LONDON SATURDAY JOURNAL. CONDUCTED BY JOHN TIMBS, THIRTEEN YEARS EDITOR OF "THE MIRROR," AND "LITERARY WORLD." COLONIZATION OF NEW ZEALAND. "Earth's increase, and foyson-plenty, Scarcity and want shall shun you, Ceres' blessing so is on you."-Tempest. WITH little allowance for the license of poetry, all that our great Bard has here so vividly pictured in his splendid necromantic drama, will, doubtless, ere long be realised in the delightful region of the Islands of New Zealand. No country in the southern hemisphere is more favoured by Nature, in beautiful scenery, and fertility of soil; or in its relative position to other countries, where civilization has long planted her peaceful standard; and the dominion of arms has yielded to the far more ennobling pursuit of arts. In these fair isles, some thousands of our countrymen are already engaged in the grand, the heroic work of colonization, and have transported thither "the arts-the enterprise, and we may hope, also, the moral feelings and public spirit of their native land." Upon so firm a basis, the happiness of millions yet unborn, may be securely built; and the patriotic scheme of civilisation thus lead to the fulfilment of the inspired language of prophecy, by uniting the nations of the entire earth as in one common family. The New Zealand group, of which we have ventured to predict these happy results, consists of two large islands, and several adjacent islets, lying in the Great Pacific Ocean, about midway between Asia and South America, being about five thousand miles from China or Valparaiso. They also form a portion of the vast group of islands known as Australasia; and are distant from Sydney, (Australia,) and Hobart Town, (Van Diemen's Land,) in round numbers, about twelve hundred miles; from the New Hebrides and Friendly Islands, about the same; from the Marquesas about three thousand; from the Sandwich Islands, three thousand six hundred; and from South Australia, eighteen hundred miles. The group extends in length from north to south, from the 34th to the 48th degree of south latitude; and in breadth from east to west, from the 166th to the 179th degree of east longitude. The extreme length exceeds eight hundred miles, and the average breadth about one hundred miles. The surface of the islands is estimated to contain ninety-five thousand square miles, or about sixty millions of acres; being a territory nearly as large as Great Britain; of which, after allowing for mountainous districts and water, it is believed that, at least, two-thirds are susceptible of beneficial cultivation. Even without assuming any extraordinary degree of fertility, New Zealand is thus capable of maintaining as large a population as the British isles; which, however, it surpasses in respect to soil and climate. It is now nearly two hundred years since New Zealand was first seen by the Dutch navigator, Tasman,-on Sept. 13, 1642; but, as he never landed, supposing it to form part of a great southern continent, the honour of the discovery belongs to Captain Cook, who first landed there on Sunday, the 8th of October, 1768; and by hoisting the British colours, proclaimed the British sovereignty there, as against all foreign powers. Cook surveyed the coasts with such remarkable accuracy, that his surveys have been relied on up to the present day; and he was the first to appreciate the advantages derivable from the mere geographical position of New Zealand, which is the land nearest to the antipodes of England. Three years after this re-discovery, Benjamin Franklin endeavoured, but unsuccessfully, to establish a Company, with the object of colonising New Zealand by a system of barter with the natives. We find, however, that no further attempt was made on the part of this country for fifty years after. The first assumption of British authority in New Zea land was made in the commission granted to Captain Philip, in 1787, in which it was annexed to his jurisdiction, as Governor of New South Wales; but it was not until 1814 that any further notice was taken of the colony, when four justices of the peace were appointed, to maintain law and order amongst the straggling squatters. Between this period and the formation of the first New Zealand Company, in 1825, scarcely any effort was made towards the colonization of the country; unless we dignify as colonists, the refugees from the penal settlements, who, in the northern parts of the North Island, were setting up a system of disorder and license. The first New Zealand Company was formed by seve ral eminent merchants, under the auspices of the Earl of Durham; and though its plans were ultimately suspended, it must ever be regarded as the first of the matured endea vours to colonize New Zealand. It was in 1837, that public attention was called to the art of colonization: its principles were again and again canvassed by government between the years 1837 and 1840; at the commencement of which period was formed the New Zealand Asso ciation, exclusively with a benevolent object, and without