FAILURE OF THE KARAMEA SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4292, 22 December 1874, Page 3

FAILURE OF THE KARAMEA SETTLEMENT.

(From the Nelson J fail, Dec. 18.) As we predicted, the attempt to establish a special settlement at the Karamea under the supervision of a man who was utterly incompetent to pex-foxm the duties he had undertaken, lias so far proved a lamentable failure. The Westport Times states that a few of the special settlers had found their way thither from the Karamea, and since then we find that two of these men have come on to Nelson. The substance of the tale they have to tell is such as might have been expected. Upon their arrival at their destination the immigrants were generally well pleased -with their new home. Being new arrivals they suffered the "reatest inconvenience from the sandflies and mosquitoes which abound there, but the climate was found to be all that was desired, and the soil excellent. They at once set to work erecting the buildings in which they and their wives and families, when the latter joined them, were to find shelter, but they were naturally anxious to be shown the site of the village in which they were to he ultimately located upon their five-acre allotments. And this was the commencement of their difficulties and dissatisfaction. Mr, Hyland, the manager, knew nothing of surveying, and, consequently, the plan with which he had been furnished was utterly useless. The old section pegs by which he was to be guided were not to be found, he became hazy in his idea as to the direction in which they were to be looked for, and it soon became clear to those who were supposed to look up to him for instructions and advice that he was completely bewildered as to the precise locality of the projected village. As a man who, unable to swim, when he finds himself in water beyond his depth, begins to flounder about, and so hastens the end which might be averted by calmness and presence of mind, so he, discovering at last that he was placed in a position for which nature had never intended him, grew irritable, nervous, and undecided. He gave one order one day and contradicted it on the next, and this, as a matter of course, bred distrust and dissatisfaction among the subjects of his little kingdom. Day by day matters grew worse and worse, and all were thoroughly disgusted, when at last, to the intense relief of the settlers, Mr. O’Conor appeared on the scene, and very soon a quarrel ensued between him and Mr. Hyland. The latter threatened to resign, and in reply was told that he could do so as soon as ho pleased. The difference of opinion between the two authorities did not tend to inspire the men with confidence, and everything was soon at sixes and sevens. The new arrivals, of course, found their employment new to them, and did not knbw the correct way to set to work, and instead of meeting with encouragement, they were found fault with, because they did not do enough in the day, although they were working with a will. They wanted to get on to their promised land ; but all the information they could obtain was, that it lay somewhere in the huge forest before them—where, none could tell them. At length, some few of them, disgusted with the want of management, alarmed by the anarchy that prevailed, and seeing no hope of improvement under the existing state of things, made up their minds to leave the settlement and to proceed to Westport overland. Their names are Penney, Eule, Shirton, Burton, Hawker, and Stanton, all of whom are thoroughly good men accustomed to rough and hard work. Many more would have left with them hut they could not see their way to getting away from Westport, having no funds at their disposal. Tho two former of thoso mentioned have come on to Nelson, and the remainder proceeded to Greymouth. From

Mr. O’Conor, we understand, no official information, strange to say, has been received of the state of affairs, but we are informed —and to his credit be it said—that he has determined to remain at the Karamea until something like order is restored. Hitherto the men have been employed, in addition to erecting the necessary buildings, in clearing the hush and planting potatoes near the mouth of the river, so that some provision is made against the ensuing winter season, although the men justly complain that they had hoped that some of their time would have been devoted to making a road to their new homes. The utter want of management that has hitherto prevailed has not ruined the settlement hut has only retarded its progress.