AUCKLAND: A HISTORICAL REVIEW.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 89, 16 April 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

AUCKLAND: A HISTORICAL REVIEW.

LARGEST CITY IN NEW ZEALAND

UMTVALLED SOUTH PACIFIC

TRADE DEPOT.

(SCENIC BEAUTIES ON LAND AND WATER

KEY TO THE ROTORUA WOIDERLMD.

PEN SKETCHES OF BUSINESS HOUSES.

Auckland forms the most historical province in New Zealand, for here the seat of Government was situated during the first quarter century of the colony's existence, and here scenes were enacted, both peaceable and warlike, the contemplation of which causes the blood to pulsate fiercely. There is in it all much to admire, and much to regret. There are tales ofi heroism worthy of Hugo's bishop in "Les Miserables," or of old Greek tragedies, and there are tales better j left untold of Maori treachery and European rapacity and vice. There are British pioneers and Maori'warriors who deserve to have their statues placed high before' the public gaze ns symbols of nobility and manly vigour, and there are representatives of both races who have not earned for their graves even the passing tribute of a sigh. Such might be the reflection on any community of colonists, only here was a modern rein-1 carnation of the clays when the civilised Roman met the primitive Briton, ■with the missionary as a forerunner. In a general sketch erf the.compass of the present nothing but a passing glance can be made at^these things. FORERUNNER AND MAORI. After the navigators—Abel Van Tasman in 1642, . Captain Cook in 1769, and others of lesser fame—New Zealand long continued .remote from the arts and industries of civilisation, but some time after New South Wales was colonised there were numbers of I

curious men eager to exploit the waters and the land of these islands. Meanwhile, the Maori had everything his own way, pursuing- a life of surpassing interest to those who delight in the study of a primitive race. Their habits, their customs, their cheerful temperament?, their warlike dispositions, their whimsical superstitions and beautiful folk lore, their sturdy physique and courage, all made them peculiarly attractive as compared with other dark races of the earth. It was not, therefore,/to be supposed that the masterful whaler and adventurer could meet such a

people frequently without strife resulting. The Maori loved a row as his life, but, as far na can be gathered, he never attacked the white until he had cause. In the days of th# navigators conflicts occurred when

murder was committed on both sides, ana* more than one part of the New Zealand coasts has a bloody record. .With the whaler, and also the sailors Searching for timber on the shore, •there was no law except that of humanity to prevent or punish cruelty ■to the natives and reprisals from them. Whaler, nor sailor, nor adventurer was troubled with a censorious conscience, and the most ignorant and vicious considered himself a 3emisrod in comparison with the Maori. Early in the nineteenth century whalers cruised round the islands, and by 1830 several stations were established alonsr the coasts. Ships frequently came over from Sydney for timber, and here and there adventurers toolc up their residence on the land and resorted o cultivation. On "occasion ship building was carried on. Not all these fore-

dinners of civilisation were reprobates. Perhaps- the y sheep were asr many as the goats, the good as the had. The reader may conjure up a fine picture of all this country of

-New Zealand in its primal state, over which wandered the sturdy but.be-

nighted aborigines, with here in a quiet baj- a European ship, here on a prominent head land a whaler's signalling station, aud here on the coastal fringe a trader and a courageous agriculturist and pastoralist.

