The Sketcher.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 246, 5 August 1876, Page 5

The Sketcher.

THE NEW MEMBERS. SKETCHED BY ONE OF THEMSELVES. No. 11. The member for Geraldine, sitting on Mr. Stafford's left hand, with a projecting pillar slightly interposing between them, is a gentleman who seems to have a prescriptive right to be near Mr. Stafford, and about whose success or non-success as a member no little interest has been excited. Mr. Wakefield has a sufficiently remarkable and definite face, evidencing too as it does more than ordinary intellect, to°attract attention, and there is that about his expression at times which makes one believe that he could be sudden and quick • in quarrel did not a tinge of discretion make him keep his wrath to himself, not, however, without a frown which bodes all the harm he could do to one who had offended him. Mr. Wakefield may, in many respects, claim a right to owe filial political duty to Mr. Stafford. When the latter gentleman has been the foremost man in this small world of politics which forms the be all and end all for us, Mr. Wakefield besides, acting as his secretary, has been the Telemachus to his Mentor; and since the member for Geraldine has fairly won his spurs in our small lists of literature, his pen has been devoted with unswerving fidelity to the chief under whose banner he would seem content to fight, even if all others had deserted it. ~.*,,,. .1 i It would be useless to disguise the fact that Mr. Wakefield owes his seat to his success as

a journalist. True it is that but for the casting vote of a returning officer he would not now occupy that seat; but it has been his conduct of probably the most powerful country newspaper in the colony that drew men's eyes to him as a future representative, and that enabled him to claim at least one-half of the recorded votes at the last election for his district. And in mentioning this circumstance I do not for an instant desire to remove that anonymity which is the proper attribute of journalism,' for I am now writing of Mr. Wakefield's pursuit of his profession, because his success in the profession has led him to Parliament, and, like many of his fellows, he has written or been responsible for much that I have no doubt he himseif regrets, but for nothing, I feel sure, that was not written with honesty of purpose, however much hastiness in temper and prejudice may have made it most objectionable to those who consider it is possible to be personal without being insulting, to be severe without being so vulgar as to make a statesman's private and social customs the medium for an attack upon his policy. Indeed one or two uttei-ances of Mr. Wakefield's since he has entered the House have shown that he has not forgotten the instincts of his race, and that he fights like a gentleman, whose rapier is none the less dangerous because its wearer has been taught to use it after the strictest rules of courtesy. Even in one most bitter and uncalled for speech, in which he attacked Sir Donald McLean, he was not rude; and many thought that he was, after all, but making an attack in flank on behalf of his chief.

A rather curious thing about Mr. Wakefield is that his entrance into Parliament seems to have excited the wrath of a person who would fain be there himself, and of whom Mr. Wakefield is in every sense the antithesis. This person had a slight acquaintance with that official life in which some portion of the member for Geraldine's career was passed, and has also obtained a name in journalistic literature. I do not endorse the double barrelled adjectival certificate which the Hon. Mr. Fox gave to Mr. Wakefield's somewhat personal enemy. He will no doubt in time learn that the mere power of thinking that no one knows anything better than you do yourself is not alone sufficient to qualify for success, and that sincerity, gentlemanly feeling, and some slight knowledge of men and things beyond the experience of _ the pettiest journalism, are an advantage. In time, too, a little journalistic honesty may contribute to his improvement. At present he may as well leave Mr. Wakefield alone. There is something of the hereditary hatred of the proletarian of the most ignorant type for the aristocrat in his antipathy, though his proletarianism, like much .of its class, dearly loves to scrape shoulders with what is aristocratic.

