THE 'NOVARA' EXPLORATION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 2, Issue 71, 29 January 1859, Page 3

THE 'NOVARA' EXPLORATION.

(From the New Zealander, Jan. 8.) ' ; In preceding issues, we had the pleasure of announcing: the arrival of tho 'Novara,' with the Austrian Scientific Commission-^— one of whose' members, Dr. Ferdinand Hochstetter, had, at the request of Sir W. Denison, received the ready permission of Commodore "Wullerstorf to make as careful an exploration of our coal fields as the unavoidably limited stay of the frigate would permit. How indefatigably that exploration has been made, we have shown. Now, we have to state, that not only is the exploration completed, but Dr. Hochstetter has prepared an elaborate report as to the results of his investigation — that the Commodore has sent in the report to his Excellency, Governor Browne — and that, while most impartially discriminating and guarded, Dr. Hochstctter's general verdict is highly favourable as to the extent and value of our coal fields, and the important bearing they will exercise on the future well-being of this province and colony. His Excellency, we have no doubt, will take the earliest opportunity of publishing, for the information of the colony, Dr. Hochstetter's report in a Government Gazette. When that is done, we shall re-publish the entire document" Tor the benefit of our readers. We believe we shall not be guilty of any very great breach of trust, if we state that tho report has been translated into Engllsh,by Dr. Soherzer, and such excellent English, that though Mr. Purchas was requested by both the writer and the translator to detect any Germanisms, he found but little occupation for his critical pen. In our last we expressed a wish — in which everybody who has made that gentleman's acquaintance could not but share— that Dr. Hochstetter had been able to remain among us a few months longer. What wo wished is now a certainty. So . strongly impressed was his Excellency, as well as the Provincial Government, of the importance of having the exploration thus carefully begun, carried on by and under Dr. Hochstetter, and also of the desirability of more time being afforded to him for completing the varied observations' and collections with respect to the Natural History of New>sealand, — the making of .which, was one of the objects of -the visit of the . 'NovaraV to our shores^-r-lhat Governor Browne put himself in communication with Commodore Wullerstorf on the subject. The result of the correspondence was that the Commodore gave his consent that, he being willing, Dr. Hochstetter should remain six months longer in this province, to forward the exploration he has commenced. In giving this consent, the Commodore expressed his gratification that an officer of the first Austrian Cu'cumnavigation Expedition could render service of this kind to the people of a nation that has done so much to promote a knowledge of the natural and physical history of almost every part of the world — as Great Britain has ever done. Baron Wullestorf also signified his conviction that our Colonial and Provincial authorities would render; - such assistance to Dr. Hochstetter as Bhould enable him at the same time to promote the objects of the/expedition — of -which' -ho continues -a- ■•• member. The conditions on both sides, indeed, were exceedingly simple and equally honorable to both nations • being only that the expenses of the exploration, and of Dr. Hochstetter's stay and his journey to rejoin the expedition at Trieste, should bo borne by the New Zealand Government [[for tho Provincial Government] — and that the Austrian Expedition should share with New Zealand in the collection of specimens he may have time to make. It is an arrangement, in short, from which both nations may hope mutually to benefit — while the province of Auckland will remain deeply indebted to Dr. Hochstetter for his valuable and disinterested services in prospecting, and showing us how most profitably to work, our varied/mmeral resources. . }."-■; J .\ ;•■-. .-■'-,