ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 6, 27 May 1843, Page 4

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To tJic Editor of the Southern Cross. y IR I have now had. the pleasure of perusing three numbers of your Southern Cross, which have shed their illuminating n>ys over the fair waters of the Wai-k-Uo, and I rfjoice to find that the capital of New Zealand at last boasts a Journal, worthy the country whose interests it advocates. You will doubtless imagine that we, poor souls, buried in the bush ; and having no one to associate with, but the Lords of the Soil, have great difficulty in spending our now long evenings ; but our firesides do not want the merry tale, and the vivacious natives after their return from the now frequent visits which they pay to the capital with provisions for sale, have as many and good yarns to te'.l, as were ever spun in the cock-pit of a man of war. The purport of my present letter, is to initiate you into a secret or two, which I have picked up from my sable friends, when discussing their doings in the great city ; ns it may be the means of putting your shopkeepers on their guard when trading with these innocent people ! If ycu heard them telling each other how they " did" the white men, you would smile at the idea of the necessity of that useful class denominated Protectors of Abo j ligines. You must know then, that on approaching the j capital with their pigs, &c. they are very frequently met j by one or two tomaite pakchas alias Parktorst Seedlings, who all at once take a great interest in their welfare, and enter into a very lively conversation with them, which is highly edifying to the Native, and from which 7ie profits not a little; while your storekeepers sustain no small loss. After he sells his " porka," &c, and to make use of Seedling phraseology, " fingers the blunt," accompanied by one or two of his tribe, he enters a shop to make his purchases, and, as he s*ys, whenever he displays the " money gold," the " pakeha" flies about in all directions, covering the counter with goods; to secure, if possible, the treasure. There is something etiJl, however, on the shelf, he must have down — The shopman is all alacrity— deluded mortal '.—when his bank is turned, a cap, a shirt, or a pair of trousers, is rlip'd in below tbe blanket worn by the Native, or handed to an accomplice in the rear, and some other article is pulled forward for examination to supply the pl<>ce of the stolen property. Here the " Seedling" watching outside the effect of his instructions, grins with delight. Such, I am sorry to say, is the system extensively practised in your metropolis, and many are the trophies I see here exukingly displayed : from a blanket to a handkerchief. The " Seedling," however, seldom gets much for his lessons in " prigging," as the Native coolly tells him, if he wants any thing, " he must steal for himself." He kindly, however, escorts the Natives to their huts in the suburbs, and sleeping with them there, manages frequently to ease them of any superfluous money they may have left. The other day a Chief from this district, wished to make a purchase of tobacco, to the amount of £6, but, could not get any to his liking. On his return home, he got eased of his hurden, as I have desciibed. I cannot conclude my letter, Mr. Editor, without calling loudly upon you, and every friend and wellwisiier of the Native race, to remonstrate with the Home Government against such vile importations as that per the St. George. It was a gross breach of faith to the European settlers. It wiJl prove a baneful curse to the moral welfare of the Native populate n 1 remain, Sir, Yi,ur obedient servant, •' PROTECTOR.'' Waikato, May 13, 1843. o Tb Eoss Donelly Mangles, Esq., M.P. Dear Sir, — I beg leave to address you, as an acting Direcor of the New Zealand Company, on the subjict of forming a settlement at the mouth, or commencement of the River Thames or Wai Hou, a subject, on which I had frequent communications with you in the spring of 1341. I would premise my. remarks by a short description of this place. I arrived here with my family, in October last ; we found the settlement in great depression, and loud complaints w^re made of the government. Since then, a decided, though very slow improvement has been made ; the arrival of tbe four ships in October. and of the Union and Westminster, in Match, has afforded an ample supply of labour. Many of the settlers are now engaged in making strenuous exertions in cultivating the land in the vicinity, bo that a very fair show will be made during this next year. The town is steadily enlarging ; a considerable number of suburban lots have been sold lately ; the inferior were sold at the upset price of j£lO per acre. The Town Church of (bricli) is opened, though not Quite finished ; a second is proposed : a third, in the suburbs, on the Manakau road: a fourth, of scoria, is commenced at Epsom : a fifth, of scoria, is