THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 111, 25 March 1862, Page 4

THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

A few days ago Mr. William Hunt, who has resided with his father and uncle for seventeen years in the Chatham Islands, called on us, and furnished us with some exceedihly interesting particulars concerning them, jit appears that Mr. Seed's report ; and our own remarks with which we accompanied it, far from being exaggerated, are within the mark ; the picture presented to us is of two islands, limited in : extent, but possessing .■unrivalled natural advautages, prominent amongst which is a soil of unequalled fertility. Mr. Hunt resides on Pitt's Island, which is the second in size—the third island is of inconsiderable, extent. Pitt's Island, is twelve miles from the Main or Chatham island. It is about ibi-ty miles in circumference. On Pitt's Island there are three families of Europeans,, and about four families of Maories. Mr. Hunt's friends hav.e about 300 acres under cultivation, besides the around they occupy with about 800 sheep which have sprung from 20, with which they originally commenced. Besides this increase, they have sold and killed a great quantity. The sheep average 4lbs. weight. of wool a year. The main island is much larger m extent, about 200 miles in circumference. There are about 64 English and Americans living on.it. They live with the natives, or in friendly intercourse with them. Thousands and thousands of acres in this island are suitable for sheep country, and the soil is so fertile that year after year crops can be raised on it without a chance of failure. Last year 2,000 tons of potatoes were left to rot in the ground, and this year, our informant believed, fchej' would be procurable at 20s. a ton. About twenty chieft live in the islands, and the native race which the Maori supplanted is kept in slavery, under close surveillance. The Maories! are very friendly and hospitable ; in fact, Europeans can live there almost for nothing. Fish and wild pigs are to be procured in the greatest abundr.nce. The two islands abound in fresh water, and wood, is to be procured in sufficient quantities. The climate Mr. Hunt describes as similar to Wellington. He passed three months in Otago, and says there is nothing like so much rain at the Chathams. He has never seen snow there beyond a few flakes, insufficient to cover'the ground. We mentioned some time ago that several specimens were sent us from the Chatham Islands, one being an excellent specimen of lignite associated with iron pyrites (niundic); the others being muudic in vajious shapes and forms. Mr. Hunt tells us that lignite exists most abundantly in the Islands,-as alt.o niundic and other ores of iron. Both lignite and niundic arc good indications 'of gold and we see no reason to alter an opinion expressed some time back, that auriferous deposits would be found within the Chatham Islands. :'

I It seems a pity that islands so fitted in every way for settlement should be left in their present comparatively uninhabited condition. "We are told on excellent authority that the extinguishment of the native title would be a matter of very little difficulty. Would not the colonization of these islands be a good field* for speculative enterprise. A company formed for the purpose of trading with and settling the islands would probably secure most favorable privileges by an act from the Legislature. The profits would be likely to prove considerable. Prosperous towns and settlements could be formed, and would flourish, and the agricultural, pastoral,, and mineral resources of the islands would in themselves form an inexhaustible source of remuneration.