THE NEW-ZEALANDER. English Extracts. PRESENT STATE OF NEW ZEALAND. [Fiom the John Bull, May 17.]

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 23, 8 November 1845, Page 3

THE NEW-ZEALANDER. English Extracts. PRESENT STATE OF NEW ZEALAND. [Fiom the John Bull, May 17.]

The following are ext» acts of a despatch ft onr Governor Fitzroy lo Lord Stanley, dated in Sep tember last, and inserted among the"Papei! relative to New Zealand," lately printed by ordei of the House of Commons :—

Critical Slate of the Colony. " We have no money, except the paper currency lepoited in my despatch, of the 15th April last. The receipts of customs aie diminishing mdnthly, owing to general poveity; fees on grants to land cannot be paid for the same rea son, and near four hundred deeds of giants which I have signed since my arrival, are now lying in the ollice, because those in whose favour they are made, are too poor to pay the fees required by law. "Legal business in the courts is next to nothing not from a scarcity of cases to be tiied, but from the want of means to pay lawyers, "The oilicers of government, without any exception, wliose authotised sdla.t ies exceed £SO, per annum, are only receiving half salary, and that of conrsein debentures, having no other currency. Until 1 learn from your Lordship to what extent any salaiies will be defrayed from funds supplied by Parliament, I must consider all expenditure, of every description, as depending upon funds to be laised in the colony. " Ftom colonial souices, alone, I cannot under existing circumstances, entertain the smallest hope of raising more than at the rate of £15,000, pel annum. " The absolute poverty of the southern settlers, as well as those about the Bay of Islands, thedistressand confusion caused by the cessation of the Company's operations, the arrears of payment due from the Government, the uncertainty of future means, and the effects of the Custom's restnctions, are now causing the greatest perplexity. "It is absolutely certain that unless some great change can be speedily effected, no one can foretel the amount of disasster."

The value of Nevj Zealand as a British Colony, " 3ly Lord, its value is far greater than (he public believe, or even your Lordship, with access to every source of information, can yet be aware, " There is very much more available, fertile, and rich land than has been supposed. "The climate favouls every kind of production, animal as well as vegetable, in an extraordinary manner " Mineral riches abound ; their extent and vaiiety becoming more know n, and better ascertained every month. Since 1 last wrote to your Lordship, and mentioned this subject, tin has been found in the neighbourhood, close to the sea. " It has been found that the flax hitherto sent home, beats no compaiison with a peculiar sort, called by the settlets, 'silky flax.' This is now being cultivated, (though perennial, it is comparatively scarce), and, promises to be a really valuable expoi t. " Whales are again frequenting these coasts in numbers, after having fur a tune almost deserted them. " The valuable qualities and abundance of the timbers here aie well known. " The natives are well inclined to labour for ver) small reiiuinetation, and are anxiously seeking for employ merit. " There are all the means of prosperity, except capital ; but that with our mineral wealth, is sure to be found, if good feeling is kept up between the natives and Europeans, and the security of life and property fully maintained/

