whaling grounds, and be as likely to see and take whales in those passages as if they were cruising expressly for them. Independently of this, there is much profitable whaling carried on in particular seasons off the islands themselves, on which occasions the ships of different nations are in the habit of resorting to them for the purpose of refitting and refreshing. "As an additional argument in favour of the Auckland Islands becoming a special' whaling station, it is to be borne in mind that in the high southern latitudes there is a most extensive fishery as yet undisturbed, which cannot be prosecuted advantageously either from Europe or America, since, irrespectively of distance, it would require the adoption of the plan of operations peculiar to the Northern or Greenland fishery, that is, the ships must be more fully manned (carrying, say from forty to fifty hands), for the purpose of obtaining the greatest quantity of oil in the shortest period ; which oil must be stowed in casks or tanks in a state of blubber, in lieu of being boiled on board the vessels. The boats too must be on a different construction, as must also most of the whaling gear. " As the blubber in its raw state would not admit of being taken for the purpose of being boiled, into a climate so warm even as that of Van Diemen's Land or New Zealand, this obstacle to the undertaking would p.ove insurmountable, were it not that the Auckland Islands supply, in point no less of climate than position, the precise locality that is needed for this object. It has been mentioned to me by Sir James Ross, that the whales in these high southern seas are much more numerous than those he had ever seen in the north ; and the fact of their abundance has been confirmed by the observations of masters of vessels employed by my firm, when extending their voyages, as frequently they have done, to those distant regions, with the view of the discovery of land. *' I have appended hereto an extract from the published narrative of the United States' exploring expedition in 1840, as containing a descriptive account of the Auckland Islands, and serving to substantiate various of the particulars I have stated with reference to the capability of those islands to become a firstrate whaling station and de'^dt. "Now, her Majesty's Government having been pleased, in consideration of the endea-

• Captain Wilkes, in hi 3 narrative of the United States' exploring expedition, states, (vol. ii. p. 413), that the American whaling fleet actively employed on the coast of New Zealand, in the spring of 1840, amounted to one hundred sail; a fact which will alone enable us to appreciate the value of the Auckland Island* as a whaling station.

yours of my late father and ourselves to promote geographical knowledge, as also to extend the whale fisheries, and open new channels for trade, to grant me, conjointly with, my brothers, the exclusive possession of the Auckland Islands : and the latter having assented to the appropriation of the islands to the purposes hereinbefore suggested, I find myself in a position to insure the realisation of those objects ; and, consequently, to confer upon a Company organised upon a proper basis for carrying on the Southern Whale Fishery from thence, an advantage over and above the many which have been already enumerated ; as also far surpassing, I do not hesitate to say, any that could be hoped for from the acquisition of a -whaling station, howsoever suitable, elsewhere, seeing that our powers, as sole grantees of the islands, would "enable us effectually to preclude the possibility of the Company's operations being interlered with by individual competition, from, at least, any portion of the territory conceded to us." And now he announces the interesting conclusion, the proposal for the formation of a Company, combining the double objects of prosecuting the fisheries and of colonising the islands. " I propose that a Southern Wha^ Fishery Company should be established in this country, under the sanction of a charter from the Crown, with a sufficient capital and fleet of ships for the effectual prosecution of that fishery at and from the Aucklands. In the formation of such a Company, I shall be prepared zealously to co-operate with those who may share my views. To this Company, my brothers and myself will be willing to assign our rights in the grant made to us, either partially or entirely, upon equitable conditions ; — and, upon this primary arrangement being effected, we shall be equally disposed to identify ourselves with the Company's interests, by investing a large capital iv the undertaking. " I am well satisfied, that no more eligible site than the Auckland Islands could possibly be se'ected for a central Southern Whaling Station ; nor am 1 less persuaded — backed as my own opinion is by testimonies I have received, not alone from other owners, and from masters of British whaling ships, but also from owners in the colonies and the United States — that the prosecution of the Southern Fishery by the means suggested, would be eminently successful, and that, too, within a short space of time. Nothing, indeed, but this conviction would have induced me to bring the project forward : for, as before remarked, my long experience in the trade would make me cautious of suggesting any measure for its restoration that did not rest on grounds, the accuracy of which I had ample means of testing. But I fpel so morally assured, that success must attend a well directed undertaking of the nature of that proposed, that I am quite willing to abide by the responsibility of recommending it, as one which is peculiarly entitled to the public con« fidence and support. " As only a comparatively small portion of the 100,000 acres constituting the area of the Auckland Islands would be needed for the whaling establishment, and it forms, as already mentioned, a leading feature of my plan that the ships employed in the fishery shall not become the carriers of their produce to England, but merely deposit it at the station, I further propose, as an adjunct measure, that, after the selection of a sufficient site, the cultivatable land shall be colonised by the families, as well of the crews of the whaling ships as of those to whom the business of the fishery would afford employment in various ways on shore, and who comprise a very numerous class of artizans and labourers. " By these means, a twofold desirable object would be accomplished : first, a character of permanence and stability would be imparted to the whaling establishment itself; secondly, the whaling crews would have their home, theii families, and their connexions close at hand. Upon the importance of the last consideration, I need not dilate. It will be sufficient to remaik, that the cause of morality would be largely promoted by the arrangement ; since it is only too much a matter of notoriety, that, owing to the want of domestic associations, the greatest immorality has hitherto marked the intercourse of the crews of whaling ships with the natives of the islands in the Pacific, whither they are in the habit of resorting to refit. " Her Majesty's Government propose to appoint a resident Chief Magistrate as the Government representative ; and it is a condition of the grant made to us, that this appointment shall be at the charge of the grantees, or of those to whom, for the purpose of colonising the 'islands, they may delegate their