It would be impossible at present to predict success or failure in the future for the member for Geraldine. He has one or two rather important points in his favor. He entered the House with probably more of that contentment with his own abilities to succeed than falls to the lot of new members generally, and once or twice he made the House aware of the fact. But he has evidently been clearheaded enough to see that the less he does this the better. He has notably profited by the experience of one or two other new members, whose snubbing has been done not ineffectually for them, and he is now plainly determined not to promote hostility by undue assumption. He has much to his advantage. For good and ill alike his name has become ancestral in the annals of this colony, and he comes of a stock with whom intellect and ability seem hereditary. His attachment to Mr. Stafford, as a statesman, has in it much that deserves respect, it unites that personal friendship which often binds old and young with that adherence to a political faith of which the teacher is still the leader. In many respects Mr. Wakefield cannot do better than remain loyal to him to whom ho certainly owes loyalty. Mr. Stafford at this moment, though without party, and though undesirous of office, occupies a position in which he can do the best work for New Zealand, and is acting with loyalty to his political creed, regardless of personal advantage. He conceives, and that doubtless rightly, that by giving a generous assistance to build up that form of local selfgovernment which he has always desired to see established, he will gain more respect than if he permitted himself, for an apparent temporary advantage, to be made use of by those with whom he has and can have nothing in common. His words on the Abolition Bill last year will not soon be forgotten, nor the manner in which he gave that measure his support, as he himself said, as " one of the rank and file." Mr. Wakefield may do worse for himself than act with him whom he is proud to- call his master. For the rest, the member for Geraldine need not fear. In one political arena, that of public journalism, he has made his mark, and that_ of no faint nature. In the new arena into which he has entered success awaits men like himself, if they do not ruin that success by the mode of fighting they adopt. KABAMEA SPECIAL SETTLEMENT. A day or two ago we acknowledged the receipt from Mr. E. O'Conor, Provincial Secretary of Nelson, of a report on the Karamea special settlement. The document is very full and carefully compiled, and some portions will be found interesting outside the province of Nelson. He says : The Karamea is a low-lying undulating tract of country, shelving towards the west to a sandy open beach, on all other sides it is surrounded by steep hills and a mountainous country. It consists of about 60,000 acres of land available for agricultural and pastoral pursuits, containing a few swamps, but the greater part heavily timbered with rata, black, red, and white pine, totara, and pukatea. It

is drained by five rivers, all sufficient to admit vessels of light draught, the principal river being the Karamea, which as a harbor is second on the West Coast only to the Buller, the entrance being straight, and the depth on the bar at high water ranging from 10 to 15ft. As early as 1866, some attempt was made at settlement, and in 1869 a land sale took place at Nelson, where some 1200 acres of choice land mostly situated upon the banks of the Karamea were sold in lots of from 5 to 100 acres. £IOOO was realised by this sale, at which 57 persons purchased, not one of whom ever settled upon the land, or since made any attempt to utilise it. About the same time a, gold-mining rush also took place, and fair prospects were obtained. An attempt was then made to find a line of road to connect -with the more populous districts on the West Coast in order to facilitate traffic and ensure provisions, but the attempt entirely failed, and only resulted in a report that no practicable road could be made between the Mohikinui and Little Wanganui rivers. The difficulty of obtaining provisions became very great, aud as winter approached the diggers were compelled to leave en masse to avoid starvation. A few returned to work the black sand on the beach, and at the time the special settlement was commenced four persons were thus employed, leading a most dreary, monotonous existence, and occasionally very much pinched for provisions, which they laid in annually, and conveyed from Westport by small boats during fine weather On the 27th of

November, 1871, the first settlers, immigrants and new arrivals, landed at Karamea. . . . The settlers upon their arrival were allotted sect : ons, upon which they went to work clearing and building. As might be supposed, they were generally deficient, not only in tools and domestic utensils, but many were absolutely without necessary clothing ; therefore, to supply an outfit necessitated an advance, which varied according to the family, from £lO to £7O. Against this advance some security was held in the improvements effected upan the land. It is gratifying to note that with few exceptions those advances have been honorably repaid. Sixty-eight houses have been [erected, many of them are quite comfortable, and some have additional outhotises. The clearings, in various stages of advancement, amount altogether to about 400 acres, and a good road one chain