ADVANCE ALBERTLAND.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2676, 13 February 1866, Page 6

ADVANCE ALBERTLAND.

To the Editor of the Dutltc Southern Cross. Sir, — I have just returned from a trip to Alberfcland, or, move properly, that portion situate on the Oruawharo, after an absence of 18 months ; and as such strange notions are prevalent respecting the settlement, and so little is really known about it, a few lines may prove interesting to some of your readers Not long ago, in course of conversation with some political leaders in a certain section of the county of Marsden, I discovered that there were supposed to be "about half-a-dozen families in Albert} and," and, therefore, that they needed no representation ! whilst here in Auckland the general impress on is that the settlement is all but deserted, and that it ia a grand failure ; both of which surmises I declare to be untrue. I went by way of Mangawai, arriving outside the famous breakwater a few hours after leaving Auckland, and the first Albert land settler I visited was Mr. Penman, who ha? erected a saw-mill, which I found in full operation. The works consist of circular and vertical saws, driven by an overshot wheel. The large amount of work requisite to erect the substantial dam and machinery, all of which has been erected by Mr. P. himself, does him infinite credit ; whilst the extensive clearing around the mill, and the quantity of sawn timber lying near hy, show a large amount of perseverance and industry, when the short time since he commenced, and other circumstances not necessary to be named here, are taken into account. The Great North Road passes through seven milrs of bush on the North Oruawharo, and this portion is suppo ed to be cleared half a chain wide, but has beeD very badly done, and has not been burnt off. It is so much overgrown with tui grass and tea-tree as to be quite impassable for foot passengers. Grass seed is raid to have been supplied to some person for the sowing down of this road, but was used instead to form a paddock nearer to Mangawai Heads. The road from Arai to the Oruawharo landing, some ten miles, seems studded with homesteads compared with my former visit, when they were few aud far between. Ten bouses, and no whites, ate situate close to the roadside, and shortly, I believe, at least two others will be erected. I remarked that a large amount of land Ihas been cleared, and much of this is in a ilate of culture, forming a pleasing contrast to the great expanse of fern around. Most of the cleared land is substantially fenced in. In a bush near the road I found preparations going on for the erection of another water-wheel, the ulterior use of which is the manufacture of furniture. Two tents in one place indicated the recent arrival of two additional settlers, one of whom was already ploughing a large piece of land, whilst the other is intending to settle on aa allotment, some three miles up the bush-road named above. With these exceptions, every settler, so far as I could see, has abandoned the temporary whare, and has a more or less comfortable weatherboard or slab house. * At the township very little alteration was visible ; two new houses, the chapel approaching completion, and a well-erected culvert in Market-street, were all the improvements, whilst eight empty houses looked melancholy enough. Of these, the owners of four are working or living eliewhere on the settlement, and the other four are non-resident. Whilst here I attended a meeting of the Agricultural Society at the house of Mr. Judd, who provided an excellent tea for the settlers present. After tea a number of transactions in catlle took place, and several changed hands. Later on a meeting wa« held, and officers chosen for the ensuing year : Mr. Petter, president; Mr. Judd, secretary; and Mr. Elliott, treasurer. It was decided to hold a show of farm produce on

the tirst Wednesday in RLuch, when prints will lie given for a variety of articles, a-» wheat, butter, onions, potatoes, cattle, kc. Passing over the south pavt of the block, the same amount of improvpment waa visible in every direction. Judging from what 1 was toUl, there must be upward* of four hundred head of cattle in all. A limited quautity of butter, about 1001b., i° bought weekly by the m.ister of the ' Julia,' which conveys it to Mr. McLeods station in the Kaipara, and thence Borne portion finds its way to RiverheaiJ. Very much more, I need not say, could be produced were there bub a market foi it. One settler who has recently gone ti> his land has built a large and comfortable house on the Takapau creek, with a jetty close by, has ploughed a considerable quantity of land, and is engaged in fencing in th« whole— some hundreds of acres — with wire f&ucinfir I was much pleased to «se the cheerful spirit of the settlers, who look forward to the completion of the Mahurangi road, to enable them to get their produce to Auckland. All seem determined to hold by their farms, and some assured me tint they were now comfortably maintaining themselves thereby. I do not think theie is one family likely to leave the settlement. During the last eighteen mouths six families have left; of these, two ate likely soon to return ; whilst, during the same poiiod, there has been an accession of twenty-five families ! Surely this fact will not be considered indicative of desettion. I returned by way of the Kaipara harbour to | Helensville, and thence overland to Kiverhead, having spent a most agreeable fortnight amongst old friends, whose hospitality was unbounded, possessed with a regtetful feeling that circumstances would not permit of my resuming my old place among them. . The Albertlanders are increasing fast in popul*lation and wealth, Various indications show this, which it would be tedious to enumerate here. I congratulate the brave men who have borne the heat and toil of the day, being fully persuaded that they will re«*p a speedy and plentiful reward. — I have, &c, Samuel Johnson. Auckland, February 10, 1866.