The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-10-22 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOL WEDNESDAY

NEW ZEALAND AND ITS PROSPECTS

The following is a continuation of the remarks of
our cotemporary, the Aus'ralian and New Zealand
Gazette, respecting this important and rising
colony. The statements put forth are well worthy
of perusal :

In our last number we took occasion to state some facts
respecting the progress and present position of the settle-
ments of New Zealand on the north island, viz., Auckland,
New Plymouth, and Wellington. We purpose to follow the
same coarse with respect to the middle island, concerning
the settlements of Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago. The
recent discovery of gold in Nelson, which appears to be now
folly substantiated, must give a vast impulse to the progress
of this settlement ; and the establishment of new lines of
packets will greatly facilitate the increasing intercourse
between that colony and the mother-country. The town
of Nelson lies at the north-west angle of the middle island,
or on the south side of Cook's Straits, which divide the
north and middle island, and a short distance to the west of
the port of Wellington. The military hero of England
represents the northern island, and its naval hero the
middle, Cook's Straits separating the two islands. The
town of Nelson possess a very excellent harbour and anchor.
age, while the district of which it is the chief town, contains
s )use fine land suitable for agricuitural purposes and the
feeding of sheep and cattle. For several years past the
largest proportion of wool shipped from New Zealand
has been the produce of Nelson, but the exoorts from
Wellington and the more newly formed settlemen.t
of Canterbury will very soon rival those of Nelson.
The settlement, though commenced only a few years since,
is now in a highly prosperous state. Up to the close
of the last year the quantity of land fenced in and cultivated
was 19,401 acres, and of this extent there were 3,379 acres
of land laid down In wheat, 777 in barley, 1,626 in oats, 14
in maize, 755 in potatoes, 4,305 in Enzlish grasses, 638 in
orchards, 6 in hops, and 664 in various other crops. The
natives have in the province 309 acres of wheat, 9 of
barley, 43 of oats, 111 of maize, 192 of potatoes, 31 in
gardens, and 34 in various crops. Small as these latter