A glance must be taken at the mis-j sionary. There is little but what is inspiring- in the contemplation of this coloniser in New Zealand. There: were missionaries who" should T)e| ranked among the noblest sons the; British nation has produced; men of big- heart and bigger conscience, who i laboured and taught, expecting .no; other earthly reward than theadmira-| •tion of their bind- Of such was the JJev. Samuel Marsden, who established a mjssiou station at the Bay of Islands in 1814, and of such was the great Bishop Selwyny whose name has become a synonym for all that is just and selfsacrifteing in mankind. The position of Marsden at the Bay of IsI lands was for some time precarious. ! The massacre of bands of Maoris on the one hand, and of British sailors on the other, had instituted critical relations, but to the Maori a man of courage was a hero, and this quality in Marsden and his self sacrificing band won their goodwill. Marsdeirs mission came to stay, and before responsible settlement was effected, mission stations, were established in different parts«^)f the islands. In a remarkably short space of time the Maoris appreciated some of the features of Christianity, and long bei fore- the missionaries reached, say, Port Nicholson in the south, the natives there were acquainted with their teachings. There was always, however, the probability that Christian tenets would be grotesquely blended in their minds with the old superstitions, making a quaint working religion which helped them in their wars. In later years the notorious Hauhau sect would hare been an amusing were it not a horrible expression of this. The missionaries often acted as the mouthpieces of the Maoris in their dealings with the whites, or stood, forth, prior to authoritative govewiraejit, as their champions against the colonisers' ■"avaricious encroachments. There were many instances of missionaries bringing upon themselves the bitter enmity of their brethren because they counselled the Maoris not to sell their land for the mess of pottage offered them. For conscience sake they forsook the side of their people. AUTHORITATIVE GOVERNMENT. The first substantial settlement made j !in New Zealand was at Kororareka, in | the Bay of Islands, now comprised in the Auckland Province. There trad- ; ers, whalers, a shipbuilder or two, promiscuous farmers, and Maoris constituted a heterogeneous and an irresponsible community sufficiently numerous to be termed a. town. The need for placing some check on these boisterous characters determined the New South Wales Governor to send Mr James I Busby to act as British1 Eesident, and |by that move the north of the island I became substantially a British depen- ! dency. Busby arrived in May, 18.J3, and on entering the Bay of Islands, literally sailed into a sea of troubles. There is excitTng- reading- in New Zealand history dealing with this period, and those- moved by the clang of weapons and the letting of blood could peruse the records by the hour. Poor Busby had an unwelcome task, and,

although he made mistakes, became one of that band of heroes in many ' parts of Iho world who-for their country gave up their lives to pave the way for national aggrandisement. Then ea;me Hobson. a brave, quiet, conscientious man who served the rlg'lit and died in the consequent turmoil. The advent of Hobson inaugurated the responsible period of New Zealand Jiisi lory. The formation of the historical New Zealand Company in London, and its despatch of surveyors and colonisers to settle in the south of the North Island, so forced the hand of the Imperial Government that they had to appoint a .Lieait.-Governor to administer the law. With definite settlement it became necessary to have an official in the island delegated with sti'ong power.'-, j Hobson received the commission, and' on 29th January, IS4O, reached the Bay o£ Islands, and on the following- day j declared New Zealand to be annexed "to' the colony of Xew South Wales. Although armed with greater powers, Hobson's task was more difficult because more important than that of Busby. The Xew ZenJand Company's i people at Port Nicholson (Wellington) were a source of anxiety, and the fear that the French had designs in the! South Island demanded attention. The former made acrimonious accusations against Hobson because he did not establish the seat of Government at WoJ- j lington, and went so far as to treason- \ ably set up a constitution of their own, a ridiculous proceeding which Hobson summarily stopped by means of an officer and a posse of police. The French he forestalled with distinguished energy by appointing magistrates and erecting the British flag on the coast, this shrewd action effectually checkmating a body of French settlers who arrived a day or two later. But i thisse were not a tithe of the anxieties I wlr.ich beset Hobson. The aggressiou of British colonisers in.- their desire to acqvrjre huge areas of land, and the dangerous attitudes of Maoris at the Bay of Islands, Taranaki, aud Nelson, were questions which required most i careful treatment. Hobson set, up a ' rigid standard of honour for himself, ! from which he never departed. Soon : after his arrival, on Februarj' sth, all | available Maori chiefs were assembled jat Waitangi, and a treaty was proposed, by winch they were to cede sovereignty to the Queen, while her representative was to protect the Maoris, and generally safeguard their interests. A number of those present signed the compact, and after canvassing all over New Zealand, tire document was considered complete and legal. A monument now stands at Itussell in commemoration of this famous treaty of Waitangi. Hobson, as the Queen's representative, strove with the utmost exactitude to carry out his part of this contract, and, like some of the missionaries, he frequently aroused the intense animosity of settlers for his disinterested and determined opposition to them in the interests of the original inhabitants. Ivotwithstanding all his efforts to preserve peace between the two races, serious conflicts soon occurred, and dieeds of blood were frequent. The Maori proved himself to be fearless of death, and as clever as he was stalwart. Many valuable lives were to be sacrificed on either side before the Maori and the Britisher began to live in permanent amity. THE CAPITAL. Hobson early determined where the capital was to be. For various reasons he decided that neither Kororareka nor Russell, where he first established his headquarters, was suitable, and he despatched officers to report on the Waitemata, a beautiful harbour to the south-east. Here on the slopes of an extinct volcano, on a site that not so many yeads ago, apparently, was the theatre of nature's most excessive turmoil, the administrative centre Avas fixed. The_ Kcv. Henry Williams, a missionary who would have made a great politician) or dashing soldier, recommended this locality in February, 1840. Sufficient land was eventually purchased, and, on 16th September, a party comprising Captain W. C. Symonds (97th Foot) in charge, Mr Felton Mathew, Surveyor-in-Genernl, a Harbourmaster, a Superintendent of Public Works,' and other officers of the Government, entered the harbour. On September 18th the British flag was first hoisted in Auckland, and any new arrival from England must have been as emotionally impressed with the scene as was Stephenson when he first anchored off his beloved Samoa. The harbour made inan.y a curve and cape and bay. Its approach for hours was studded with islands, and over it stood the mute cones of craters olothed with scrub and fern. Hobsou could not have chosen a more lovely locale, and he described the Waitemala harbour as