in width, with substantial bridges and culverts, where required, has been made through the settltment Iu consequence of the extremely wet season of 1875 and the insufficient preparation of the soil, most of the early crop of potatoes failed. This crop being the settlers main dependence, the failure was deemed a great misfortune, although up to the present it has afforded a sufficient supply. To prevent such failure in the future, each settler will have a small section of land of drier and lighter quality. Experimental patches of wheat, maize, and other grain, of green crops, of peas, beans, and hops, were tried with varied, but on the whole encouraging results. The hop plants were remarkably luxuriant.; nor was the settlement without its monster pumpkin. One was shown there last season which was worth exhibiting, and almost deserved immortalising in newspaper paragrajms From the first of the settlement it was found necessary to establish a Government store, which has been locally under the control of the overseer, and under the care of a storekeeper. Although the store has entailed constant supervision and a vast deal of extra trouble and anxiety, in practice it has been found extremely useful in preventing extravagance, securing supplies at a low price, and preventing the surreptitious sale of intoxicating drinks, which, if once allowed, would have raised numerous difficulties. It remains a source of congratulation that no disturbances have taken place as yet at the Karamea, nor has police intervention been required. The settlers appear in the aggregate fully equal to the average population of other localities in the colony. Still, it must be said that there arc some there, as in most other communities, whose absence would be an advantage ; there are also a few constitutionally unfit for a rough and arduous life. Notwithstanding the exceptions above noted, the accumulation of private property, as well as the quantity of public work completed, bears testimony to general industry and thrift, which is the more remarkable when it is remembered that the immigrants were taken almost promiscuously from shipboard without previous experience or training to qualify them for the work. A liberal allowance of time was given to each settler to build and to make his family comfortable, then all were required to commence the public works by making the roads through the settlement. With some tuition they succeeded in completing road work, culverts, and bridges that will_ bear favorable comparison as to workmanship and cost with similar works elsewhere—the work in almost all cases being done as piece work, day work having been found very unsuitable. The local works, including the erection of the Government building, clearing the Government reserves, &c, having been thus completed, attention was next directed with considerable anxiety to the outlying road intended to connect the settlement with Nelson on one side and AVestport on the north. The available labor waa directed to the road works from Little Wanganui to Mohikinui ; but here difficulty was experienced by the unwillingness of some of the settlers to leave their homes at Karamea. Many of them upon the most frivelous pretext left work, and much time was lost, until stringent rules were put in force, compelling those who were in debt to remain constantly at work, or have their credit stopped at the store. The track is well laid out, and with good gradients, thoiigh several heavy rock cuttings have been made. It is taken through a country of limestone formation, which, although hilly, appears to be of good quality, even to the hill tops. The track will probably be open about the ond of July, 1576.

The education of the children has not been entirely neglected, a school having been opened upon the terrace, and established about twelve months, attended by about forty children, with good results. No school building has yet been provided, although very much required, and as the settlement is too small to support two schools, it would be desirable to provide' one in a central position, so as to secure attendance from both sides of the river. From the foregoing may be gathered hew far success has attended the works entered upon at Karamea. The great object of planting a settlement in the hitherto inaccessible wilderness has been accomplished by the location of seventy families, and although another year may elapse before all these can safely depend upon the produce of the land to supply their wants, the amount of extraneous employment necessary in future need not be very large. At one time there was a prospect of the establishment of sawmills at Karamea ; this would have given all the employment required, but the fall in the value of sawn timber has temporarily checked enterprise in that direction. The number of persons engaged in mining at Karamea has increased, and probably some of the settlers will presently supplement the returns from their land by this industry ; but for the next year some other employment will be required, especially by those who have to provide for large families. Reproductive public works are urgently required in many parts of this district where comparatively nothing has been done to connect the interior with the port, and in addition to the settlement roads, which should be continued, there are at least two works in the neighborhood of paramount importance, which really should be undertaken with as little delay as possible. One is the track from the mouth of the Mohikinui river to the quartz reefs, a distance of twelve miles ; the other being the continuation of the coast track from the Karamea, via Heaphy, Salisbury's Open, and the Aorere, to Collingwood. . . . Up to the 31st of May the expenditure and liabilities of the settlement have been as follows : Advances from the General Government (disbursed as per returns) ■ .. .. • • £10,200 liability for stores and freight .. .. 