CHATHAM ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 39

CHATHAM ISLAND.

! March 29.—This outlying portion of the I Dominion is situated 500 miles east of LytI teiton. Chatham Island and Pitt Island are ; tlie only two inhabited. They have a popula- , tion of between 4,90 and 500 people. * Of ! these, 250 are Europeans and the rest Maoris. The climate is mild, with a good rainfall. There are three schools on the islands, also two public halls and a circulating library, and two hotels, stores, and accommodation | houses. I Industries. —The chief industries are sheep and cattle ’earing. As the Chatham Island waters abound in bine cod, which are considered very fine, two fishing companies have ! come to the islands to catch, freeze, and i expert large quantities of these fish to New j Zealand and Australia. The trading steamer | Himitangi, which belonged to one of the j companies, unfortunately on February 11. ■ after loading £IOOO worth of fish, was stranded on the beach at Waitangi, A month later the s.s. Gertie and the Government training ship Amokura arrived in search of her. On March 28 she was successfully floated off I without any serious damage, except the lo=s of the fish.