WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 14, 12 April 1851, Page 7

WELLINGTON.

From the N. Z. Spectator. '•■ _ . The Government Gazette contains the following : —" Colonial Secretary'suffice, Wellington, March 28, 1851. His. Excellency the' Governor-in-Chief directs ittobe'notified that the General Legislative Council of New Zealand will meet for the despatch of business, at the Council Chamber, Wellington, on Monday, the 19th of .May next. —By His Excellency's command, Alfred Domett, Colonial Secretary." Colonial Secretary's Office, March 26.—His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief directs it to be notified that the following appointments have been made for the district of Canterbury:— Edward Wright, Esq., to be Sheriff; WilliamDonald, Esq., to be Coroner; and.W. Howard, Esq., to be Deputy Postmaster at Lyttelton. We understand Bichard Wormald and Joshua Charles Porter, Esquires, of Lyttelton, have recently been admitted by His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman to practise as-Solicitors before the Supreme Court, and Mr, Wormald as Perpetual Commissioner under the 3rd and 4th Win. IV., c. 74, for taking the oaths of married women.

The Bishop of New Zealand arrived on Friday in the " Undine." Dr. Jackson, Bishop Designate of Lyttelton, arrived the same day from Canterbury in the "William Alfred." On Sunday morning the Bishop of New Zealand preached at St. Paul's Church, Thorndon ; and in the evening i n the Church in the Hutt District. Dr. Jackson preached in the morning and evening at St. Peter's Church, Te Aro. Dr. Jackson proceeds with his family in the " William Alfred" to Sydney the latter end of this week, and from thence takes his passage to England. The Bishop of New Zealand, it is said, will visit Otaki to-morrow. Although so much flour has been imported by various vessels, within the last few weeks, the price of bread is still maintained at a high rate, and one quite disproportioned to the price of the flour. While flour is sold at from 161. to 18/- per ton, sd. is charged for the 21b. loaf, although about this time last year only 4d. was charged for the 21b. loaf, when the price of flour varied from 181. to 20/. per ton. With the present low price of flour and with the contract for supplying the troops at 3ld. per 21b. loaf, we see no reason why the public should be made to pay sd. per loaf for their bread.—

Yesterday H. M. Steamer " Acheron " returned from the survey of the West Coast of the Middle Island, in which service the offiicers of that vessel have been engaged since she left Otago. We understand that the harbours of Milford Haven and Open Bay have been surveyed and the whole line of coast to the north of Open Bay examined. The Western Coast is said ,to be bounded by lofty and precipitous ranges of mountains rising abruptly from the water's edge; several of these mountains are covered with snow, and some of them are reported to be higher than the Kai Koras, which are the loftiest elevationb on the Eastern Coast. Cap-

tain Richards has remained in the " Otago," which has been chartered as a tender to the " Acheron," to complete the survey of a small portion of the North Western Coast, which will finish the survey of the Middle Island, The " Acheron" experienced during the last month a good deal of rough weather ; she anchored on Monday night in Queen Charlotte Sound, and proceeded on to Port Nicholson the following morning.

On the Acheron's return from the southward we gave a brief account'of the progress of her survey of the west coast of the Middle Island ; we are persuaded that the following particulars, which we have since heen able to collect, — though somewhat detached—will be perused with interest by our readers :—The Achero7i's survey of the south and western coasts of New Zealand commenced, during her late cruise, in the vicinity of Foveaux Strait to where she had completed on a former occasion. It included an examination of all the extensive sounds or inlets of the sea, which, commencing with Preservation Harbour, terminate at the Milford Haven of the present published maps of New Zealand; from thence northwards towards Cape Farewell her examination was more partial, but includ-sd a visit to Jackson's or the Open Bay of Arrowsmith's map, which is the only anchorage for vessels in this long range of coast. Of the numerous sounds which came under the observation of the Acheron and her hired tender we were only thoroughly acquainted with one, the Dusky Bay of Cook, that illustrious navigator haying described it in the fullest manner, and we understand-his description has been corroborated in every particular by the officers of the Acheron. Preservation and Chalky Harbours have appeared in the charts; but several remarkable inlets between Dusky Bay and Milford Haven were only known to the few whalers and sealers who frequented that coast. We learn that the description by Cook of Dusky Bay applies generally to all these inlets: narrow arms of the sea running from ten to twenty and thirty miles inland, with very deep water, one hundred to two hundred fathoms -having occasionally been obtained, and very few anchorages for shipping, and those" of the most confined, character, while, in the words of Cook, " inland, nothing was to be seen but barren mountains with huge craggy precipices, disjoined by vallies, or rather chasms, frightful to behold."

In, the vicinity of Milford Haven the stupendous features of this mountainous character increased, and we are informed that the entrance of this sound, for it ill deserves the name of a haven, is a short half mile in width, with perpendicular cliffs on either side attaining an altitude of 5,000 feet. The natural productions of this remarkable tract of country appear to he limited, though we learn that a great addition has been made to our knowledge of the habits of the kiwi and ground parrot (kakapo) peculiar to New Zealand, as also of the plants and geological character of the country. No natives wereseen between Foveaux Straits and Open or Jackson's Bay, but there is reason to attach some credit to the assertions of the natives of the Middle'lsland that a tribe, or tribes, foreign in manners and customs to our friends the Maories, exist in these wild regions. From Open or Jackson's Bay northward the country assumes a different character; these stupendous mountain ranges recede further from the sea coast, and we come upon the countries described by Messrs. Heaphy and Brunner; between Jackson Bay and the river Grey, bordering the sea coast, we are informed the loftiest mountain in New Zealand presented itself to the Acheron s crew, attaining an elevation of 12,000 feet.

The country recently surveyed by the AcJuron has been the terra incognita of New. Zealand, the accounts we have hitherto received of it having been of a very vague and general nature. The labours of this surveying expedition will, in this respect; prove of incalculable advantage to the colony in supplying information where it was most desired, in making known the general features of the country, and in putting the settlers at length in possession of an elaborate and most accurate survey of the coasts of these islands, supplying all the information requisite for the development of the future coasting trade of the colony. We may in conclusion add, that the observations that have been made either by the officers of the Acheron, or by precedingvoyagers, all tend to confirm the general accuracy of the surveys and descriptions of that illustrious navigator, Captain Cook, whose fame is so intimatefy connected with New Zealand,