1,000 Due to settlers for work done .. . - .. 700 Accruing due to settlers for contract work incomplete G 4O £12,600 No explanation will be needed, except perhaps for the latter item, which represents the amount that will be due when contracts now in hand on the Mohikinui track are completed. The two latter items, amounting to £I4OO, will be required immediately, to enable settlers to take up their leases, and to purchase seed and cattle. Direct result of outlay—16£ miles Mohikinui-road £6,615 5 miles settlement road 2,500 Other roads, tracks, ditching, &c. .. 1,100 Explorations and surveys 600 Balance due by settlers 990 Working stock and goods in store .. 1,350 Passages of immigrants to port of destination .. 500 Subsidy to steamer 300 £13,955 . . Looking at the direct result of the expenditure here dealt with, we find a surplus on the side of assets. This arises from the margin of profit left on the small percentage charged in the store to cover freight and charges. The advantages resulting from the establishment of the special settlement may be shortly summarised : —Public works, to the value of "the money spent; land taken up under special settlement, 4000 acres ; seventy families provided with homes, and improvements made by them on their lands to the value of £SOOO. It is worth noticing as an additional result, indicative of what will follow, that 1497 acres have already been taken up by thirteen persons outside" the special settlement. In considering this, I cannot help wishing that the large sums spent in this province in public works during the past three years had been productive to a like degree. If they had been so, then, putting that expenditure at £250,000, our population would now have increased by about 6000, and 1400 families would have been enabled to make homes for themselves, and would have added to the wealth of the colony £IOO,OOO by their industry in permanent improvements upon land taken into occupation. Although taking this view, I am quite aware that so marked a result is not to be expected, particularly as much of the last-mentioned expenditure was made to gain other results, perhaps equally desirable. Still, I must express my conviction that a great extent of bush land on the west coast of this province cannot be settled for years in any other way than by combining public works with settlement, so as to enable working men to make sure of sufficient employment to assist them in supporting their familes while making a home. Any work set aside for such a purpose should be extended over three years, and should amount per family acording to circumstances, from £IOO to £2OO. I feel sure, from applications asking to join the settlement at Karamea, that there are hundreds in this province, sons of the old settlers, or men who on the goldfields have born the heat and burden of the day, and consequently have stronger claims upon the country than new arrivals, would be extremely thankful for such an opportunity of providing for their families. Many of these are now compelled, in order to obtain employment, to live in town, where employment not being constant, much of their time is lost. The highest result a man so situated can expect, is that he will be able to feed and clothe his family and pay his rent. Certainly another advantage highly prized is extended to him by the liberal provision made by the State for education, and while enabling working men to form settlement upon the land in connection with public works, education might still be provided for, and, I repeat, a great boon thus extended to many who, no matter how industrious or hard working,, may never have the means of taking land and making

a home upon it. I am also convinced that as an investment for capital, clearing the heavy bush land upon the West Coast will not pay, and that the only way to clear away this useless bush and establish in its place productive settlements and homes for the people, is to extend to a certain number yearly the advantages bestowed by the combination of public works and settlement. In doing so no doubt the experience already gained will be of some advantage ; but in the main if the people are of the right class, and the land good, the management will be poor indeed if success be not achieved. A LIFE OF ADVENTURE. If the time in which we live is eminently practical, and the mechanical appliances of civilisation seem to involve a certain monotony in the lives of men, as contrasted with those of a ruder age, there are even in these degenerate days those who know how to extract from them the elements of adventure and excitement which specially pertain to them, and to invest 19th century life with a romance peculiarly its own. One such has just passed away from among us. There are many in all parts of the world who, when they read of the death in the Albany of Captain Charles Stewart Forbes, R.N., will recall with a sigh the daring and reckless seaman, the warm-hearted and generous friend and cheery companion, whose