A Great Native Feast. " The tribes are in the habit of giving complimentary feasts to each other j and this was given to the Waikato tribe, one of the most numerous and powerful in New Zealand, in return for a feast given by this tribe to their neighbouts lasi year. There are also political objects in these assemblages j ' and (says the Governor), that this demonstration, in the immediate neighbour hood of Auckland, was planned vtith. reference to its efi'ect on the English as well as on the natives there can be but little doubt. 1 Great preparations had been made for this feast, by planting some hundred acies of good land with potaloes, expressly for the occasion, and by drying an immense number of small shdi ks or dog fish, a food much esteemed by the natives. " For weeks preceding the arrival of the principal guests, ttibe after tiibe arrived in theneigh- | bourhood,and encamped at a place called liemu- ; era, about three miles from Auckland, on land I then belonging to the Waikato, but since sold by ! them, in small portions, and at high prices, to residents at Auckland, a limited portion having only been resened by themselves for their future use, theii intention being to cultivate and live on land mote remote from us, for which they cannot now find purchasers. "The locality of the encampment was singularly convenient and well selected : it was a fertile plain, nearly a mile across, bounded by woody volcanic hills, home few hundred feet in height, and by several minor ridges and hillocks; wood, fern, or coarse glass sufficiently covered the ground, and broke the outline, to give variety and picturesque beiuty to this natural amphitlieatie, round which in every direction were long lines of native huls, each tribe, or rather portion of a tribe, by itself, on its own hillock or ridge; an aimy could hardly have been encamped more skillfully,oi with a gi eater appoatance of regularity. "As our party appeared on the lidge from which we first viewed the whole encampment, a general shout of welcome rose, and the nearest tribes,wereseen dancing in theirusual remarkable manner, every movement of every man being simultaneous, while brandishing their weapons in the air. "Approaching the nearest tribe, « ho weie then all seated in silence, after their dance an«) shouts of welcome, vt c dismounted and shook hands with some of the pilncipal chiefs of thai tribe, and saluted the rest generally.

" The difference in clothing between the tribet usually living near Auckland, and those more remote, was remarkable, and it was said, caused some envy among the latter. Many of the chiefs were dressed entirely in European clothes, many had gay red scarfs, others had shirts and trousers under their blankets or mats, or dogskin mantles ; and no one was without either a large wrapping mat, a blanket, or mantle. Waitere was dressed in a blue frock coat, and other suitable garments, but wore no shoes or. stockings. On his head was a cloth cap, with a gold lace band, and a white ostrich feather. Putini, his son, was dressed in a complete suit of European clothing, as usual with him, but I saw him afterwards carrying his boots in his hand. Waitere's wife took an active part in all the proceedings throughout (he day, clad in black satin, a broud brimmed Leghorn hat tied with white ribbons, and good shoes and stockings. Neither she nor her husband, nor any of the natives, appeared as they now jdo frequently, on horseback at the feast. Probably they thought the horses would not stand the firing during the rejoicing and sham fight. " This sham fight, was between the Waikato and other tribes living near Auckland, on the one side, and the stranger tribes, who had come fiom a distance, on the other. "Partly stripped, their bodies bare from the waist upwards, and below the knee, few being less clothed, and the Waikato having many showy red scarfs 5 the two bodies formed on opposite hills a mile apart. There, with their muskets glittering in the sun, their tomahawks and clubs waving in the air, they stamped their wild Jvar dance, and then alternately rushed thundering down the slope. "Hailing as one man, in front of their opponents, each party again defied the other to dance, with shouts and yells ; then one body, the strangers, fled tip the hill, halted, danced, and rushed down again at their utmost speed, and again halted, like soldiers at a review, at the word of their chief, within pistol shot of the adverse party, who were crouched to receive them with spears, the front ranks kneeling, the mass behind, about 40 deep, having muskets and other weapons in readiness. " Each body consisted of about 800 men in a compact mass, twenty m front, and forty deep. Their movements absolutely simultaneous, like well-drilled soldieis. " The lines along which these bodies charged, were crowded by natives and English, by women of both nations, and children, as if it had been, a race -course. " The scene was indeed remarkable j it was wonderful to see x\ omen and children, gaily dressed, wandering about unconcernedly among 4,000 New Zealanders, most of whom were armed, and many utter strangeis, as well as heathen. " A considerable number of the natives took no part in the war dances or sham fight, being dissuaded by the missionaries. The assemblage was perfectly well conducted. There was no rudeness, fheft or even pilfering. Next day, being Sunday, many Christian natives came to attend Divine service in Auckland, and many being heathen indulged their curiosity by looking on ; but the majoiity of the Chiistian natives were attended at Remuera, by their ministers, the missionaries. " It is estimated that 3,420 of the various trills were present on the occasion."