any view to commercial gain. In 1838, the New Zea land Colonization Company took the place of the Associ ation; and in 1839, finally arose the present New Zea land Company, upon the principle of insuring the essential combination of land, capital, and labour, by selling, instead of giving away-as was commonly done in past timesthe waste lands belonging to the Crown; and by applying the proceeds of such sales to the carrying out of labourers from Great Britain. There were two other objects: first, to deter capitalists from cultivating more land than they could turn to any good purpose; and secondly, to prevent persons of the labouring class from becoming proprietors of land before they had acquired the means of occupying it with advantage to the community, or to themselves. In May, 1839, Col. Wakefield was on his way to New Zealand, to make a purchase of land for the Company's first settlement; and such was the confidence in their plan, that within six weeks of the departure of their agent, no less than 100,000l. worth of land was disposed of, out of their contemplated purchase! On Sept. 1st, Col. Wakefield reached New Zealand, and a purchase of twenty millions of acres of land was made of the natives, under his superintendence. Pending this purchase, the main body of colonists sailed from England and Scotland, in September, 1839; who, at their departure, entered into a contract for mutual government and protection in the colony. Within the next three months, public meetings on the Colonization of New Zealand were held in Glasgow, Dublin, and Paisley; and from the former place a pretty large deputation sailed for the new country. On January 25, 1840, a meeting was held in Plymouth, and a company formed for a "New Plymouth" in New Zealand. Meantime, the confidence of intending colonists was shaken by the want of an efficient government in the colony; when a meeting was held in the Guildhall of the City of London, on April 17, 1840, at which was agreed on a petition presented to parliament in July; a committee was next appointed, and their investigations have been of much advantage to the colony. Captain Hobson was next appointed governor, and upon his arrival in New Zealand affirmed the sovereignty of the British Crown. In spite of all opposition and discouragement, the colony now rapidly advanced; and, to use the words of Col. Wakefield, "Commerce, founded on the capital introduced from home and the other colonies of the southern hemisphere, gives a life to the place similar to that of old countries." The Company, in conjunction with the Church Society, next formed a bishopric in New Zealand; and the Rev. G. A. Selwyn, a clergyman of high character and attainments, has since proceeded to the colony, as the first Bishop of New Zealand. It should here be mentioned, that the first settlement formed by the Company was that of Wellington, in Port Nicholson, presently to be described more in detail. In August, 1839, the Plymouth Company despatched their surveying staff to the colony, and thence arose the settlement of New Plymouth. In February, 1841, a royal charter was granted to the Company, giving them with other important privileges, an undoubted title to about a million acres of land; and guaranteeing to them, in future, indemnification in land, at the Government price, for their outlay in surveys and navigation. Another settlement, to be called Nelson, was next projected; the surveying staff of which was despatched in April. In September, an entertainment was given by the Company, at Blackwall, to celebrate the departure of the Nelson settlers; and, in a few days, the expedition sailed, embracing four ships of from 500 to 600 tons each, and carrying nearly eight hundred souls. There are now, therefore, three settlements established under the Company of the first two-Wellington and New Plymouth we already know that the one possesses every requisite, from its position and its harbour, for becoming the commercial centre of the islands; while the New Plymouth district is described by all travellers as capable of being made the agricultural storehouse of Australasia. To this retrospective glance at the Colonization of New Zealand, we shall append a few leading characteristics of the country. A chain of lofty mountains intersects the whole of the Southern, and a great part of the Northern, island: they are capped with perpetual snow; some of them rise more than 14,000 feet, and their whole appearance is strikingly rich and grand; their sides being covered with forest-timber. Besides this chain, which forms, as it were, the back-bone of the islands, there are outliers, and subordinate ranges of hills, covered for the most part with perpetual snow, but in some instances, clothed with fern. Like most of the South Sea Islands, New Zealand is of volcanic origin; and in the interior are several volcanoes in active operation. There is, however, no record of any earthquake within the memory of man. The Northern island is evidently volcanic, as you see continually extinct