accounts may appear to English readers, they serve to show
in a striking manner the advance which has been made by the
native population, and the change which has taken place in
the habits and pursuits of the people. A short time since
the name of a New Zealander was but another term for a
cannibal and a savage, and the remarks of the witty Sidney
Smith with respect to the serving up, at the breakfast of a
chief, of a portion of a cold missionary, correetlyeindicated
the existing state of things in New Zealand in that day.
Now, however, we find that our antipodean subjects are the
cultivators of crops, the names of which are familiar to every
ear. The total amount of stock owned by European settlers
last year was—horses, 1,504 ; mules, 14 ; oxen, 12,660 ;
sheep, 235,033 ; goats, 3,006 ; pigs, 4,814; while the natives
owned 38 horses, 152 oxen, 520 goats, and 982 pigs. With
respect to the population, the following statement was given
a few weeks since in our Gazette :—" The total number of
persons who arrived in Nelson daring the year 1855 was
1,585, being 1,090 males and 495 females. The departures
were 963, being 708 males and 255 females. The arrivals in
1854 numbered 1,121, the emigrants 623, being an increase
of 478, whilst the increase in 1855 is 622. The total increase
in population during the two years from this source alone
was 1,100. The European population of the province in
1854 was 5,858-3,186 males, 2,672 females ; in 1855 it was
6,665 —3,674 males and 2,991 females, being an increase
of 488 males and 319 females, in all 807. The Maori
population in 1855 was 1,120, of whom 692 are males and
428 females." The climate of Nelson is generally considered
as the finest of the settlements of New Zealand. Wind,
rain, and heat we are informed by a gentleman who has
been long resident in the colony, appear to be so equally
apportioned that the transitions of the seasons are scarcely
perceptible. The indigenous vegetation is evergreen.
Plants which are carefully treasured up in the more genial
temperature of a window with a southern aspect in England,
during the winter months, not only live but blossom during
the same period in Nelson, in the open air. The extreme
heat of the hottest day is 89 deg., the main average of
the hottest month, 70 deg ; the extreme cold of the coldest
day has been 29 deg., and the mean average of the coldest
month 50 deg. A local record kept at Nelson gives the
average number of fine sunny days in the year at 229 ; of
fair an.] cloudy, 46 ; of showery, 66 ; and of continu )us
rain, 22. Our antipodes have certainly much more cause
for thankfulness respecting the weather than have their
friends at home. The social condition of the settlement is
highly favourable to the emigrant from this country, as will
be seen from the following extract from the Nelson Erami-
ner :—" Labour is high, and to be obtained with difficulty ;
£3O to £5O is given, with board and lodging, for a single
individual. Provisions are dear, as the following specimens
will evidence : Bread, 141 per 41b loaf ; meat, 9d per lb ;
butter, 16d per lb; wheat, 9s to 10s the bushel ; oats, 8s
to 9s; firewood, 30s the cord. The average yield of an acre
of wheat i 3 (tutu 25 to 30 bushals. Any spare cash may be
invested at 10 per cent, on good local security, or in
sheep, which would give a handsome return. From the
same source we learn that Nelson, with a population
of about 6,000 souls, spreading along 150 miles of coast,
and separated 1w geographical features from the other
colonies of New Zealand, " has a Parliament of its own,
elected by almost universal suffrage, and this Parliament
or Provincial Council has voted £32,933 towards assisting
schools, erecting reading rooms, providing libraries, forming
roads, bridges, and gutters, besides £B,OOO to promote
emigration, and a certain sum for an annual fund to keep
up a monthly communication with Wellington and Canter-
bury. and a monthly communication between Cook's Straits
and Melbourne. Of the entire expenditure of the colony,
amounting to £32,138, not less than £26,500 was appro-
priated in 1855 to useful public works." Of Canterbury,
the most recently formed of the New Zealand settlements,
the general tenor of all the accounts received in this country
is that in no one of the British colonies can an Englishman
and his family find a greater amount of agreeable society,
or a larger share of those comforts which distinguish
a rural life in this country, than in this set-
tlement, with the additional advantage of a most
agreeable and healthy climate. The province of
Canterbury lies between that of Nelson and Otago, and
occupies an area of about 4,000,000 of acres, known as the
Canterbury Plains. These fertile plains are pierced by
several navigable streams. The largest proportion of
the population of the province is located at Christchurch,
situatedan d i n theon neighbourhood
tohf e t he
laats
stioewa
y, annadm oe fd Cca
ai am
no
a,
greit extent of the land which, but four years since, was
a dreary waste is now a rich corn-growing district. Mr.
informs
usththeata tghe
en t
littler f o
tt
oh
we n
sp
no province ep
rionv
itnheies,
ic, otuhnoturgyh,
at present struggling in appearances, have churches,
schools, mills, inns, stores, wharves, public offices, and
most of the necessary requirements of civilised life, and
are growing rapidly in size ; farm buildings are
springing up in all directions around them, and the roads,
where they require it, are being metalled and made
generally available for traffic." Lyttelton. so named after
the noble lord who took so active a part a short time
since in the establishment of the province, is the port
town. The climate of Canterbury is described as one of
the healthiest in the world, and possesses a happy mean
between the coldness of England and the warmth of sunny
Italy. The latest returns received from Canterbury
exhibit a gratifying increase in the prosperity as compared
with 1854. In that year the population was 3,895, at
present it amounts to 5,200, while the number of acres of
land fenced in has risen from 7,221 in 1854, to 13,E in
1856. In 1854 there were 596 horses, there are now 1,200
in the province; there were 6,363 oxen, at present there
9,000; in 1854 the number of sheep was 99,245, there are
now in the province 225,000. The settlement of Otago
was founded under the auspices of the New Zealand
Company, by an association of lay members of the Free
Church of Scotland for promoting the settlement of
Otago. The first body of emigrants left England
in December, 1847. The principal harbour of this
province is Port Chalmers, and the town established
upon it is Dunedin. The harbour is the most southern
one on the eastern side of New. Zealand, available for
large vessels, and is about 250 miles to the south of Banks'
Peninsula, in the Canterbury settlement. The trade of
the province has gradually increased, and in the last year
its imports amounted to £44,545, and its exports to
,e 24,182. The revenue of the province was £4,375. The
population numbers 2,557, exclusive of the natives. In
1849 the whole extent of land in cultivation was but 42
acres, last year it reached to 3,168 acres • in 1849 there
were 35 houses, 375 oxen, 2,430 sheep, and 50 goats, in
Otago. There are now 435 houses, 6,511 oxen, 58 902
sheep, and 231 goats. Among the exports in 1855,
wool alone figured for the amount of £ll,OOO.
There is mach credit due to Messrs. James Baines and
Company for the energy and activity which they have
displayed in establishing a regular line of well equipped
packets between this port and the leading places in New
Zealand. Their 'ships are famed for the comfort and
accommodation of passengers, the punctuality of sailing,
and the excellent passages which they make. The first
vessel on the berth is the Indian Queen.