"safe, commodious, arul easy of access," and added that Auckland had a central-position, and possessed fertile soil. Wellington, people laughed at the two last contentions, but Hobson adhered to his choice. The)town as laid out had a sea frontage of about a mile and a half, and extended inland about a mile. The first surrey was so

strangely made that it was almost impossible to build a .square house on any single lot. wits facetiously referring to i the plait as "the spider's web." Queen!- --! street was then a swamp covered with ; flax, manuka, scrub, and broken bush to the corner of Shortland Terrace and Princes-street, and down the centre of the gully H formed was "a considerable stream of water." The first houses—all wooden —were'erected near the water in the bays and on the headlands. News of Auckland being definitely chosen as the capital attracted people from different parts of New Zealand and from other colonies. In October,

1840, the population of the northern district of the North Island was estimated at 200 on the Thames, (500 at the Bay of Islands, and about 100 at Whangaroa and other outside localities. The number at Auckland was considerably augmented before the end of the year, the ship Chelydra arriving with forty'immigrants, among them Mr James Coates, the first clerk of the Executive Council. Great things seem to have been expected of the new capital added to the British Empire, and quite a rush was made tor town lands. The number of people in Auckland and the money they were prepared to invest were evidenced at the first land sale, which was not held until 19Ui April, IS4I. Considering the conditions of local development and the fact that the new capital was on the. edge of an untamed wilderness, extraordinary prices ruled. Forty-four acres, or 11.) allotments, only were put up and sold,the enormous sum of £24.27.) 17/9 being realised, or nearly £55;> per acre. At the close of the year Auckland had a population of 1500 to 2000 persons, most of whom seem to have been bent on reckless speculation. The

year IS4I was an important one. In .January Governor Hobson with his establishment took up his residence in the new town. On 16th November, IS4O. the Queen had granted a charter for constituting a Legislative and an Executive Council in New Zealand, and j the former body met in Auckland on 24th May, 1841. Before this, on .'lrd May, a proclamation was read before assembled pioneers declaring the islands of New Zealand to be erected into an independent British colony, separation from New South Wales thus being effected. The first Executive Council consisted of Governor Hobson, Colonial Secretary W. Shortland, At-torney-General Francis Fisher., and Colonial Treasurer and Collector of Customs G. Copper. The same officials with three Senior Justices of the Peace ! (of whom Mr E. S. Haswell was one), constituted the pioneer members of the Legislative Council. These two bodies with slight alteration conducted the Government of New Zealand through several years of energetic industrial development and racial strife. TROUBLE. Captain Hobson's administrative troubles grew apace. As one difficulty was surmounted another more serious seemed to arise. Frequently misunderstood by Britisher and Maori alike, and yet always adhering to the strict observance of justice, his anxieties affected his health. The small but scattered population contained such spirits of mischief, with such conflicting interests and demands, that not even a heaven-born legislator could hope to quickly establish harmony, and there is no doubt Chat this single-minded naval officer would have beep more at home and certainly happier on the deck of a man-of-war. The. British Government had not yet learnt that a British sailor or soldier is not usually the best administrator of a young untrammelled colony. The sands of Hobson's life ran down, and on 10th September, 1542, he died, a few days before news arrived that the British Government appreciated his services to the Empire, and his actions towards the Maoris and the quarrelsome Britishers. During an interregnum. Golf* nial Secretary Shortland conducted the Government, aud he was succeeded by Captain Robert Fitzroy, K.X., on 26th. December, 1843. Very little of moment occurred dui-ing Shortland's term, but Fitzroy was soon in evil days. As determined to protect the Maoris as Hob-

