A Fruitless Trading Scheme.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3080, 31 December 1878, Page 2

A Fruitless Trading Scheme.

Some months ago certain representa. tions were made here by an American shipmaster regarding a valuable trade to I be developed on the north-east coast of New Guinea, and which, he said, he had been in for some years, exhibiting at the .same time a number of specimens of the produce. In consequence of this, a company was formed, Who 1 purchased his vessel, the Courier, and fitted her out« with trade, and took two men 'to leave behind as post traders. She left here on the 27th September, and on the 25th October sighted Cape King "William, and by evening was within a few miles of the entrance to Astrolabe Bay, a gulf about 30 miles long and 20 wide, but utterly destitute of shelter or anchorage, but with 75 fathoms of water within a quarter of a mile of shore. They were several days occupied looking for an anchorage, which they sub?equently found on the west side of Astrolabe Bay, j due south from Dampier Island. The •country proved totally unlike what it had been described, exceedingly wild, barren and mountainous, thickly wooded, with inferior looking timber. The natives were very numerous, and almost entirely naked; short of stature, black, and of inferior physique ; exceedingly friendly, but no women were seen, they evidently being hidden away in the bush. The natives seemed to be very poor. None of the canoes, which were extremely numerous, had anything but a few yams and. cocoanuts. A sample of ginger and sugar cane were the only other native products. The natives appear to have no wants, not coveting iron, doth, beads, &c. They had no notion whatever of trade, and nothing to offer in barter. Tiio weather was excessively hot, the thermometer being 92 degrees in the

cabin at 9 p.m. After further explorations, during which little of interest was discovered, the vessel left on the 15th November on her return to Wellington, arriving here this morning.

It is understood that a deputation of members of the Wellington Press will shortly wait upon the Minister for Public Works, wi h the view of urging upon him the propriety of reconsidering his order prohibiting the issue of free railway passes to the Press ot'the Colony.

One of the immigrants by the Hermione dropped down dead this morning while in a paddock'in, town.

The weather is not very hot.

Mr Henry Anderson, of the Chronicle, waited upon the Government this morning J to notify that a deputation would wait upon them shortly regarding passes for the Press on railways. The Gofernmeut promised to continue for the next twelve months a system of allowing one free railway pass to each newspaper.

The Government estimate the expense of land valuation for the first year will be between ten and twelve thousand pounds, but that as subsequent valuations will only be made every third year the expense will be comparatively light. » Monday.

Mr LePatourel accompanies the Marquis of Normanby to Victoria as private secretary. The annual report of the directors of the N.Z.S.S. Company, to be presented on Friday week, will recommend that the company be wound up voluntarily. The report explains that but. for the anomalous position in> which the company is placed a handsome dividend might be made. The liabilities of the company amount to £38,638, and out of this amount £19,000 is paying interest at the rate of nine per cent., or £1,700 annually, sufficient of itself to pay the shareholders a Rood dividend. Itjias been known for some time that one of the principal shareholders in the company intended to force on t his step. Hunter's farm, cloje to Wellington, consisting of five thousand acres, was purchased to-day with all improvements, but not including stock, by PniHip Moeller, Andrew Young, *nd Jacob Joseph for sixty thousand jiounds.

, The Post says that the Wellington Law Courts are likely to have before them a most extraordinary dispute as to the titleof a considerable extent of the city, and some six or seven acres at Pipitea Point, which for many years past has be* n occupied by some of our leading citizens. The claimant is Mi Moffat. His father settled in the colony before it was separated .from New South Wales, and the present claimant, who is about forty years of age, has spent nearly, the whole of his life amongst the Wairarapa natives. It is said' that he is a chief among them, but whether that is so or not, he is evidently possessed of large blocks of land. He is married to a native woman, and has a half-caste family. Though, as might be. expected, Moffat is not an educated man, he appears to possess a large share pi natural intelligence and acuteness. Some years ago he was sentenced to a year's hard labor for' manufacturing powder for the natives, and it is stated he served alike time in the Auckland gaol. His claim is based'upon the alleged purchase by his father from the natives of the land of Pipitea, the boundaries of which, he states were marked by " Try pots," such as whalers use. According to his own statement he possesses Crown grants issued to his father by the New South Wales Government, and also by the New Zealand Government v after this colony was separated from New South Wales. When he came to town, a short time since, he found an old woman who remembered the sale, and pointed out the , ground as well, as she could ;: got an iron " prod " made by a blacksmith, and went carefully over the supposed boundaries, and he was at, last rewarded by striking one of the " Try pots " which had become embedded in the; earth. If true, from this mark the other boundaries can easily be ascertained, as the Crown grant will, of course, define the extent of the grant. Moffat further states that he has consulted several of the leading solicitors of Welliugton, and that they all advise him that his claim is indisputable. The value of the property is, at a moderate estimate £60,000. ;

In presenting the prizes at the, Wellington College on Friday, the Governor referred to" the importance of a-proper education of the young in a country governed by representative institutions, and inculcated principles of loyalty, expressing a .hope that it would be long before the union of the Colony with the Mother i ountry was dissolved. He had spent four happy years in New Zealand, and he should often look back with feelings of pleasure and regret at his connection with the Colony, as he thought of the many friends he had made here. It was one of the painfuj, parts of the office which he held, that as soon as a Governor had made friends whom he esteemed and regarded he was taken from among them. Wherever he might be in the future he should look back with interest to New Zealand, ever watching her progress,* and ever ready to do anything which might be in his.power to advance her interests and prosperity. He congratulated the colony on the appointment of Sir Hercules Robinson to the Governorship. He had long been acquainted with Sir Hercules, and he felt confident that in resigning the colony into his hands he was resigning it into the hands of one who would perform all his duties in such a manner as to gain the respect of the people whom he governed. j