projected at the country sections on the Tamaki, to be commenced in the ensuing spring ; and the Bishop is about to build a Chapel for the Natives. The Harbour is exceedingly safe and goo'l, and as far as I can judge and ascertain, it will prove a very availsble port. Since our arrival, there have scarcely been two days in which boats could not communicate with the shipping. The port U admit ably chosen, as an outlet for tbe vast level plains of the interior, watered by the rivers Thames, I iako and Waikato, and by the Kaipara northward. The Natives throughout this whole district, and of the Islands Waiheki. Rangitoto and the gulf Shouraki, bring in large supplies of pigs, potatoes, and rcuize; and in return they purchase large quantities cf English clothing and other goods : they are on the best terms with the settlers. I have visited the Bay of Islands and the interior of the country adjacent to it; there is some fine land there, but the country is very much broken. I have been twice to the mouth of the Thames, which is about fifty miles from hence. The second time, I went up the river in a large canoe, three day's pull against the stream as far as Matamata, about fifty or sixty miles from the mouth, and returned by the river Piako, having walked across the plain which the two rivers bound. I was particularly struck with the Thames, as affording a most extensive, and excellent emigration field. Coromandel harbour is about thirty milei from the mouth ; vessels of 200 and 300 tons can go ten miles up the river; from thence the river might be very easily cleared of trees, and one or two rapids and shallows. Extensive and valuable forests line the banks for miles together, and the flai grows most luxuriantly. The plain varies, I should think, from twenty to fifty miles wide ; and eighty or ninety miles long, as has been B t"ated in official document*. Parts of the scenery are veryv erv beautiful, and the range of hills on the east side

of the plain, have a very striking effect. The land in some part* has been much injured by the Natives burning the wood off, in the wholesale manner, which they do. But, on the whole, the land is very good ; the sw.iu'ps are extensive, and are generally easily drainable and would be very productive. When Colonel Wakefield was here EOine months ago, I questioned him on the Bubj ct of a settlement here, and I am sure that he -ees the desirableness of it. Whether the other interests of the Company, or any of their past acts, may induce them still to decline to avail themselves of the fie'd now open before them in the Thames district. I know not, but I have no hesitation in saying, that before five years are past, they will regret it, if they do not now seize the opportunity. We have lately had recounts of Mr, Rennie'u scheme for a settlement at Fort Cooper, and Lord Stanley's veto upon it. Why in common sense, should not the Thames be occupied by this party ? This dispersion of capital, men, and means, will be a most seriouß drawback on New Zealand colonization, if permitted and sanctioned. I write this plainly to you, because I am, and must be, free from all mere personal considerations in the matter ; but I have the interests of this colony at heart, and, as I believe, that the proceedings of the Company would have a most beneficial influence on the colony if rightly directed, I am anxioua to fee them acting on a basis which shall have reference to the colony at large. I am much pleased, and perfectly satisfied with what I have seen of the colony, and feel assured, that ere long it will prove, (and is now proviig) a most excellent field for emigration. The seven months since our arrival, have been months of most beautiful weather ; no climate, under the iua. can be more favourable to animal and vegetable existence and growth. But tbe season has been unusually fine ; therefore, 1 may perhaps, have too favourable an impression of it. There is no question but that the colony is aJmirably adapted for Agriculture, Horticulture, and rearing of all kinds of Cattle with as little trouhle as possible. We are endeavouring to form an Agricultural and Horlicultural Society here. I hope next yeßr we shall be able to send home some well authenticated statements of what the country will produce. We want some scores of practical Farmers with moderate capitals ; say, from £S>QQ to d£5,GOO, well supplied with implements and willing to endure a little roughness for the first six months. Cattle are plentiful here, and of tolerably good breed ; they thrive su prisingly well on the wild pastures. The s-hesp are very small, and un adapted for this colony, being principally merino from New South Wales. An importation of good Leicester sheep would be a great advantage. If I can at any time render you any information as to the progress of matters in this part of the colony, I shall be happy to do so. I beg to remain, Dear Sir, Yours ve.y faithfully, S. KEMPTHORNE. ( Auckland, May 2G, 1843.