son, he possessed less tact, and some of his public acts were exceedingly impolitic. At Wairau, near Nelson, several of the New Zealand Company's settlers were brutally massacred by Maoris because they persisted in laying claim to land the ownership of which was to say the least doubtful. Fitzroy rapped the Company's people on the knuckles, declaring that they were in the wrong, but he did not punish the murderers. This weak action excited something alcin to hatred towards Fitzroy in the minds of the New Zealand Company's settlers, and caused the Maoris to act with more boldness towards the whites. • They no longer believed tlie Britisher to be invulnerable. Maoris all over the colony heard about the affair, and in a very short time took decisive action. The records of these wars constitute an entrancing narrative, and. in his "pa and armed with a guv the Maori proved himself to be no mean enemy. The courage of the natives was such that one band of Tommy Atkins, -when

they succeeded in capturing1 a punished up to the defenders and grasped (.heir hands in token of admiration of their fighting' powers. In coping' with these conflicts and in administering i lie colony's affairs according to his lights, Captain Fitzroy had a busy time. The difficulties oi the situation caused the British Government to send a young military officer of great promise who had already distinguished himself in South Australia to take Fitzroy's place in November, 1845. This was Captain Grey, whose name is so intinmu-ly associated t < with Auckland and New Zealand history. Young Urey was already something more than a. military officer- he had made a dose study of political economy, especially in its application to colonisation, and was not afraid, to go beyond hoary routine to meet the unique conditions of. a new colony. He* had just come from South Australia, where during- a most critical period iti her history, a crisis which tnreatened to completely ruin her, he acted with such stern precision in a. financial cataclysm and at fhe same time fostered industrial development with such judgment that the colony was soon pursuing- a most hopefui career. New Zealand was the third colony where Grey was brought into relations with j the colonising genius of Edward Gibbon- YVakefleld. His somewhat reckless statements in regard to the Australind settlement iii Western Australia did irreparable harm to that experiment, but at South Australia his keen judgment supplied a valuable j antidote to the empirical dreams of Wakefteld's apostles. And now in New Zealand he was fo bring a clamouring people to their bearings, his; autocratic policy being just what was! required at a critical juncture. The* vigorous young Pro-Consul quickly grasped the local situation, and his, just but stern and determined measures begot a move healthy condition of mind in the Europeans. lie effected a cessation of hostilities with the northern Maoris, and announced his firm determination to put a stop to the private sale of native lands. Both! Hobson and Fiteroy had sought to establish the same policy, but they were not nearly so successful. Then he organised a native police, and within a few weeks of his arrival the province of New Ulster, as the Auckland and neighbouring districts were then termed, was in a quiet state. Grey then went south, and at Tarauaki and Port Nicholson pursued the same vigorous policy with equal successBut after the bad beginning made in previous year it was inevitable that the period of quiet should ouly be temporary. Just when Grey might have considered that peace was restored in the land disturbances again broke out in the Auckland province It was here that some of the most powerful tribes in New Zealand were located, and during his long- administration much of his time was occupied in coping with the Maori question. Grey gained the name of "Warrior Governor;." and following- the natural bent of his mind studied the habitl?, customs and condition of the Maori so sympathetically a« to acquire an invaluable fund of information. LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Sir George (Captain) Grey administered the Government from 18th November, 1545, to 31st December, 1853. For "such an important period he was the right mail, and although a strong believer in autocratic Government for a struggling colony, he gave a ready ear to the plaints and ambitions o£ the inhabitants. Partly through his instrumentality colonists obtained constitutional Government in 1852. Nominee Councils were previously granted to various provinces, but in 1852 an Imperial Act provided for the establishment of elective Provincial Councils, with a central House of Kepresentatives and a Legislative Council. The. colony was divided into six provinces, and that of Auckland entered upon its duties in 1854. During all these years the capital made substantial progress. While the country was not opened up to that extent which its resources warranted, the enlargement of the functions of. Government and the value of Auckland as a port had conduced to the, expansion of the- town. In ISSO Auckland was quite a.pretentious centre, with churches, public buildings, barracks, and warehouses; and in the following year the population of the town and suburbs was placed at 4000 persons, with another 4000 in the neighbourhood. The country in the vicinity had been divided into hundreds, the inhabitants of which had the power of electing' wardens, who made regulations connected with depasturing stock and improving common lands, and could carry out certain public works and improvements. This species of local government did not satisfy the ambitious town, and in July. 1851, Sir George Grey proclaimed the Auckland Borough Council. The new borough comprised an area of about 58,000 acres, with two large harbours, the Tamaki River and a water frontage of not less than 40 miles, and a population of 8000 persons. The area was divided into fourteen wards, named the East, Middle, and West Wards in the town proper; East, South, and West Wards in the suburbs; and Onehuuga, Panmure, Otahuhu, Howick, Epsom East, Epsom West, Tamaki West, and Tamaki East Wards in the vicinity. The burgesses were to elect fourteen councillors, including a mayor and four aldermen. The first councillors were Messrs Edward Davy, Archibald Clark, Patrick Dignan, F. W. Mc.rriraan, A. B. Abraham, James O'Niell, S. Norman, T. M. Hanltain, J. A. Hickson, A. Macdonald, Joseph Newman, W. Powditch, W. J. Taylor, and W. Mason. The first Mayor of Auckland was Mr Archibald Clark, so favourably known in local commercial circles; and the fir's t aldermen were Messrs P. Dignan, James O'Niell, Win, Powditch, and Win. Mason. Important improvements were made by this body, and ever since local government has been attended with a fair measure of success. .From statistics published in 1552, it is seen that only moderate development, work had been carried on in the province. There were 17,209 acres under crops, of which 11,606 acres were in pasture. 155S acres under wheat, and 115S a^res under' potatoes. The exports in the 'same year from the port of Auckland