volcanoes with a thin crust. The soil is, therefore, well adapted for the vine; and from its resemblance to the soil of Italy, it is presumed that wines equal to Lacryma Christi might be grown in New Zealand. There is also a striking resemblance between the entrance to the Bay of Naples, and that into Cook's Straits, (between Northern and Southern Island,) with Mount Egmont, an active volcano, in the distance. With the picturesque scenery of the Bay of Islands, at the north-eastern extremity of Northern Island, the public are familiar through Mr. Burford's exquisitely painted panorama, exhibited a few seasons since in the metropolis. The mountains here are less elevated, and the foliage somewhat finer, and more variegated, than in the southern districts; and the numerous rivers and streams are diversified with some romantic falls. The bay is a remarkably fine and capacious harbour: a great number of whalers and other shipping touch here; and this locality has been most frequented by Europeans, who occupy much of the surrounding land. Of the natural productions of New Zealand, we have but space to speak briefly. The timber grows to a towering height, and the vast forests offer an inexhaustible supply for ship building and other purposes. The Cowdie, or Kauri, throws the majestic pines of America and Norway into insignificance: it grows from 85 to 95 feet high, without a branch, and sometimes 36 feet in circumference; its leaves resemble those of the English box; from the wood issue gum and resin, the latter of which is collected and sold at a penny per pound to the Americans; but its use is kept secret. The Kauri is well adapted for house-building; and from its size, lightness, and strength, for the topmasts of the largest East Indiamen and men-of-war. Altoge ther, there have been upwards of seventy varieties of New Zealand wood sent to this country. The Board of Admiralty contracts for supplies of Kauri timber for the use of the royal navy; and several vessels have been built in the New Zealand rivers, by English merchants, assisted by the natives. Flax is another staple of the country: it appears to be indigenous and inexhaustible, and is already well known in England. Potatoes and Indian corn are raised in abundance; and vegetables and fruits are plentiful. The fertile plains are adapted for the easy cultivation of corn, and the harvests may be anticipated as free from such destructive droughts as are common in Australia. The plains are also favourable for sheep; and some New Zealand wool lately received in London has been pronounced superior in length of staple, and fineness of texture, to any wool ever produced in New South Wales. Iron, coal, bitumen, freestone, marble, sulphur, and clay for brick-making, are found in abundance. There are no native quadrupeds; but the pigs and cattle that have been introduced, thrive well. There is only one reptilea lizard; the birds are very numerous; and there is a rich supply of excellent fresh-water fish; whales resort here, and are captured in great numbers. The total number of the aboriginal inhabitants of the New Zealand group, is estimated at 158,300: and it is gratifying to learn that their capacity, intelligence, and moral feelings, are such as to afford the most promising hopes of their own civilization, and of their future usefulness as members of British colonial society. Large numbers of them have already learned to read and write, and one New Zealander has risen to the responsible situation of chief officer of a whaling-ship. It is now time to describe the locality of the Engraving Part of Lambton Harbour in Port Nicholson, comprehending about one-third of the water-frontage of the Town of Wellington. Port Nicholson is at the southern extremity of Northern Island, and is one of the best harbours in the world. It is, at least, twelve miles long, and averages three miles wide; the shelter is perfect, and ships may enter or leave the harbour with all winds; and the depth of water is never less than from seven to eleven fathoms. The river Hartona, which falls into the Port, is said to be navigable for nearly one hundred miles; and its lofty banks are thickly clothed with wood. This part of the country is inhabited by the Kapiti tribe, one of whom, Naiti, the younger brother of a chief, has resided in England for two years; and returned last year in the ship Tory, in the service of the New Zealand Company. Col. Wakefield, in a dispatch, dated 20th February last, states that the shipping then belonging to Port Nicholson was already considerable; the houses erected in Wellington had cost, at least, £18,000; and the merchandise and provisions in the place might be set down at not less than £200,000. In every direction, large stores and private dwellings were springing up; and there was erecting a vast steam saw and flour mill, brought from England by Messrs. Hopper, Petre, and Molesworth. Many gentlemen were employed in raising stock, and farming operations; even inferior land had produced excellent wheat and barley, whilst some grown on the banks of the Hutt COLONIZATION OF NEW ZEALAND. "Earth's increase, and foyson-plenty, Scarcity and want shall shun you, Ceres' blessing so is on you."