eventful career has just closed. Few men have lived so much in so few years, or seen and done more with so little noise. The first years of young Forbes' service were passed as a midshipman in the North Star, with Sir Everard Home, on the Australian station ; the Crimean war found him in command of a gunboat in the Baltic ; and on the breaking out of hostilities in China, he proceeded to the scene of operations as lieutenant commanding the Algerine. Throughout the war he never lost a chance of distinguishing himself, and the Algerine soon became celebrated for her success in " pirate pigeons." Returning home just as Garibaldi landed in Sicily, Forbes hurried out, and was the only Englishman who participated in the first action outside Palermo. Conspicuous from the beginning to the end of the campaign, in his blue flannel suit, and always in the hottest of the fire, he soon attracted the notice, and ultimately the friendship of Garibaldi, finally reconnoitering Naples in a carriage in advance of the General, and receiving a triumphant welcome intended for the latter, which enabled him to report on his return that the Royal troops had evacuated the city. On his return to England Forbes published an account of the campaign, which is probably the most authentic record of it which exists. He next made a most interesting exploration in Iceland, giving us the result of his experience there in a graphic and interesting form. On receiving his promotion he went out to the Paver Plate as commander of the Curfew, and completed his term of service in those always stirring regions, just in time to accept the command, under Captain Sherard Osborn, of one of the vessels of the expedition which was being fitted out for the Emperor of China. Taking his vessel along the West Coast of Africa, and touching at several ports on his way, he arrived at his destination to find the project of a Chinese Imperial Fleet, commanded by British officers, abandoned, and returned to England the bearer of despatches from Captain Osborn to the English Government. On his arrival in England, Forbes found his love of adventure almost immediately gratified by the command which he obtained, without difficulty, of a blockade runner, for the American war was then at its height, and he soon distinguished himself in his new vocation. His system of evading the enemy required that combination of skilly coolness, and courage which the habits of his life were so eminently calculated to develope. Steering his ship with his own ran into port on the darkest nights on the bearing which he had taken during the clay when first sighting land, and when the small vessel which he commanded was too far out to be visible to the blockading squadron. The close of the war found him in the harbor of Galveston, and, unable to extricate his ship, he left her to join the fortunes of the ill-fated Maximilian in Mexico. Of his hairbreadth escapes and the varied perils he encountered during his blockade running and Mexican experiences, we have, unfortunately, no published record. After a severe attack of yellow fever in one of the West India Islands, where he narrowly escaped premature burial, he returned to England in shattered health. Scarcely, however, allowing himself time to recruit, the year 1865 saw Captain Forbes once more on the way to the East, for the purpose of obtaining from the French Government in Cochin China a telegraph concession, and thence he proceeded to Japan in order to negotiate a loan with the Government of that country. He failed in this, but established such relations as enabled him to return to England in the capacity of agent for the Chinese and Japanese for the purchase of arms and vessels of war. Before leaving Japan he made a most interesting exploration of the then almost unknown island of Yesso, the results of which he embodied in a paper for the Royal Geographical Society. He now for a short time devoted himself to pursuits connected with this agency in London, but was once more tempted out to China by the offer from the Imperial Government of the appointment of Marine Commissioner and Inspector of Chinese Lighthouses. This novel and interesting position he held for about two years, when he again returned to England ; this time by way of California. He was so much struck with the resources of that rapidly developing portion of the Western Hemisphere that he determined to extend his financial operations—which had now become considerable in that direction. His usual shrewdness and good luck did not desert him in this new field of enterprise, and as the result of two expeditions to the mineral regions of Nevada, he drew as a prize a share of the Comstock Mine, and about a year ago returned to his own country in possession of a very large fortune. Unhappily "it came too late. A typhus, fever, during which he remained for seventeen days

