THE KERMADECS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4302, 23 December 1892, Page 2

THE KERMADECS.

Tholast of the little band of settlers who left this colony about three years ago to endeavour to form a settlement on Sunday IbM under the name of ''The Kermadec Fruit-growing Association," Mr Carver and family, returned by tbo Government a.p. Hine- , moa last week, and once more the original occupants of tbo island, Mr Bell and family, ore left in bolo possession.

Mr Carver appears quite satisfied . with bin residence on the inliinri J tol as to its prospects, the only rousonfor bis leaving being the pressure of relatives who havo persuaded bim to return to New Zealand, on the score that ho was isolating his family. They were all sorry to leaye their island home. Mr Carver, who is to bo commended for his perseverance in giving the island a fair trial for three years, speaks highly of tho place, He pronounces the climate of Sunday Island as perfect, tho eoil Bplendid though patchy, with goad and bad land, The best parts of New Zealand are not to be compared with it as a place for raising food stnffs, vegetables, food, oto. The climate is never cold, 1 though a lire seems pleasant and en» joyablo at times in the winter,- the i thermometer never falling below 1 50deg. Jb'ahr. in the shade. Rain is 1 abundant, and water of the most epleudid quality can be obtained any" 1 where where water is likely to be, by digging a depth of from 6 to 8 feet, Materials for building are to be found in abundance. Though sawing is not obtainable, therWra plenty of young Baplings which cari\ be utilised for the frame work of build* ings, whilo nikau and raupo are plentilul; and make lirst-rato walls and roofs, and comfortable wbares can thus be easily made, The scenery is charming, and tbo waters abound with fish of all kinds, including tho green turtle and hawksbill, whilo ; there aro great numbers of both aea and land birds, which provide both sport and food. Peaob trees planted by the American settlers some years , ago are siill bearing largo crops of fruit, and orange trees planted by Mr Bell about oleven or twolvo years ago, are now about fourteen feet high, and yield about two thousand orangeß per tree, Bell has his homestead in fino condition, and it forms quite a picture, It comprises three terraces of first-class land, all planted with pineapples, peanuts, banana (fat, dumpy speoies), limes, oitronß, shaddocks, grapes, dates, figs, and maDy other species of fruits, as wolkM vegetables of every description/lill growing profusely. Tho soil fe'of a volcanic nature, of a chocolate colour, and is in good heart, needing no manuro. Kumara grow from 101b to 121b in weight, if the vines are stripped to all but - one vine to feed one tuber, Arrowroot grows well, and tbo date palm attains to a height of ten feet in five years, and well. The persimmon also promises to prosper, and the grapo vines yield very heavily. Obinchona has been planted, and tho plants are looking strong and healthy, while both the sweet and bittor almond are growing finely. Wheat and barley have been tried, and both have done well. Some planted last July was out and threshed out by Mr Carver, and he has brought some samples of both with him to show what can ha done in the way of raising tfaeao cereals on Sunday Island, Tho dry taro grows well, even in tho dry volcanic ash, and had he remained on tho island, it was Mr Carver's intentiifc to make water taro patches, and gcin for the cultivation of this fino bulb. The native growth, such as the karaka, hobi, mapu, puhutukawa, tootoo, and many others make the scenery very beautiful, while the geological formation is unique, The drippings in the caveß form stalactites, not of limo but of moss of all shades, and the ferns are of the most exquisite beauty-delicate, feathery, and of lovely character. Good stone can be obtained on the island for chimney and oven-building, and excellent clay is plentiful and adapted for adobe houses, This clay is also well adap« ted for making bricks. With regard to rats, earthquakes, and all the rest of the bogies reported, the former are neither numerous nor destructive, They aro not the savago Norwegian rat liko wo havo here, but a small, harmless littlo animal doing very little damage.\ As to earthquakes, thci'o has only been eno shock in the tbreo years' sojourn of Mr Carver, and that ouo did noteven ■ shako an artiole from a shelf,groats are plentiful, and yield largely 1 ilii milk, They havo a curious habit of rooting pig-like lor roots, which lie buried under the sand and pumico, j Besides | giving milk they piovido good ilesli meat, as they are very numerous, Forl6 years Mr Bell and his family havo found everything they required • in life on the island, getting their food and raiment out of mother earth; and, fixing their standard of wants low enough to reach it, have produced all - they require for their needs ; besides which tbeir mode of life is most con- • ducive to longevity and happiness,— Audfand Woilly -