NEW ZEALAND AS IT IS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 46, 23 April 1873, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND AS IT IS.

The following is Mr. Trollope’s opinion of this Colony as furnished to the London Telegraph : —“ The agricultural and commercial prosperity of the Southern Island, and, indeed, of New Zealand altogether — that prosperity which has given the Colony its character—has been achieved in the Provinces of Otago and Canterbury, where no Maories have disturbed the operations of the white settlers; where the lands have all fallen into the hands of the white man; where wheat has grown luxuriantly, and the indigenous grasses of the country have been fit for sheep. Otago, the southernmost Province, is the earlier in date; yet, though the senior of Canterbury, is only twenty-three years old. With reference to the choice of the North or South Island for intending emigrants to New Zealand, I think the man with capital should go to Canterbury or Otago, the poor man to Auckland, or Wellington. It may be remarked of New Zealand generally that the prevalence of artificial grasses, and the consequent division of the land into comparatively small fields, gives too much of the Colony an appearance for more English than anything that can be found in Australia. I found, almost by common intent, that it hardly pays a farmer to grow wheat for the market— -the difficulty of carriage and the high price of labor being the stumbling blocks. Great efforts, however, are being made to overcome the latter hindrance by the construction of railways and roads. The natural baths and warm rivers of New Zealand belong alwwt exclusively to the Province of Auckland. I travelled through the whole district, bathed in numerous natural warn baths, and just escaped being baled alive in numberless hot springs. Before many years have passed roads will be made, coaches and boats will run, hotels

will have b<*«n built, and these wonderful lakes will be the thronged resort of tourists. Roto Mahanu is certainly a place of exquisite sharms. All round, the shores are hot jets of scalding water, scald in? steam —and, worse still—scald' ing mud. As you walk among them and hear stories of Maori girls and Maori old men who hare been boiled alive, it is impossible to avoid the reflection that such a fate is open to yourself.