THE PELORUS GUARDIAN TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 1890. THE SOUNDS.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume I, Issue 11, 4 March 1890, Page 2

THE PELORUS GUARDIAN TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 1890. THE SOUNDS.

We have heard it stated that the Channel Islands were a small farm paradise, and possibly it may interest many of our readers to have a brief description of them from one _ who made it his business to ascertain all the particulars as to the condition of the people, and as to the manner and extent of cultivation. He states that the aggregate area of the whole of the islands is 48,098 acres, and their population 90,000. He points out there are no indications of poverty, but, on the contrary, all that one sees in them speaks of sufficiency, ease, and prosperity, throughout all classes. A month's search for something mean and delapidated with regard to their houses was unsuccessful. To the eye of one visiting these islands indications of the well-to-do condition of the people are presented on every side. After speaking of the careful manner in which the churches and churchyards are kept, and also of the village schools and the cleanliness of the children, he refers to the dressiness of the roadsides in rural districts, which is something new to English visitors, and adds much to the pleasure of a day's walk or drive in the interior of Jersey. To the thought it is even more pleasing than to the eye, for it intimates that every cultivator loves and is proud of his land, and is desirous that it should present a fair appearance to his neighbours and to the casual passers by. The wealth that has accumulating in these islands in consequence of the way in which the land is cultivated is some? iaing surprising. Guernsey, with only 10,000 acres of cultivable land, has spent £16,000 in building a covered market for vegetables and fruit, £IO,OOO on a road from the harbour to the heights above the town, and £285,000 on its harbour. All these works have been carried out with their own money, not having had recourse to borrowing. We have spoken of these islands to show what wealth can be obtained from the soil if it is properly cuh tivated, and we also feel that The Sounds will be something similar to these islands in the future. We are only surprised that the land on these beautiful Sounds has not been settled so quickly as one might suppose, although settlement has been more rapid during the. Ja§fc few years than previously. We are inclined to, think that the reason why these Sounds have not been more quickly peopled arises from ,the fact that their beauty and advantages are not generally known. The Wellington papers scarcely ever mention them, a»d they are as little thought of, apparently, as the interior of Africa. It would m a great gain to Wellington if these Sounds were brought more under notice as a resort for tourists, and a desirable place for settlement. We have been shown an apple grown in this locality weighing 18ozs, and have been informed that it would be a splendid district. We see no reason why, in years tg come, these Sounds should not equal, in point of wealth and cultivation, that of the Channel Islands, and become a great place for tourists to visit. It has the great advantage of having direct water water communication with the outside world, and also within itself, which is Jihe main feature in the export of ppoduge. Only recently it has been stated £ha|; the Wellington country districts are unable jto. gend fruit and vegetables intQ that city because qf the high railway freights. Now, wjtjih regard to these Sounds, there can be no drawback of that nature, and the Empire City offers a splendid market for all that can be produced, for there is no doubt that Wellington will ultimately be a very populous town, and will absorb a very large quantity of farm and dairy produce. As settlement increases so will direct communication be more rapid and frequent, and so one thing will bring another, and this much-neglected district will rise to that importance to which its natural advantages would lead anyone to expect. If attention is

paid by settlers to the planting of trees in the place of those destroyed by fire, and the beauty of this picturesque district is not thereby demolished, by that destructive element we . have no misgivings as to its future. . The only thing we think is necessary to have the land along these Sounds more extensively settled is to make its advantages more widely known, the : neglect to do which has been a great drawback to the district in the past, - and its progress has not been so great as it otherwise would have been. i i MAIL SERVICES. Our friends in Manaroa and Sounds feel very strongly on the matter of de- ! lay in receiving their letters, especially tliose from Wellington. Since the opening of the Exhibition at Dunedin the steamer that formerly reached : Picton on Thursday evening does not now do so until Friday. The steamer for Torea neck conveying the Sounds mails leaves Picton or. Friday before the arrival of the Wellington boat, consequently the mails remain in the Picton office until the following Friday, a whole week. The grievance could be remedied by running the mail for Grove and Torea on Saturday instead of Friday. This would be a great • convenience to the residents of Havelock, Mahakipawa, and Pelorus as well, as they would then receive their letters on Saturday instead of Monday. We , draw the attention of the Postal author- , ities to this matter, trusting that they , will see their way to remedy what is really a grievance to the inhabitants | of the Sounds. Our mail services, with the above exceptions, are now \ highly satisfactory.