New Zealand.

New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette, Volume I, Issue 18, 20 October 1841, Page 3

New Zealand.

Waitematta, Auckland, July, 1841If you wish to see one of the prettiest little rivers in the whole world, flowing through one of the most delightful conntries under the sun, visit Auckland. If you are desirous of riding over 50,000 acres of beautiful, clear, level open country, where you might drive 50,000 carriages, or where you might manoeuvre the armies of England, France, Russia, Prussia, and Austria, visit Auckland. If you are desirous of passing the plough through 50 or 100,000 acres of fine fertile, land, in the most salubrious climate in the world, where hot winds, drougth, or dry seasons are unknown, visit Auckland. The shores on either side of the river are deep headlands, indented with numerous little bays, upon the table tops of whose bluffs stands the infant city of Auckland. The little bays at present located, are known under the appellation of Official Bay, Commercial Bay, and Mechanic's Bay. The first, you will understand, is set apart for the Government officers, &c, the second being allotted to the mercantile community, is the seat of commerce. It now follows that the next must be located by the mechanics. You must be led to suppose, from these kinds of divisions in the little capital, that the community itself is also divided ; such, however, is not the case; on the contrary, however, J the greatest good feeling exists throughout the whole of the present little population of about 1,200, and the heads of departments, or officials, are entirely divested of that do'nt-come-near-me kind of air which is so unbecomingly assumed by the officials in the sister colonies. Remember I am only a visitor here, or you may conclude that some interested motives governs my opurfon of it, or that I have been unaccustomed to visit strange countries; but you must be aware that I have traversed the West Indies, North and South America, Russia, Prussia, and Holland, and the Mediterranean from the rock of Gibraltar to the Black Sea, both on the European and African shores; and I assure you there is no finer climate to be met with in Italy, Greece, or Turkey, than is to be found in New Zealand from the North Cape-to Banks's Peninsula. Evenings in Toulon, Marseilles; Leghorn, Naples, Palermo, Messina, Smyrna, and Constantinople are all truly delightful, but the atmosphere in these places requires purifying every third and fourth night, which is done by terrific claps of thunder, accompanied with violent lightning and rain. But in New Zealand nature is not required to set up such awtully grand operations; the air is at all times pure, any thing like violent lightning or thunder is seldom or ever known. Although I am describing Auckland as a fine country, which it certainly is fc and very appropriate for head quarters, and where extensive commerce may be carried on, it is by no means a desirable place for the shipmaster to visit in its present state, a« the absence of a wharf is severely felt, the landing place being of the worst description.. From the long low flats that extend from high to low water-mark, a distance ol from 3 to 400 yards, it is difficult to land more than one boat load of {goods in the day, and neither Government nor merchants appear disposed to remedy this evil. It always appeared to me that, to render a place flourishing,is to facilitate commerce and to carry on business with despatch ; the reverse of this,however, appears the prevailing opinion at Auckland. • • • Nature has been truly grateful in furnishing Auckland and its vicinity with many strong holds ; the numerous and beautiful bold-head-lands, with table tops, have somewhat the appearance of so many batteries, and a few pieces of cannon planted on their summits, would render the place very formidable; and such must have been the opinion of the Governor, when he pitched upon the present site for the township. The very first glance that a stranger takes of this place, he is convinced that it has been fixed upon either by a nautical man or an artillery man, whose head was filled with the design ol repulsing an enemy. Had the site of the township been selected by a mercantile man, he would in all probability have gone higher up the river, where there is a much greater extent of level country. • * • The notions of the merchant would be to drive commerce by the means of good landing places and good dray roads, and when the wheels of commerce were rapidly on the move, find a means of defence in its turn, 1 here is, however, little doubt but the township will be extended, (and that very considerably), in the proper direction, for eventually it must in. crease, and go a-head ; particularly when the inland communication is once opened between Auckland, Kiapara, and the Waikato districts, these being about the finest portions of New Zealand, but somewhat difficult of access from the West coast. It would not be a great deal of labour and expense to cut a canal through about fourteen miles of countiy to Kiapara; indeed the North Island might very easily be dissected into three or four different parts, but in the present infant state of the colony.such an undertaking cannot be expected. If this part of the island wse in the hands of the New Zealand Company, or if it were favoured with the wealth and enterprise that is now flourishing or wasting at Port Nicholson, it would soon return a reward for its labor. Although I mention to you that I am but a visitor to Auckland in the present instance, let me inform you that I have known New Zealand something like sixteen years, and that with this long acquaintance, 1 am unable to describe its many natural advantages and capacities. Allow me to inform you, for the information of your numerous acquaintance, more especially those in England, or in the whole of the Mother Country, that New Zealand is a country where gout, rheumatism, lumbago, fever, and ague, and nine-tenths of the plagues so prevalent in England are entirely unknown. This is the country to find '* food and raiment" for the many thousands of halt-siarved, bare-headed, and bare-footed creatures that are crawling the streets of England, Ireland, and Scotland. This is the country Mhere the poorest of our fellow-beings that are swarming in the over-populated districts of England may, with moderate exertions, surmount the difficulties of the poverty, wretchedness, and want into which they are fast falling, This is the country where one medical gentleman turns auctioneer, and another opens an hotel. J hey soon found they were masters of,a bad and unprofitable profession to gain a livelihood in New Zealand. W here else (may I ask) does this happen » Your colonial friends may rest assured that in New Zealand there are no hot winds, creating clouds and columns of dust, leaving a blight upon all fruits when they were about to be gathered, and parching the whole facejof the country, like one of the plagues of Egypt. And though there should be no rain for a season, the country is so numerously intersected with rivers and creeks, that every thing goes on prosperously. The most difficult task you could perform here, would beto walk five miles clear of fresh water of the best descriplMP In many districts throughout all New Holland, you may ride thirty, forty, or even fifty miles, without finding that necessary of life, and in many places when it is discovered, it is of that filthy nature that means must be taken for the destructive of the animalculs, before it can be used, and even then it is produciive of disease, and injurious to health. The Auckland Gazette has now published its first number; the first number of a weekly paper is also out: which for clearness of type and despatch of business, is not surpassed in any of the colonies. You will perceive in the Gazette an announcement of land sales to take place in September next. The upset prices are sufficiently high to beggar the purchaser, and leave them nothing with which to build, plant, and sow. I am, sir, with the greatest respect, AMITA. P.S.—Frora PorJ Nicholson I shall address you agaio.