delirious in San Francisco, shattered a constitution which much exposure to bad climates had undermined, and thus prematurely terminated a life of incident and adventure of which we have been only able to give a brief sketch, at the comparatively early age of 47. Had he lived in a more exciting period of the world's history he would have made himself a great name. As it is, his death has caused a gap in a very wide and varied circle of society, and many men the most dissimilar in race, religion, and position, will sigh when they hear that Charles Forbes is dead. SYKYANA AND SAN CHRISTOVAL. (From the Melbourne Argus.) In view of the recent deplorable atrocities committed in the islands of the South Pacific, it may not be without interest to hear a few details of a wonderfully opposite character, and which show that in one little island at least the natives are of an eminently pacific disposition. The Hafrsfjord, a Norwegian barque, which has arrived in port from Japan, and which, by the way, brings a large consignment of Japanese curiosities, came by the eastern route from Yokohama to this port, and on the voyage called at Sykyana, or Stewart's Island, situated in lat. Sdeg. 24min. S., and long. 163 deg. 3min. E. On getting close to the island several canoes came alongside with cocoanuts, and other fruit and produce, and the natives, amongst whom were the king or chief of the island and his son, made friendly demonstrations. Captain Meyer received'his royal visitors in a friendly manner, showed them some little attention, and invited them into the cabin. There was no difference between the costume of the dusky potentate and his people, and he had very few trappings to symbolise his rank. To remedy this symplicity of distinction, a white coat and pair of pants were given him, which he readily donned, but was too well bred to express surprise at the alteration it made in his appearance. Very little curiosity was manifested by the visitors at all they saw on board, except when Captain Meyer got his sextant to take an observation. The king, who was standing near, inquired what he was doing, but the performance, although explained as lucidly as possible, seemed to puzzle him altogether. An invitation to go on shore and see the island was accepted, and Captain Meyer, with Mr. O. Bottiger, and Mr. W. Wake, two passengers by the Hafrsfjord, joined the expedition, the two latter taking their fowling-oieces with them, as the natives had said there were wild pigeons on the island. Previous to getting into the ship's boat, Captain Meyer was about to fasten his revolver in his belt, but the action being observed by the king, he went up to him and said in effect, " I do not like you to take that weapon with you. We trusted you and you must in return trust lis." Acting on a frank and fearless impulse, Captain Meyer put back the revolver, and said, "So be it, then, I will trust you." In conveying the king and prince to the island, it was ascertained from the former that about two years have elapsed since a vessel hove-to at the island, and allowed natives on board. A reference book was afterwards handed to one of the passengers to write something in it about the visit of the barque, and on perusing the book it was found that since 1852 only nine vessels had visited the island, and four of these were American whalers, which had called for provisions, &c. All the notices in the book gave the natives a most favorable character. It has been stated that the Austrian frigate Novara called at Stewart's Island while on a cruise, but the natives had no recollection of her. The party remained on shore all night, the king sending his son on board the barque as a hostage. Several of the party bathed between the island and the outside reef next morning, and the natives made n© sign until the bathers returned to terra firma, and then they began capering and dancing, and saying, " Shark no eat white man, shark no eat white man." The consternation of the swimmers may be imagined when they were informed that sharks swarmed about the place. Next day, on returning to the vessel, there was a plentiful interchange of presents, combs, pieces of calico, and other comparatively trifling articles being highly prized by the natives. Previous to getting under way, the king's son had expressed a wish to leave the island, and accompany Captain Meyer on his voyage, but at the very last he wavered, and judging, according to his light, that it was better to bear the ills he knew about than encounter others of which he had no conception, he returned to his principality and his people. Captain Meyer gives the natives a high character for honesty and friendliness of purpose. After sailing for about 150 miles, San Christoval, the easternmost of the Solomon Group, was sighted, - and on nearing the land, three large canoes, different in construction from those seen at Stewart Island, approached the barque. Evidently the canoes had no intention of trading, spears and hatchets being the only commodities visible. The nativesjwere most urgent in their gesticulations for a party to go on°shore, but Captain Meyer, not being altogether favorably impressed with their appearance, affected to misunderstand their invitation. They pointed to a large schooner-rigged vessel at a distance, as if to attract attention to it, but on looking through the glass, the schooner had all the appeai-ance of being on a reef, among the breakers. The American ensign was flying, but no sign of distress or otherwise, and Captain Meyer formed an impression that the natives were making a decoy of the schooner in order to entice them, on shore. The natives were evidently of a different type from those of Stewart's Island, being smaller in physique, and having their hair done up differently, arid being far less pleasing in their appearance. Their savage looks, and the circumstance of their being so well armed with native Weapons; decided Captain Meyer-to finally decline their overtures, to land, and the barque kept away on her course.