VANCOUVER'S ISLAND. [From Sydney's Emigrant's Journal.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 409, 4 July 1849, Page 4

VANCOUVER'S ISLAND. [From Sydney's Emigrant 's Journal.]

Vancouver's Island has lately excited a great deal of attention, in consequence of its having become what the Americans call political capital. It has been the subject of a parliamentary debate. Lord Lincoln suspecied the Colonial Minister of a job in transfering the colonization of this island to the Hudson's Bay Company. This was a natural suspicion — jobbing comes to governments, great companies, and irresponsible individuals, almost by instinct. Good is certain to arise from the light thrown on the transaction, and from the stimulus afforded to the colonizing movements of the Hudson's Bay Company, by the sharp censures of parliament and the press. At the same time it is to be feared, that in the present fever fo.r emigration, the public may be deceived by the flattering pictures of Vancouver's Island painted by the orators on the popular side. The truth was stated, but not the whole truth. Vancouver's island lies in a nearly parallel latitude to Great Btitain, having a climate at least as favourable to health and vegetation. It is about 250 miles long, and about 40 miles broad, and is intersected by a back bone of lofty mountain*. The soil appears fertile, there are open plains and thickly timbered forests ; wild cattle and game abound, but there are no horses. The native Indian race are numerous and warlike. At present they are on friendly terms with the Hudson's Bay Company, which has one small fort on the island ; but the servancs of the Company have never ventured far into the interior, and they advise intendiug settlers to keep as near the walls of the fort as possible, for fear the Indians should become hostile. There are no sufficient number of the fur bearing animals to afford any encouragement for the peculiar pursuits of the Hudson's Bay Company. The harbours are numerous, fine, and accessible ; coal has been discovered ; whales abound in the neighbouring seas ; and this is all that is known about Vancouver's Island. It lies at the distance of a six months' voyage from England. That it may become a great colony, or a great kingdom, in some further age, is possible ; that it is not a favourable field for any considerable number of British colonists at present, is certain. The Government charge for conveying an emigrant to Australia, a distance of four months, is £21 — £20 charged to the land fund, and £1 lo the emigrant. Private individuals are ready to do the same work for£ls but at neither rate can sufficient funds be found, and consequently a sufficient number of emigrants conveyed, even to supply the demands of the colonists for labour, not to speak of occupying and cultivating the existing settlements in the manner which their capabilities demand. In Canada, at the distance of a month's voyage, we have millions of fertile acres, unoccupied for the want of a few thousand pounds expended in roads and tram roads. Under these circumstances, the expense of conveying colonists will alone prevent any large scheme of emigration by private individuals. The Government has acted wisely in not expending public funds, And diverting public attention, by attempting an impossible scheme of colonization. The only suggestion thrown out during this discussion worthy of the least attention, was contained in an admirable letter published in the Times, from Mr. Endeiby, the whale fisher. To his great national whale fishing enterprise, a settlement on Vancouvers's Island, of Scotch and Irish fishermen might be of some value, especially of Orkney and Shetland men. The obstinacy, the ignorance, the utter want of sympathy with the wants, feelings, and wishes of the working classes, displayed by the Colonial office, renders it justly suspected on all occasions. Even when it is right it gets no ciedit. But little as the Colonial office deserves the confidence of the masses, its colonial rule is infinitely to be preferred to that which would be established if the present occupants of office were replaced by their bitterest opponents — the theorists of the Wakefield school, the Sangrados of systematic colonization, who, after ruining every emigrant of capital who trusted them in two colonies, and spending £300,000 of public money in establishing what was to have been a selfsupporting colony in South Australia, were only saved from utter contempt by. the discovery of copper mines. , Mr. Wyld, of Charing Cross has just published an excellent map of Vancouver's Is1 laud, which, contains on its face almost all the

information we bare respecting it, arid shows Us relative situation as regards Chios and oar South Sea colonies.