The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 517, 29 March 1851, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Me just and fear not : Let all the ends tliou aims't at, be thy Country's,, Thy, God's, and Truth's.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2S>, 1851.

It will doubtless be in the recollection of many of our readers that, in the Report of the Waikato Coal Committee, which was presented to the General Meeting of Subscribers at the Exchange Hotel on the 7th of November last, and published in the New Zealander of the 9th of that month, it was stated that, in compliance with the request of the Committee, His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief had taken into consideration the subject of a canal to connect the waters of the Waikato with the harbour of Manakau, and given directions that a line should be surveyed and levels taken in order to ascertain the practicability of such a work. The survey having been madfy the Colonial Secretary has lately addressed to Mr. Connell (Honorary Secretary to the Committee) a communication a copy of which we are permitted to subjoin. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, sth Mai ah,' 18J1. Sir,— Referring to your letter of the 28th June, 7 ! 850, requesting that His Excellency the Governor' would cause instructions to be issued ior ascertaining the level of the Awaroa and Waikato Rivers, with a view of forming a Canal across the portage of Waihuku. I have now the honor to be forward to you, for the information of the Gentlemen who have interested themselves on the subject a plan, and sections of the ground. From the report furnished by the Surveyor General it appears that the expense of a Canal and the clearing of the Awaroa will depend on the sizs of the vessels intended to navigate thereon, but from the great facilities offered by the nature of the ground and a convenient supply of Water, it would be comparatively low in reference to most works of a similar kind, and very trifling when compared with the advantages to be obtained by connecting the large and fertile districts of the Waikato and Waipa with Auckland. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Andrew Sinclair, Colonial Secretary. Wm. Connell, Esq., &c, &c. In the drawings which accompanied this Letter, two lines are marked, either of -which would be available for the proposed object. In one, the length to be cut through would be one hundred and twenty -seven chains, forty - four links ; in the otber, one hundred and eighteen chains, forty-six links. The highest point in the lines proposed is fifty -eight feet, four inches above the Manukau, and fifty feet, five inches above the Awaroa River. This, however, would be only for a very short distance, the great proportion of the line lying much lower. The examination of the country which has thus taken place by the kind acquiescence of the Governor in the desire of the Committee, and the official testimony now explicitly borne both to the practicability of forming such a communication at a smaller outlay than is required for most works of a similar kind, and to the greatness of the advantages which might thus be secured at a comparatively trifling expense, are so valuable that, had the Committee effected nothing else than instrumentally procuring them, the attention which they have devoted to the charge entrusted to them by the Subscribers, would have been well requited. Apart altogether from the important object of facilitating the transportation of coal which was immediately had in view, the magnitude of the benefits which could not fail to result both to the town of Auckland and the Waikato and Waipa districts from the establishment of a cheap and ready mode 1 of communication between the respective localities, is too obvious to require either argument or illustration. With reference to coal, we insert in another part of our paper Captain Stokes's Report of the experiments lately made on board H. M. Steam -ship Jcheron, by desire of LieutenantGovernor Eyre. Every statement of the results of practical inquiry on a subject of such vital interest to the colony merits attention ; and we therefore place this on record in our columns. But we must say that, except as one contribution amongst others to the general store of information which is receiving accessions from various quarters, we do not attach any great importance to the Repoit ;— -we mean, any such importance as would discourage the expectations we have formed respecting the full applicability of New Zealand coal to steam as well as other purposes. The fact is always to be borne in mmd — by which Captain Stokes himself accounts for the result not being more satisfactory, (not

so satisfactory, we may note, as that reported in 1847 by Captain Hoseason, of the Inflexible) — namely, " the coal we procured was from surface seams, and probably a better quality lies beneath." It will be seen that the Waikato Coal was not tried at all as Fuel in these experiments. The small quantity operated on by Dr. Forbes was taken from " a hand specimen." Farther and fuller trial is evidently necessary, and the matter is of too deep and universal interest to be permitted to drop. The Wellington Spectator, referring to Captain Stokes's Report, makes the following remarks in which we entirely concur ; — remarks which indeed express views identical with those which we have many times urged on the consideration of our readers :—: — The question is one of such great irnpdrtince to the colony, not only as connected with steam communication now on the eve of being introduced into New Zealand, but as affecting the daily consumption of fuel by its inhabitants, particularly in districts, as in the Canterbury settlement, where there is a general scarcity of wood, that measures should be taken, by sinking shafts where the coal is found, for ascertaining the quality of the coal beneath the surface, and its application to the purposes above referred to. We must either be in a condition to supply ourselves with what in the present advanced state of civilization may be called one of the fiist necesaries of life, or draw our supplies fiom Sydney, If no other means are to be found of obtaining a satisfactory solution of this ques tion, it ought to be attempted by subscription, since to procure from New South Wales all the coal required for New Zealand would prove a serious drain on its resources. To our thinkig, the successful working of a good coal mine in New Zealand, where a plentiful and cheap supply ot fuel may be obtained, would more advance its best interests than the discovery of the x ichest gold mine.