The Hawaiian gazette., 1871-01-18
A Glance at the Australasian Colonies.


WHO occasionally take up their aOOue among US,
few remarks from one who is thoroughly ac-
quainted with them will not be deemed out Of
place at the present time.
To commence, then, with New Zealand-it
being the first colony after leaving here, and
consequently our nearest neighbor. The Colony
consists Of three islands-the North, Middle and
South, the two Former being known as New us
ter and New Munster. On the North Island the
| principal towns are Auckland, Grabamstown
Thames Gold6eld), Wellington (the seat of Gov
ernment). Taranaki, Whanganui, and Napier on
the Middle Island. Dunedin. 0marn, Christchurch,
Lyttleton. Nelson, The Grey. and Hokitika.
Auckland contains population Of $4,000 Dun
edin about 10000. On the Southern Island there
are but few inhabitants.
| The following is the system of government in
the colony A Governor (the present one being
Sir George F. Bowen) is appointed by the Impe-
rial authorities, aud its. laws are enacted by a
General Assembly, the members of which are
elected by the people. This body meets annually
at Wellington. In addition to this, the colony is
divided into provinces, each province having a
Superintendent and Provincial Council. 1t is
the business of this latter body to frame measures
to meet such requirements of the Province as are
not Immediately provided for in the laws enacted
by the General Assembly.
The nature Of the country is generally noun
tainous although there are many large tracts of
land admirably adapted for pastoral and agricul-
/ l. = Ill
there being inuumerabe rivers and streamlets !;
indeed it is doubtful whether there is another
country in the world so well provided for by ma
ture in this respect. In many parts it is densely
wooded in other following strange contrast)
there is no vegetation to be seen for miles. On
the Middle Island the mountains rise to a great
altitude, and are capped with snow all the year
round. The climate throughout the islands is
temperate, and on the whole, healthy one. But
great drawback to the growth Of seaport towns
is the existence of bars" generally of a shifty
nature, at the mouths of rivers and the entrances
to ports, which prevent the entrance of ships of
large tonnage. Add to this the Maori difficulty
which for many years past has so effectually
be easily accounted for why New Zealand is SO
far behind her sister colonies in regard to her
population and productions.
The principal productions of the colony are
gold, copper, coal and fax. Gold is found prin-
cipally in the provinces of Otago, Westlaud and
Nelson, in the Middle Island in the North,
Auckland may be said to be the only gold pro-
ducing province, although small quantities of the
precious metal have been found at Wellington.
Ii is about ten years since gold was discovered in
0tago, which attracted large numbers Of miners
from the neighboring colonies, owing to the many
rich fields reported and since that time the
population has been steadily increasing. Five
years later the West Coast (Westlandj Goldfelds
were discovered, and SO many stories were told Of
their richness that thousands hocked to the new
FL Dorado. Never was a more wild country
opened to the enterprise of white men than this
same West Coast. Along its entire length a
heavy surf is continually beating, making noise
like the distant roar of thunder few miles in
land rise the great chain Of Southern Alps, COW
cred with snow and between the sea and noun
tains there is nothing but vast expanse of sand
The richest claims = on tLis goldfeld were on
the beach, the gold being found in black sand
washed up by the ocean. To certain extent
the claims were inexhaustable, as on the recur-
renee of each spring tide a fresh supply Of the
precious sand was washed up. 1t is presumed
that the gold came originally from the mountains.
being washed down by the rivers into the sea, aud
then cast up again. To the discovery Of these
fields the towns of Hokitika, The Grey, Ross,
Stafford Charleston and Westport owe their ex
istence. They will never rise to any great i'm
portance as they are nearly all built on bar-bound
rivers, and it has more than once occurred that
a river, owing to the accumulation of sand at its
mouth. has changed its course and swept away a
great portion of a town. In addition to gold, coal
is plentiful on tie coast, and of a good quality
but owing to the nature Of the country it is only
available for internal supply. There are at the
present time fully twenty thousand persons en-
gagged in mining pursuits 10 Westland.
Three years ago Auckland was in an almost
hopeless state Of insolvency, when the Thames
gold6elds were discovered, and saved for the time
being. Of the richness of the field, how it was
pufed by the Auckland papers, how it attracted
an enormous population, and how the bubble sud-
denly burst and lett Auckland in almost as bad a
condition as it was previous to the discovery, a
correspondent has already acquainted you
Coal is pnnciply found at The Grey (WestIand),
Drury and Waikato (AuckIand). and the Bag Of
Islands. The most plentiful supply is obtained
from the latter place, and is of an excellent quail
ity. Owing to its close proximity to Auckland,
the new line Of steamers will doubtless draw their
supplies from the Bay Of Islands.
The manufacture Of fax is perhaps. next to
gold mining, the greatest industry il Nee Zea-
land. 1t is only within the last few years that
attention has been turned towards il as a profit
able source for the investment Of capital The
country abounds in the raw material. and mills
are being constantly erected for its conversion
into marketable article. @ Waikato River
this industry is being pursued On q large scale,
and also in other parts Of the colony. When
converted into rope it is found to be Of greater
strength than the Manila article. and viii in time
doubtless supersele it.