-Tempest. WITH little allowance for the license of poetry, all that our great Bard has here so vividly pictured in his splendid necromantic drama, will, doubtless, ere long be realised in the delightful region of the Islands of New Zealand. No country in the southern hemisphere is more favoured by Nature, in beautiful scenery, and fertility of soil; or in its relative position to other countries, where civilization has long planted her peaceful standard; and the dominion of arms has yielded to the far more ennobling pursuit | of arts. In these fair isles, some thousands of our countrymen are already engaged in the grand, the heroic work of colonization, and have transported thither "the arts-the enterprise,-and we may hope, also, the moral feelings and public spirit of their native land." Upon so firm a basis, the happiness of millions yet unborn, may be securely built; and the patriotic scheme of civilisation thus lead to the fulfilment of the inspired language of prophecy, by uniting the nations of the entire earth as in one common family. The New Zealand group, of which we have ventured to predict these happy results, consists of two large islands, and several adjacent islets, lying in the Great Pacific Ocean, about midway between Asia and South America, being about five thousand miles from China or Valparaiso. They also form a portion of the vast group of islands known as Australasia; and are distant from Sydney, (Australia,) | and Hobart Town, (Van Diemen's Land,) in round numbers, about twelve hundred miles; from the New Hebrides and Friendly Islands, about the same; from the Marquesas about three thousand; from the Sandwich Islands, three thousand six hundred; and from South Australia, eighteen hundred miles. The group extends in length from north to south, from the 34th to the 48th degree of south latitude; and in breadth from east to west, from the 166th to the 179th degree of east longitude. The extreme length exceeds eight hundred miles, and the average breadth about one hundred miles. The surface of the islands is estimated to contain ninety-five thousand square miles, or about sixty millions of acres; being a territory nearly as large as Great Britain; of which, after allowing for mountainous districts and water, it is believed that, at least, two-thirds are susceptible of beneficial cultivation. Even without assuming any extraordinary degree of fertility, New Zealand is thus capable of maintaining as large a population as the British isles; which, however, it surpasses in respect to soil and climate. It is now nearly two hundred years since New Zealand was first seen by the Dutch navigator, Tasman,—on Sept. 13, 1642; but, as he never landed, supposing it to form part of a great southern continent, the honour of the discovery belongs to Captain Cook, who first landed there on Sunday, the 8th of October, 1768; and by hoisting the British colours, proclaimed the British sovereignty there, as against all foreign powers. Cook surveyed the coasts with such remarkable accuracy, that his surveys have been relied on up to the present day; and he was the first to appreciate the advantages derivable from the mere geographical position of New Zealand, which is the land nearest to the antipodes of England. Three years after this re-discovery, Benjamin Franklin endeavoured, but | unsuccessfully, to establish a Company, with the object of colonising New Zealand by a system of barter with the natives. We find, however, that no further attempt was made on the part of this country for fifty years after. The first assumption of British authority in New Zea land was made in the commission granted to Captain Philip, in 1787, in which it was annexed to his jurisdic tion, as Governor of New South Wales; but it was not until 1814 that any further notice was taken of the colony, when four justices of the peace were appointed, to maintain law and order amongst the straggling squatters. Between this period and the formation of the first New Zealand Company, in 1825, scarcely any effort was made towards the colonization of the country; unless we dignify as colonists, the refugees from the penal settlements, who, in the northern parts of the North Island, were setting up a system of disorder and license. The first New Zealand Company was formed by seve ral eminent merchants, under the auspices of the Earl of Durham; and though its plans were ultimately suspended, it must ever be regarded as the first of the matured endea vours to colonize New Zealand. It was in 1837, that public attention was called to the art of colonization: its principles were again and again canvassed by govern ment between the years 1837 and 1840; at the commencement of which period was formed the New Zealand Association, exclusively with a benevolent object, and without any view to commercial gain. In 1838, the New Zealand