were valued at £51,100 (timber li 11,810, flour £4029, wool £ 1280, aud gold £114 3 0/). Following the proclamation of the borough the population increased by some hundreds of persons within .twelve months. The fame of the Victorian goidfields encouraged Auckland people in the belief that the province was rich in the yellow metal. As a consequence they offered a reward ot £ 300 to anyone who should find a payable goldfield in the northern district. Within a week Mr Charles Ring produced specimens which he obtained at Coromanciel, and a committee declared that gold undoubtedly existed in that locality. Lively excitement, was caused and for the next few years gold appeared in the list of exports. Victoria dwarfed, however, local pretensions, and there was not that accession of population which usually 'follows gold discovery. It was not until many years later that big returns were obtained in the; Auckland province, whence, indeed, upwards of £9,000,000 worth of goHl hii.ye up to the present been won.

Space demands a still more meagre historical narrative. The foundation had been laid in tribulation, enough, ■ and not yet were all the troubles 'ended. During subsequent years (Auckland, in. common with Taranaki. 1 suffered intensely from Maori wars, jto cope with which much treasure j and blood hat! to be expend e'd. With the period of peace greater possibilities arose, and the subsequent expansion has increased the wealth and population of thp province in gratifying proportion. Auckland con* 1 tinned to be the capital of New Zealand until 1865, when industrial developments throughout the colony made it desirable that a site more j central to all the inhabitants should be chosen. Wellington was eventually determined upon, and the Government departments were removed thither in the year mentioned. This gave Auckland a. temporary check, but no such infelicitous circumstance could seriously hamper the progress of the city. Its resources are so magnificent that it continues to be ' the capital of the colony so far as population and wealth are concerned. Almost year by year trade has increased, and new buildings have been erected. On 24th April. 1871, the city was constituted, by proclamation, and in 1890 an exhibition of products and manufactures was held in the city in honour of its jubilee. SCENIC AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS. In October, 1840, the population of the " northern district " of Xew Zealand (Thames, Bay of Islands, and Whangaroa) was 900; in 1900 the Auckland province contained about 165,000 inhabitants. Considering the stern disabilities in the way of rapid development, this evidences a very fair growth in sixty years, and. there are people alive to-da,y who remember the beginning.aa.lliG present. Where was (hen* a wilderness are now scenes of towns and^'"villages, flourishing farms, model pastoral stations, great mines, important manufacturing and * other industries, well equipped harbours, busy railroads, bridges, and numerous other monuments of the energy and inikistry of the colonist. To everybody but the colonist himself it is all very imposing and productive of admiration. There are still stretches of country to be opened up, and never was greater determination beingshown in the exploitation of the natural resources than at present. A contented and complacent people are now scattered over the Auckland province, but their comfortable position does not blind them to the opportunities at t.heir hands, nor encourage them to "rest and be thankful." There is much ;to do, and the right people are here to do it. Development may have been long delayed, but the last two decades have produced all the enterprise that could be desired.

