THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14th, 1862.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 78, 14 February 1862, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14th, 1862.

About five degrees to the East, and three c!eproei! to the >Torfli of Or si go. liYs.a small group of three islands, the Chatham Tslamls. They belnnix to, or rather are included in the Colony ol'lN'ew Zealand. Tlia aboriginal race known as Marions v.'ns conquered some years hack by Maorier. from Now Zealand, and, is fast dying away. ■ Thc.lelands, til! late years, had simply, been, used for whaling station?, ships occasionally ealiing in to refit and to obtain such supplies as wore available. During the last ten years a slight trade has been carried on in potatoes, of which the Islands produce immense' quantities. In the year 1854, as much as two thousand tons was procured from them by ships from- Sydney and Melbourne, at the cor-t of,about £iOM>O. Since then potatoes, being in less demand, or rather, the supplies being procurable nearer at. hand, the trade was allowed to languish, and in 1859 (he whole crop, some 2000 tons, was suffered to rot in the' ground. • In 1,860, eight vessels called in from New Zealand and Australia and took away;about GOO tons of potatoes, at the cost of about £'6 per ton. Last year, or rather this season, the natives were again stimulated to make-large plantations, and according to Mr. Seed, a Custom House Officer from Wellington, who lately visited the Islands, tvnd from whose excellent report which we will take an early opportunity of publishing, we- chiefly extract, our information, it is a low estimate to set down the1 present crop at 2,000 tons. Some that'were ready for shipment, he considered the finest potatoes ho ever saw/ With the exception of lt>2 tons .shipped by the Esther, lie says'; all this large crop like that of 1859 must rot on the ground. The natives have been gb.d to take £1 a ton this season for potatoes delivered on board the vessel."

A pl.iee which .-permits the production of potatoes with such extraordinary facility lm.jht be anticipated to present other features ofiertilily of no ordinary description, and accordingly we are not surprised at the account Mr. Seed gives of the capabilities .of thy f-oil. "The hash lain!,"'he "says, "which is'the only part that has been cultivated, is the richest that I have ever seen, it sustains si dense «To\vth of vegetation, and when cleared yiaids abundant*crops of the same kind for nmny years in succession. Wheat, oats-, and barky have been cultivated with great success, 'all the Eiii>li=h fruit trees, such as the apple, pear, peach, plum, and cherry, •&<;., grow most luxuriantly and bear well. AnyVhinp; that is cultivated" on the Middle Islandof New Z'Jfiloncl would do well I have nodoubt, at the Chatham Islands, as the climate and temperature must be much alike. The crons never suffer from drought, and no blight of nny kind lifis yet made its appearance."

Mr! Seed's whole account reads like a: fairy talc, when oiie considers that ; Islands of such capabilities''should be permitted to remain neglected within two days sail-of Otago. Here is a ik-M for colonization, raid for trading, which, if it were five times as many thousands as it is hundreds of miles away, would be eagerly sought niter. Here we import potatoes from Van Diem en's Land, at about £12 a-ton. whilst they are to lie procured at a couple of days' distance, for £I a ton. Horses and cattle are roaming about the Island?, wild, in great, number?, thefirst are imported here at great i isk and cxpenke, the second are scarcely obtainable Of coni^e:tlie laivs' prohibiting the im n'ort'ation of cattle, would not apply to the Chatham Islands, aslthev are wiiiiin the Colony. As a sheep-breeding country, they appc-ur to have capabilities, since the "Esther ". has shipped, during her recent voyages 1,200 lbs. of wool. Stone suitable for building purpose?, and lime are ''plentiful, enough," aY some parts of the Tslsncl. The ikcilities ibr loading or unloading at the main Islahd are described as excellent.: ■ "With the wind oft shore, vessels may call at almost every part of the main Island, and things may be shipped at one time or another from all the. native settlements'.". At Wnitangi. is a good -harbor, f<>r small vessels, and Wangoroa is described as a splendid land locked commodious deep water .harbor.

But tiiere is another circumstance to be: noted—tlie probability of mineral resources We may: mention that our attention was first drawn to Itlie Chatham Islands by some specimens,- submitted to us, of-excellent rjualit}' lignite, associated with iron pyrites or muudic ; also some -separate specimens of crystalline pyrites of remarkable beauty. . Pyrites or mundic iv Victoria is'corisidered a good indication of gold, and so.iil.io v the distribution over the ground of small fragments of white quartz, which Mr. Seed says, in some parts, is: so thickly strewn, as to present the j appearance of. a fall of snow. "The rocks"— Mr. Seed says—" a gentleman in Wellington, of acknowledged authority," considers to be those, of a gold-bearing formation, and other-indications struck Mr, Seed himself as .'presenting a similar appearance to those of Otagb.. He predicts the finding- of gold in the Chat h ami Island, and we venture, to endorse . the-prophecy from thcaceount he gives. : Should not Otago seize such an opportunity, and colonise and settle the islands ? The population now consists of only four European settlers and their families, and-590 of the Maori and Marions- races. The latter are peaceful, and on the decline. Mr. Seed recommends the islands for a penal settlement, and says, "with the advantages of good harbour, temperate climate, rich soil, and abundance of stock," such an establish-? merit would succeed. -In the interests of civilization wo consider the Islands he de- . scribes of too desirable a- nature to be used for such :an experiment. Western Australia and Norfolk Island are fine lands enough to be devoted to penal purposes. The New Zealand territory is not so extensive that a portion of it should be offered up on the altar of criminalijusticc. Experience shows that countries improve rather than deteriorate the longer J:heir_ acquaintance is made.' How many lands,; nay, 'continents,., .have 'been declared unfitted for human occupation, that subsequent knowledgehas shown to be eminently suitable for ■settlement."1 The: wealthy colony of Victoria," a few. years ago, was declared to be only adaptable for a huge sheep-walk,.and even its fitness for that purpose was.doubted. Central. Africa, : that ■ for centuries has been fa-, boed to1 the. advance .of-the; Anglo-Saxon liace,i now'turns but to he a:' very land of milk and honey. British Columbia that for long years was reput'ed'to be only fitted for the°purposesof'thefu.r trapper is developing into a colony of marvellous resources,-and Ansiialja which was declared to 'be only

' ''ChiitTi'Sfif Istondg^-havc been pvft"ciowu as yiosscssin^.n .bad cHinafe, be<fa::si3 ;a. stray vessel [or t\vo':happened to put in nt a'stormy season, ■•i'rheyappeitr mjiw fo.possess a good climate, and their position iiorth'of Otago would lead one to ' -.believe that such is'tbe case. >-; To show ho\vlittle"is known of tha Chatham Wands, we will relate n story that is toll! of a •few --ear:; i^'.tk. A capiaivi p-'.iled for them conveviiia; a lavse quantify of case gin with which lie meant to trade. lie liked the liquid so well tliat he became a good consumer of his owii freight; "Ultimately, the sailors deemed it wise to throw over tliemii'ainiiig cast's,"'and"when the Captain enme to, he mn'le his observations. He determined that he was 021 the spot where the Chatham Islands were set down on the chart, and as around him was only to be-seen-the 'wild waste of waters, he came to the conclusion that the Islands had sunk ! lie returned to Auckland, and absolutely made a-report to that dfuct. Vv re trust the merchants and others of Otago will take it into their heads to ascertain more frequently than at present whether the valuable neighbouring Islands are sinking, and will contribute something towards "keeping them above water. Why should not a society be formed to colonize the ■Islands — associations of the kind usually attain to enormous success.