AN UNWELCOME VISITOR. —An occurrence of a very
remarkable kind took place on Tuesday week, at the Custom
Howe, Pill, near Bristol. One of the boatmen was in the
act of enterirg the watch-room, for the purpose of looking
out, when he heard a curious hissing noise, and on attempt-
ing to ascertain by what it was occasioned he saw a large
snake on the floor. The creature at first crested at him,
but in a inoment darted into a corner, and coiled itself up.
The man immediately got his blue Jersey shirt, for the
Purpose of throwing over it, when the venomous reptile
again began to rear its crest, apparently with the intention
of darting at his assailant. The surveyor, Mr. Fairburn,
anticipating danger, very discreetly gave orders to kill the
reptile, which was effected by means of a piece of rope. The
snake, which is of a foreign species, and exceedingly venom.
ous, measures twenty-eight inches in length, and has a bright
yellow mark round the neck. It is conjectured that it must
have by some means been brought from an African other
foreign ship, on board of which the officers had been to
rummage. At the time wben it was discovered there were
several children about the place, and a bed room close to
the watch house is slept in by some of the younger branches
of Mr. Fairburn's own family. It is therefore a most fortu-
nate circumstance that the venomous creature was observed
and destroyed before it had done any mischief.—Bristol
Journal.

THE SURREY GARDENS CATASTROPHE

In yesterday's NORTHERN TIMES we gave a full account
of the particulars of this melancholy disaster, and now append
the following additional particulars :
From an early hour on Monday morning thousands of
persons assembled before the garden gates, endeavouring to
obtain admission. The gardens, however, were kept strictly
closed, excepting to officials. On viewing the hall by daylight
the first feeling is of astonishment that the fear of fire could
have occurred to any one within the walls. The basement is
surrounded with glass doors, so that every facility seems to
he afforded for egress, even if the panic had been justified.
Almost every window is shattered, and fragments of glass are
scattered in all directions. In one place, where the glass was a
quarter inch thick, an individual is stated to have deliberately
run against it for the purpose of getting out, although half the
door of which it formed a part was open, and his b'ooil is plainly
to be seen on the fragments of glass and walls. From a close
inspection of the place, however, we are inclined to believe
that the unfortunate man must have beer. forced through. The
balustrades leading to the galleries are broken in two places ;
they seem to be strongly built, and the pressure of the crowd
must have been immense to have broken them. To one
inspecting the place it would seem that the majority of the
deaths must have occurred at one of these openings, but the
officials aver that many casualties, but no actual loss of life took
place here. Most of the deaths were occasioned by pressure,
causing suffocation, and by the trampling of the crowd.
Mrs. Barlow, whose case is briefly mentioned elsewhere, is
tiirowri herself from one of the galleries on
d r, her fall breaking the slate