The Auckland province comprises about 17,000 000 acres, including some of the world's most romantic scenery. The land district, which covers about four and a-half degrees of latitude, contains no very high peaks, but a great part, of the country is ribbed with broken ranges, some of the higher points glistening with snow in winter. A bird's eye view would disclose numbers of beautiful harbours, two large rivers—Wairoa and Waikato—abundant streams, a. plain or two of pumice, valleys of rich soil, level plateaux of volcanic soil, volcanoes themselves, and lakes frequented by game. The largest lake— Taupo Moana, "queen of the North Island lakes" —is 25 miles long,

IS miles broad, and 500 feet deep. There are extensive forests —1,800,000 acres north and 3,420,000 acres south of Auckland; —of different varieties'of trees, from the giant kauri to the scrubby manuka, interlaced with insinuating parasites and ornamented by fern and shrub/ The spils are diverse in character, and there are stretches as rich as any in the Empire, capable of producing every product compatible with sub - tropical or temperate climates. New Zealand is a land of anomalies, and, side by side almost, may be found growing in luxuriance, bananas and peaches, giinvas and pears, granadillas,.and. apples. The volcanic throes of Nature invariably provide a bed for the finest fruits.

Ports of the Auckland province are the wonderland of tourists, the sanatorium for invalids; and, as pleasure grounds, the substantial asset of the

colony. In times to come, when the moneyed people of the Northern Hemisphere become better acquainted with the romantic beauty and awfulness of these scenes, the tourist will visit them by the'thousand. New Zealand seems to present samples of scenery found, anywhere else on the globe. There is something of the fiords of Norway, the mountaineering1 of the Himalayas, the glaciers and awful summits of the Alps, the sequestered lakes of Westmoreland, the waterfalls of America, the gej'sers and thermal spring's of Arkansas, the volcanoes oi Italy, the expansive plains of Australia, the glorious gorges of the Hockies, and the trout and salmon fishing of Scotland. Auckland supplies the geysers and volcanoes. Here Nature is seen in her prehistoric wantonness, playing in earth and stone as merrily as Tennyson's brook in water. The Government havft built a railway

from Auckland to the heart of these regions, and at Rotorua and Ta.upd; the visitor may imagine that he is obtaining a glimpse of. the, infernal re- ! gions. At Tikilere, in the neighbour- | hood, the hydro-thermal action is so j groat as to keep the earth iv an a.l----j most constant tremble, while all I around are solfatnras, mud volcanoes, and fiercely active boiling springs. The surface crust is so thin that a false step might almost drop one into the turgid sea of bubbling horrors bej neath. Not far away is Mount Taraj wera, famed for the eruption of 1886,, and there the tourist sees evidences of the. tremendous forces that were at work on that occasion. There are numerous lakes with little islands, presenting- beautiful scenery, and there are geysers at Rotorua equal to the grandest in Arkansas, U.S.A. There arc huge sulphur deposits, and there are curative baths of a temprature \ip to l!)4deg. Fahr. In some the water is of a saline nature, in some' acid and aluminous, and in some alkaline—siliceous. The Pvotorua district is, in fnct, a sanatorium that is already utI trading people from many countries; and remarkable cases of healing have been effected there. The area over which these hot baths are found is ex-* tensive, for at Te Aroha 'and Okoroire they exist in numbers. The Rotorua district is rich in contrasts, peaceful solitudes alternating with steam holes, porridge pots, and geysers; lovely bush scenes with barren plains of pumice; and old Maori villages with English communities. Nor has this neighbourhood the monopoly of the beauties and wonders of the Auckland province. In one place or another there air river, lake, and forest, sce.nes of great loveliness, and there is a volcano or two. and charmingly situated rural towns. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS. . I The productivity of the province is I unquestioned. In 1899 the exports from Auckland were valued at £1,----860,604, a very considerable return considering that upwards of 66,000 of the 370,000 people in the province live in Auckland and suburbs. And there are great undeveloped resources in unopened lands, forests, coal beds, gold reefs and manufactories which ensure an enormous accession of people and wealth in the future. Industry and capital are required to clear the areas of fructive soil of their heavy timber, or to open the reefs and coal beds, but such latent wealth cannot long lay idle. In some respects the pastoral and agricultural returns are not what they should be, but now that country more accessible in the South is rapidly becoming occupied, the wave of enterprise must turn to Auckland. At the .same time the statistics are encouraging. There are 5,000,000 acres in occupation, 2,000,000 of which are under cultivation, 1,678,115 being under sown grass, and 120,793 under crop. Substantially, this area, pastures nearly .1,000,000 sheep, 400,000 cattle and 69,----000 horses. Sheep may be said to thrive, and some of the-country carries up to four animals to the acre, while' ordinary rough-grassed land keeps one and a half to two. Wool is, of course, a big asset, but comparatively little has been done in the meat-freezing industry. Large freezing works have comparatively recently been established, and help to swell the export trade, and their number is sure to be increased. As it is, sheep farming in large estates yields a profit of from 5/ to 7/6 a sheep per annum. Dairying is followed with success, there being some 14 butter factories and twelve cheese factories. Upon. well-cultivated farms dairying yields a net profit of from 15/ to 20/ an acre per annum, and the locally manufactured butter brings a good price in the Home market. Within the last few years the proportion of new holdings taken up has been greater than ever before. A great number of small holdings are occupied by men of energy and a little capital. When,, all of these come under cultivation the returns will be materially altered. Agriculture has not been extensively carried on, although official sources declare that wheat yields anything from 20 td 40 bushels to the acre, maize up to 60 bushels, oats 29 bushels, and potatoes 7 tons. The province is eminently well adapted for the production of fruit such as the orange, lemon, vine, olive, and the fruits of England, America and Japan. Sub-tropical fruits, bananas, granadillas, etc., flourish at Hokianga, in the North, and fruits of a temperate clime at Waikato. Orchard planting is rapidly increasing with the improved methods of transporting fruit to English markets, and apples and stone fruits are specially popular. Peach canning is carried1 on, ' and fruits and vegetables are dried by the process of evaporation. The flax industry is an important feature, the broad leaves of the phormiuin tenax being converted into flax adapted for the manufacture' of rope, twine, mats, etc. There are numbers of flax mills, and rope and twine works. In 1899 10,371 tons of phorniium, valued at £184,411, were exported, and 304 tons of tow, valued at £1150. To these must be added the manufactures ,of the rope and twine mills, in order to get an adequate idea of the value of the flax industry to the province.

