New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JULY 27, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4165, 27 July 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JULY 27, 187 4.

In addition to the ministerial memoranda respecting Polynesia placed upon tho tablo of the House, and the despatches from and to His Excellency the Governor on the subject, were two lengthy and valuable papors, compiled by Mr. Seed, who officially visited several islands in the Pacific, and by Mr. Sterndale, who is well acquainted with their trading resources, and with tho manners and customs of the people. Also, there is a very valuable chart of the islands, collated from those issued by the Admiralty, and admirably photo-litho-graphed in the Government printing office. Ministers, after placing theso papers before hon. members, are granting time in which they may be marked, read, and inwardly digestod. The Premier has said that he rogards the question of tho state forests of the Colony as of prime importance ; and this ono of tho South Sea trade is scarcely of less. It is of interest to the politician, the merchant, the man

of letters, and the philanthropist. We may Bay of it, that those who have the most thorough knowledge of it will most highly and accurately appreciate it, and vice versa. Hitherto there has not been so much known in New Zealand of these islands as was desirable. We had read, witli more or less interest, the gossiping narrative of the cruise of the Earl and the Doctor in the Pacific amongst them, of their gorgeous tropical beauty, their fertility, and the easy-going, hospitable character of some of the islanders. We knew that they were calculated to realise the dream of the lotos-eaters — places in which the troubled might choose to "cease from wanderings, and steep their brows in slumber's holy calm," watching "the crisping ripples on the beach." And we also knew that some of them were tenanted by a different class of men, and that though thoy were as if in them "Nature had loved to trace as if for gods a dwelling-place;" yet man "marred them into wilderness." But information respecting their area, population, and trade was difficult to obtain. Those who have sought it will corroborate Mr. Seed's implication that it was meagre and incomplete both "in the library of the General Assembly," and other places where one might have expected to find it. The correspondence of the Secretary of State for the Colonies with His Excellency the Governor, respecting the possible government from New Zealand of some the isles of the Pacific, breaks off at a very interesting period. Earl Kimberley had prepared a despatch upon the subject, but had postponed sending it, Ave presume in consequence of events that had taken place having an important bearing upon the matter. Mr. Seed's paper which follows commences by setting forth that many of the groups he should describe were claimed to be in the possession of some civilised power ; and that in the Indian Ocean, one little group called the Seychelles, is actually a dependency of the Mauritius. He was astonished, as have been other people, that the British Government having valuable possessions in Vancouver on one side of these islands, and Australia on the other, and a mail service crossing the ocean, should have no island even for a coaling station. This is the more singular as the inhabitants of the Navigator or Samoan Islands have requested to be placed under British protection, and also, many years ago King Thakombau oftered to cede the Fijis. The export trado of Fiji was estimated to have been nearly £IOO,OOO in 1870, and it would certainly be very much larger now. In 1871 the Navigator Islanders exported £45,000 worth of goods. The trado of both could be increased to an indefinite extent as they grow Sea Island cotton —tho very best in the market —sugar cane, coffee, and tobacco. These are found to flourish with the greatest luxuriousness, the cane being sometimes sixteen feet in height. They abound in '' edible roots, medical plants, perfumes, and timber of various valuable descriptions." Sea Island cotton, of the value of £91,500 was exported from the Fijis in 1870. The other exports were cocoanut oil, tortoise-shell, kauri gum, &c. The population was estimated at from 100,000 to 200,000 ; tho Australian Wesleyan Missionary Association reporting 109,000 attendants at public worship. Tho export trade of the Navigator Islands consists principally of cobra, or dried cocoa nut fruit. This is bought almost exclusively by the German firm of Goddefroy and Sons, who have a very large establishment there, have purchased 25,000 acres, .have numerous agents scattered through tho group, generally one or two vessels loading for Home in the perfect harbor of Pango Pango, Tutuila, and five or six small vessels trading between the islands. It is bought at a very low rate, paid for in European goods principally, upon which the profit is never less than cent, per cent., and then sent to the Continent to be crushed for the sake of the oil it produces. There are also cotton plantations in tho hands of the Messrs. Goddefroy and other Europeans. The trade of this German firm is said to be, and no doubt is, very lucrative. It would appear that but for tho FrancoPrussian war and other causes, the Messrs. Goddefroy would probably have established a supremacy in the islands that might have led the German Government to take possession of them. And this whilst thoy are within 1500 miles of New Zealand ! Mr. Sterndale's paper gives additional particulars respecting the Tonga Archipelago, of about one hundred islands, generally known as tho Friendly Group. Amongst these the Messrp. Goddefroy, who have a building yard for small vessels at Samoa, where they keep a stall' of engineers and skilled workmen, trade Largely. At one time Mr. Storndalo was in their employment, and in the year 1870 they loaded eight largo vossels for Germany. The Tongoneso are described as being a very superior x - ace to the Samoans, who are voluptuous and indolent. The people of Tonga are of great stature—rarely under six feet high—very handsome, brave, "courteous and' dignified in their manners, honest and manly in their dealings, and cleanly even to fastidiousness in their domestic habits. Wherever a traveller may turn in Tonga, he but wanders in gardens. All the pooplo can read and write, and aro familiar with the Gospel." They have good roads, printed statutes which every one reads and understands, each adult male is supplied with a musket and has to attend drill twice per week, and they have muskotry instructors who have had European experience. They have immense war canoes, rigged with a lateen yard 100 feet long, and Mr. Storndale believes that on the death of tho present king thero will bo a fierce and sanguinary war between rival claimants to the throne. He was a polygamist, and, becoming a Christian, divorced all Ilia wives but the youngest. The sons of the others aro able, brave men, who will fight for tho sovereignty. Mr. Sterndale thinks that if a British protectorate were extended over the islands, this catastrophe might be avoided. Certainly this forms one reason why thoy should be governed from New Zealand. What Parliament may say to the project cannot be surmised ; but we trust it will have tho consideration its importance warrants. Besides the products we have mentioned, thero aro poarls of groat value and beauty on some of the islands. A very large guano trade between them and New Zealand must bo developed. Boche-de-mer is now largely exported. The climate and soil are peculiarly suited to tho growth of tho cinchona. When wo recollect the value the India trade has been to England, how much one of a similar character enriched the Dutch, it will almost appear folly, if wo do not endeavor to attach this South Sea Island trade, which will do the same for Now Zealand, to our shoros.