now stated

a the av

'after t.o crowd had found a way out, one woman was found
lying dead on the gravel, about ten yards from the door. Two
others were picked up in a state of compete exhaustion. The
accidents of a minor description are much more numerous than
has been stated in any previous account, consisting chiefly of
cuts and bruises, while many of those who escaped sound in
limb suffered greatly from fright, and will probably bear to the
end of their lives a vivid recollection of the appalling disaster.
As an instance of the astounding force of a congregated mass
of human beings, we may mention that the angles and
edges of the stone pedestals of the pillars are literally broken
or rounded off. The objects left behind the people in their
fright are of a very miscellaneous order, comprising handker-
chiefs, combs, hymn books, scent bottles, &c. The congrega-
tion included persons from all parts of London, and not a few
from the country. The strongest appeals were made to their
liberality by placards posted on the varions walls, and which
still remain. The subscription would no doubt have
amounted to a very heavy sum. One of the firemen
employed in the gardens states that while Mr. Spur-
geon was reading the lesson he was seated with
other of his confreres in the small gallery over the
orchestra, when one of the deacons came upstairs and desired
his immediate attendance in the third tier of the north-west
galleries, alleging that some youths had been misconducting
themselvesithere, by exploding small quantities of gunpowder.
The firemen directly proceeded to the spot indicated, and on
arriving there distinctly perceived the smell of gunpowder.
No person being able or willing to point out the offending
parties, he was in the act of descending to the ground floor of
the hall, when the cries of " Fire !" first rang through the
building.

Mr. Superintendent Lund, of the metropolitan police, has
male a statement respecting the occurrence. He says that lie
was present in the Hall from the commencement of the service
until the fatal occurrence took place. He occupied a position
on the platform, very near to Mr. Spurgeon, and had an unin-
terrupted view of the whole body of the Hall. Ho asserts
that about the time stated above he distinctly saw three persons
in the body of the hall suddenly rise, and, lifting their arms
towards the roof, shout, " Fire ! fire !" He is convinced they
were not swell-rnobsmen, as was first supposed, as he states
thieves never occupy so prominent a position as the persons
he saw, generaly stationing themselves near the doors to rob
people as they make their exit. He believed the alarm was raised
by some opponents of Mr.Spurgeon, who had repaired to the hall
for the purpose of disturbing the proceedings. It is to be
regretted the vagabonds in question are not in custody ; but it
is said some slight clue to their identity is in possession of the
police. Mr. Lund related that as soon as he perceived
the immense audience making a desperate rush to leave the
building, he sent one of his men to Mr. Spurgeon, who was
continuing his prayer, notwithstanding the great confusion, and
prayed him to desist. With apparent reluctance he did so,
Mr. Lund's message being that it would be impossible to clear
the hall if he continued. The terrific scene described above
followed, but during which we have the authority of Mr. Lund
for stating that he saw at least a dozen men and boys hurrying
about with money boxes in their hands, which they shook
furiously, and endeavoured to procure contributions from the
congregation, who were struggling frantically for liberty. The
exact number of dead is not yet known, but the bodies of six
have been identified. They are as follows : —Mrs. Barlow,
married woman, 19, Bath street, London road. Samnel
Heard, aged 30, labourer, 8, Alio street, Bermondsey New
road. Harriet Johnson, address unknown, but supposed to be
in the Westminster road. Eliza Mead, aged 43, 7, Love lane,
Stockwell, married woman. The identity of the fifth woman
in the above wor- house, has not been clearly established, A
young man viewed the body yesterday, and stated his belief
that it VV,.9 that of his sister, named Harriet Matthews, of
Newington. There is some doubt, however, that this is the
case, as the deceased's clothing was marked with the initials
"M. H."