rights. " It is further intended, that the ports of the islands shall be free ports, and that neither duties nor taxes shall be levied ; so that the only revenue derived, will be that accruing from the sale or lease of the land, which,

in order to facilitate its settlement, will be divided into convenient sections. Such a colony, combining, as it would, the pursuits of whaling and agriculture, might be expected to prove peculiarly attractive to many amongst the maritime population on the coasts, both of England and Scotland, but more especially of the latter country, who would prove eligible settlers and seamen ; or also to shipwrights, and caulkers, sail-makers, coopers, carpenters, and the like. The suitability of the Auckland Islands for colonisation generally, may be estimated from the fact, that Sir James Ross strenuously recommended the Government to constitute them a penal settlement. " The colonising branch of the undertaking, besides being, in the above sense, an invaluable auxiliary to the whaling branch, would not only entail no pecuniary charge upon it, but itself yield no inconsiderable profit from its special source of revenue, namely, the proceeds of the sale and lease of land ; as, in the appropriation of those proceeds, a fair reservation should of course be made in favour of those by whose enterprise the colonising operations were conducted. " Though I do not propose to enter here into the consideration of the precise measures which should be adopted in this respect, I would nevertheless observe generally, that, in accordance with the modern principles of colonisation, due provision should be made in aid of immigration, and also for the construction of public works, as roads, &c. — for religious and school instruction, and for surveys. Above all, I would suggest that an hospital should be erected on the island for the benefit of invalid seamen ; nor would I exclude from this the seamen of ships of whatsoevei nation, which might chance to put in at the station. * ( You will not have failed to perceive, that, in my estimate of the profits of the whaling project, I have not in any way included those which might be expected to accrue from the colonising operations. I have purposely abstained from making any addition, as derivable from this extraneous source, as I wished the first-named matter to rest entirely upon its own merits, and to show that it possesses, in itself, the elements of a most profitable speculation. It is clear, however, that if the two branches of the undertaking be blended in the same account, and consequently, the enterprise be regarded as a _whole, the advantage to be anticipated will be much greater than I have shown it to be, even upon "the largest basis. " It is only proper I should state, that the double project now submitted is neither of very recent origin, nor the result of immature conception, having, in effect, been first entertained by me now upwards of three years since. As, however, the acquisition of the Auckland Islands formed, in my mind, the essential condition of the^success of the proposed whaling undertaking, and it being only lately that my negociations on the subject with the government have been brought to a satisfactory termination, I have deferred until now giving publicity to my views, believing that it would have answered no useful purpose to promulgate them sooner." The phamphlet from which we have so liberally quoted is in its second edition. We, therefore, suppose that considerable exertions have been used to make it public since its first publication in October last. There are several incidental allusions in it, particularly those referring to negociations with Government, which induces us to believe that the enterprise in question is in a considerable state of progress, or at least that the formation of the Company wears a strong probability of being ere Jong accomplished. This region of the globe, and this colony especially, will undoubtedly reap considerable advantages from the re-estabKshment of the fishery ; in which we may suggest that some of our surplus colonial money might be beneficially invested. The fatal flexibility — the favouritism — the nepotism — the other sorts of partiality and subserviency — and the resulting want of mutual confidence — which prevent the most useful combinations, mercantile or otherwise, in this colony, are not chargeable as a probable objection against a Company so originated.