Timber forms one of the most imposing assets of, the Auckland province, and immense quantities of wood are exported annually. This resource, which came to the settlers without cultivation, and, so to speak, as a. gift from heaven, has provided ample fortunes for q-irito a number of Aucklanders. The kauri, the puriri, the totara, and other trees have been more valuable than many gold mines, and have supplied a livelihoood to thousands of people. As already* stated there are still in the land district 5,300,000 acres of forest country, the value of which must be enormous. Rivers supply convenient highways for the opening up of the timber industry; while there are within easy distance many sheltered harbours for shipping. At the last census there were forty-nine steam sawmills in the district, employing over a thousand men, and producing yearly 80,000,000 feet of sawn timber of a value .of £301,328. Then there were. 21,000,000

feet resatvn into flooring, skirting;, etc. valued at over £91,000, besides the value of posts and rails, mouldings, sashes, doors, and timber handsawn. Much of this wood is the best that can be obtained for box making, 'etc., while the puriri !s valuable for railway sleepers, and the totara for telegraph posts and wharf piles. These figures have been considerably increased in subsequent years, and in Auckland are timber companies and firms which conduct highly lucrative trades, the demand being so great that they cannot keep pace with it. Gold supplies a big- export, and from an area of less than a square mile at the Thames £ .">,000,000 worth of the metal has been obtained. There are gold mines in this locality which arc famous all over the world. The counties of Coromandel, Ohinemuri, and part of Piako also contain auriferous quartz reefs. In 1599 some 43 per cent. of. the gold produced in New Zealand wa.s obtained in the, neighbourhood, 1G8.7C.0 ozh- being exported, valued at £(524,737. For 1599-1900 gold valued at £625,207 was produced in the province against £545,463 in the -'previous year. Jn 1599 some l-i1,12S tons of coal were raised in the province, mines being worked at lvawakawa, Hikurangi, Knmo, Xgunguru, and Huntly. There Js n considerable area of coal-bearing country in the northern district, and at the Waikato, amd ample room for development. Tt is estimated that 3,000,000 tons of coal in ail have been obtained in the Auckland province. Among other* substantial sources of revenue is the kauri gum industry, which as a matter of fact yields larger than most of the other items mentioned. This is '