In yesterday's publication we stated that Grace Skipper,
Dobson-terrace, Kennington, had died at her residence. The
. following are also reported is having died from the effeets of the
injuries they sustained :—Harriet Matthew is a young woman
of robust nature and good features. The blackened state of
her face and neck sufficiently show this poor creature to have
died from suffocation. Harriet Johnson is also a fine looking
young woman. She is stated to have been an admitted member
of Mr. Spurgeon's congregation, and the fact is supported by
hymn books of the Park-street chapel haying been found upon
her person. This poor creature was also suffocated. The
young man Heard has sustained a frightful fracture at
the base of the skull, from which it is inferred that his
death was caused by leaping from a window of one of the upper
galleries on to the roof of the refreshment room, on the north
side of the building. Upon the slates of this roof there is a
fractured indentation corresponding in size with a man's head
' and several splashes of blood are observahle in its vicinity.
From this it is believed that Heard, finding the staircase
blocked up against his descent, formed the despera'e resolve of
leaping out on to the roof below, and thus met a sudden and
horrible death. The subjoined is a list of the injured persons
now lying at Guy's hospital, a portion of whom we mentioned*
yesterday —Thomas Peachy, 15, Grange road, Bermondsey,
broken thigh, and other serious injuries. James Arkwright,
James street, Long Acre, contused wounds all over the body.
G orge Lane, Goswell road, arm broken, and other injuries.
Margaret Weston, 21, Cumming street, general bruises.
Edward Whitnall, 3, John's place, general bruises. Besides
these persons at Guy's Hospital, there is a little girl who has
not yet been owned. She is very beautifully dressed, and we
regret to state somewhat seriously injured.
INJURED PERSONS CONVEYED TO THEIR OWN HOMES.—
John and Mary Aldis, man and wife, Mansion House street,
Kennington. Elltn Stanton, 5, Penton grove. John All-
worth, 1, Russell place, Old Kent road. Eliza Fletcher, 24,
Bath street, London road, ruptured a blood vessel. Henry
Urge, 17, Apollo buildings, Westminster road. Ellen
Goddard, I, James street, single woman, rib broken.
Sarah Bridges, 4, St. David street. All the above
are more or less seriously injured, and it is feared
death will supervene in some instances. The above
list, we deeply regret to state, forms only a moiety of those
known to be dying in various houses suffering from wounds
received during the rush, but whose names and addresses
have not, up to this time, been clearly ascertained. As
before stated, the exact number of killed is not known. It
was rumoured on Monday that four other persons, besides
those already identified, had been killed, and had either been
conveyed to their own residences or were lying in the
neighbourhood. We trust there is no truth is this statement,
which, however, was received with much credence, M.
Jullien was telegraphed for on Sunday night. He was at
Brighton. Upon arriving in London on Monday morning,
he was much excited upon being made acquainted with
what had occurrA. Mr. Carter commenced an enquiry into
the cause of the accident on Monday afternoon. Mr. Grace
Jones, the architect of the building, has made a survey of the
hall, and Mr. Scott, the builder, of New Inn—yard, together
with Mr. Ellis, the secretary, and other officials, made a clre•
ful survey of the pioperty, for the purpose of ascertaining
whether any ground existed for the rumour that the place was
on fire, or that the roof had given way. The result of the
survey showed, beyond the possibility of a doubt, that no fire
of any description had occurred, and that not so much as a
fissure in the roof or in any of the ceilings had taken place.
The only parts of the premises that had given way
were the south-western and north eastern staircases;- or, more
correctly speaking, the iron ballustrades. These were formed
of twisted iron pillars an inch and a half in diameter,
covered by a massive mahogany rail four inches wide by three
inches deep. Notwithstanding the extraordinary pressure to
which the balustrades were subject, only two portions have
given way, the remainder are perfectly sound, and apparently,
from the test applied, quite secure. The cause for those parts
giving way is thus described by the architect and builder.
When the alarm was given a great crowd of persons were
endeavouring to ascend the stairs, and a still larger number
were trying to leave. Those below, not knowing the cause
of those above attempting to leave, clung to the hand rail,
being determined to keep their positions, and get, rfpos-
Bible, into the gallery; but by so doing they lifted
bodily the rail from the iron pillars, when the leverage
became so great as to strain the iron work against the
sockets in the solid stone work, breaking the solid masonry
away as if it had been formed
.of nothing stronger than a
thin hoard of deal. From the inspection made, not so much
as a fracture could be found in either tl.e wood, iron, or
stone work; and, although some of the pillars on the stair-
cases have been broken into three pieces, not the least flaw
could be perceived in the !metal. There is no doubt,
i
therefore, entertained n the mind of the scientific gentlemen
employed to day, that the balustrades gave way from the
cause previously described. It is, however, right to say
that none of the persons dead lost their lives from falling
from the stairs, although many aro seriously in-
jured. The only case that is likely to prove fatal
is that of a girl who fell on her head, and it is
feared has received concussion of the brain. She still
remains in a very dangerous state in Guy's Hospital. The sister
of one of the females who lost their lives waited upon the police