Colonization Company took the place of the Associ ation; and in 1839, finally arose the present New Zea land Company, upon the principle of insuring the essential combination of land, capital, and labour, by selling, instead of giving away-as was commonly done in past timesthe waste lands belonging to the Crown; and by applying the proceeds of such sales to the carrying out of labourers from Great Britain. There were two other objects: first, to deter capitalists from cultivating more land than they could turn to any good purpose; and secondly, to prevent persons of the labouring class from becoming proprietors of land before they had acquired the means of occupying it with advantage to the community, or to themselves. In May, 1839, Col. Wakefield was on his way to New Zealand, to make a purchase of land for the Company's first settlement; and such was the confidence in their plan, that within six weeks of the departure of their agent, no less than 100,000l. worth of land was disposed of, out of their contemplated purchase! On Sept. 1st, Col. Wakefield reached New Zealand, and a purchase of twenty millions of acres of land was made of the natives, under his superintendence. Pending this purchase, the main body of colonists sailed from England and Scotland, in September, 1839; who, at their departure, entered into a contract for mutual government and protection in the colony. Within the next three months, public meetings on the Colonization of New Zealand were held in Glasgow, Dublin, and Paisley; and from the former place a pretty large deputation sailed for the new country. On January 25, 1840, a meeting was held in Plymouth, and a company formed for a "New Plymouth" in New Zealand. Meantime, the confidence of intending colonists was shaken by the want of an efficient government in the colony; when a meeting was held in the Guildhall of the City of London, on April 17, 1840, at which was agreed on a petition presented to parliament in July; a committee was next appointed, and their investigations have been of much advantage to the colony. Captain Hobson was next appointed governor, and upon his arrival in New Zealand affirmed the sovereignty of the British Crown. In spite of all opposition and discouragement, the colony now rapidly advanced; and, to use the words of Col. Wakefield, "Commerce, founded on the capital introduced | from home and the other colonies of the southern hemisphere, gives a life to the place similar to that of old countries." The Company, in conjunction with the Church Society, next formed a bishopric in New Zealand; and the Rev. G. A. Selwyn, a clergyman of high character and attainments, has since proceeded to the colony, as the first Bishop of New Zealand. It should here be mentioned, that the first settlement formed by the Company was that of Wellington, in Port Nicholson, presently to be described more in detail. In August, 1839, the Plymouth Company despatched their surveying staff to the colony, and thence arose the settlement of New Plymouth. In February, 1841, a royal charter was granted to the Company, giving them with other important privileges, an undoubted title to about a million acres of land; and guaranteeing to them, in future, indemnification in land, at the Government price, for their outlay in surveys and navigation. Another settlement, to be called Nelson, was next projected; the surveying staff of which was despatched in April. In September, an entertainment was given by the Company, at Blackwall, to celebrate the departure of the Nelson settlers; and, in a few days, the expedition sailed, embracing four ships of from 500 to 600 tons each, and carrying nearly eight hundred souls. There are now, therefore, three settlements established under the Company of the first two-Wellington and New Plymouth we already know that the one possesses every requisite, from its position and its harbour, for becoming the commercial centre of the islands; while the New Plymouth district is described by all travellers as capable of being made the agricultural storehouse of Australasia. To this retrospective glance at the Colonization of New Zealand, we shall append a few leading characteristics of the country. A chain of lofty mountains intersects the whole of the Southern, and a great part of the Northern, island: they are capped with perpetual snow; some of them rise more than 14,000 feet, and their whole appearance is strikingly rich and grand; their sides being covered with forest-timber. Besides this chain, which forms, as it were, the back-bone of the islands, there are outliers, and subordinate ranges of hills, covered for the most part with perpetual snow, but in some instances, clothed with fern. Like most of the South Sea Islands, New Zealand is of volcanic origin; and in the interior are several volcanoes in active operation. There is, however, no record of any earthquake within the memory of man. The Northern island is evidently volcanic, as you see continually extinct volcanoes with a thin crust. The soil is, therefore, well