also one of the most attractive, and the picture; of the gum&iggers following their occupation is most interestingl. Many of them live remote from I their kind in .'uncultivated country. In ISiW there were 6,897 persons engaged in gum-digging', and in 1899 some 11,116 tons of gum were exported, valued at £607,919. This gum is formed by the hardening- of turpentine exuded from the Kauri tree, and is dug out of the ground. It is used in the manufacture of varnish and for glazing calico. In. manufacturing- industries Auckland stands at the head of New Zea^ land cities. There are nearly 1000 factories, employing 8000 hands, tp > producing goods valued at nearly £3,000,000 annually. This is magnicent in every respect, and speaks well' for the enterprise exhibited by local commercial men. Notwithstanding that the shrewd and canny Scots of Dunedin display splendid energy' in all sorts of manufacturing they cannot equal tlie Aucklanders. There are now! in this city meat freezing works, "butte^ factories, jam factories, soap and candle works, biscuit factories, flour mills, foundries, paper mills, rope and twine works, clothing factories, boot and shoe factories, saddlery factories, bicycle factories, timber and-, wood .turning factories, brick, tile and pottery works, Venetian blind factories, • breweries, coach building works, and dozens of other manufacturing industries of more or less importance. Broadly speaking, the welfare and growth of a city depends more on the energy applied to manufacturing than on the development of soil resources. The two combined constitute a happy condition. THE CITY. Only a few more words may be added, and these may appropriately relate to the city of Auckland, than which is none more prosperous and successful in New Zealand. It contains all the conditions which go to satisfy—scenery, a magnificent port, cheap coal, substantial manufacturing industries, stable warehouses, thriving business men, theatres and music halls, public reserves, and scores of religious, social, literary, sporting and philanthropic institutions. In scenery the city is, unrivalled. Upon the site happily chosen by Captain/ Hobson in . 1840 the pioneers, and those who have succeeded them, have built up a most picturesque centre, and while the native bush has disappeared, their absence has been filled up by ornamental public gardens, artistically planted reserves, terraces of trees' in the heights, and that indefinable beauty always supplied by a city standing a.t the water's edge, in gullies, and on slopes. First and foremost in scenery is the magnificent harbour, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, in the world. From a. commanding point its windings in and out of the' land and its approach, the steamers, sailing vessels and yachts on its surface, and the expansive view of cultivated land and houses on either shore, make up a delightful prospect. Mount Eden, the extinct crater, upon the slopes of which part of the city is erected, is a feature of great interest. Rising 400 feet above sea level, a carriage, drive has been made to the summit, while" an occasional row of trees has been planted. The crater is perfectly basin-shaped, and at the bottom is the scoria left there hundreds of years ago, when the volcano had eaten itself out. It is from the summit of Mount Eden that the finest view of the harbour can be obtained, while inland is observed a panorama hundreds of square miles in extent, dotted here and there with extinct craters and other evidences of volcanic action, ranges beyond ranges, cultivated fields, and the city reclining on the slopes. There are numerous pleasure resorts ,in the neighbourhood of Auckland, not the least being a bottomless lake on the further shore.

As a port Auckland has unsurpassed recommendations. It has two harbours—Waitemata and Manukau —and stands on the'highway between the continents of America and Australia, a highway that in times to come, will teem with ships. It.also taps the growing island trade of the South Pacific. Every precaution has been taken to accommodate -the largest ships, which may berth at the wharves immediately at the foot of the city. Auckland is a considerable ship-owner, having 177 sailing vessels and upwards of 80 steamers. A fair amount of ship-building is carried on, while there is also a large dock. Tie popjilaMoAftt the end, pjl. 1,899 Svas

festimated at 66,000. The city is divided into six wards, and the Council consists of eighteen members, m addition to the Mayor. In the year 1900-1901 the members are: Messrs. David Goldie (Mayor), J. H. Hannan, T T Masefleld, C. Atkin, C. drey, h. E Baume, A. Kidd, R. Farrell, R. Tudehope, A. J. Entrican, J. Court, C J Parr, J. Stichbury, J. Hewson, James Patterson, G. Aiekin, J. Jamiegon 11. Salmon and .1. Patterson, with Mr. H. W. Wilson as Town Clerk. The last assessment amounted to £352,-------000. The city has a splendid free library (containing the magnificent collection (bequest) of Sir George Grey), an art gallery and a museum. As it stands, Auckland1 is an interesting monument of the work and wisdom of the British colonist, and few of its pioneers had reason to regret their emigration to the Antipodes. As the product of sixty-one years' endeavour it is certainly imposing.