adapted for the vine; and from its resemblance to the soil of Italy, it is presumed that wines equal to Lacryma Christi might be grown in New Zealand. There is also a striking resemblance between the entrance to the Bay of Naples, and that into Cook's Straits, (between Northern and Southern Island,) with Mount Egmont, an active volcano, in the distance. With the picturesque scenery of the Bay of Islands, at the north-eastern extremity of Northern Island, the public are familiar through Mr. Burford's exquisitely painted panorama, exhibited a few seasons since in the metropolis. The mountains here are less elevated, and the foliage somewhat finer, and more variegated, than in the southern districts; and the numerous rivers and streams are diversified with some romantic falls. The bay is a remarkably fine and capacious harbour: a great number of whalers and other shipping touch here; and this locality has been most frequented by Europeans, who occupy much of the surrounding land. Of the natural productions of New Zealand, we have but space to Speak briefly. The timber grows to a towering height, and the vast forests offer an inexhaustible supply for ship building and other purposes. The Cowdie, or Kauri, throws the majestic pines of America and Norway into insignificance: it grows from 85 to 95 feet high, without a branch, and sometimes 36 feet in circumference; its leaves resemble those of the English box; from the wood issue gum and resin, the latter of which is collected and sold at a penny per pound to the Americans; but its use is kept secret. The Kauri is well adapted for house-building; and from its size, lightness, and strength, for the topmasts of the largest East Indiamen and men-of-war. Altoge ther, there have been upwards of seventy varieties of New Zealand wood sent to this country. The Board of Admiralty contracts for supplies of Kauri timber for the use of the royal navy; and several vessels have been built in the New Zealand rivers, by English merchants, assisted by the natives. Flax is another staple of the country: it appears to be indigenous and inexhaustible, and is already well known in England. Potatoes and Indian corn are raised in abundance; and vegetables and fruits are plentiful. The fertile plains are adapted for the easy cultivation of corn, and the harvests may be anticipated as free from such destructive droughts as are common in Australia. The plains are also favourable for sheep; and some New Zealand wool lately received in London has been pronounced superior in length of staple, and fineness of texture, to any wool ever produced in New South Wales. Iron, coal, bitumen, freestone, marble, sulphur, and clay for brick-making, are found in abundance. There are no native quadrupeds; but the pigs and cattle that have been introduced, thrive well. There is only one reptilea lizard; the birds are very numerous; and there is a rich supply of excellent fresh-water fish; whales resort here, and are captured in great numbers. The total number of the aboriginal inhabitants of the New Zealand group, is estimated at 158,300: and it is gratifying to learn that their capacity, intelligence, and moral feelings, are such as to afford the most promising hopes of their own civilization, and of their future usefulness as members of British colonial society. Large numbers of them have already learned to read and write, and one New Zealander has risen to the responsible situation of chief officer of a whaling-ship. It is now time to describe the locality of the Engraving -Part of Lambton Harbour in Port Nicholson, comprehending about one-third of the water-frontage of the Town of Wellington. Port Nicholson is at the southern extremity of Northern Island, and is one of the best harbours in the world. It is, at least, twelve miles long, and averages three miles wide; the shelter is perfect, and ships may enter or leave the harbour with all winds; and the depth of water is never less than from seven to eleven fathoms. The river Hartona, which falls into the Port, is said to be navigable for nearly one hundred miles; and its lofty banks are thickly clothed with wood. This part of the country is inhabited by the Kapiti tribe, one of whom, Naiti, the younger brother of a chief, has resided in England for two years; and returned last year in the ship Tory, in the service of the New Zealand Company. Col. Wakefield, in a dispatch, dated 20th February last, states that the shipping then belonging to Port Nicholson was already considerable; the houses erected in Wellington had cost, at least, £18,000; and the merchandise and provisions in the place might be set down at not less than £200,000. In every direction, large stores and private dwellings were springing up; and there was erecting a vast steam saw and flour mill, brought from England by Messrs. Hopper, Petre, and Molesworth. Many gentlemen were employed in raising stock, and farming operations; even inferior land had produced excellent wheat and barley, whilst some grown on the banks of the Hutt |