THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1715, 11 April 1862, Page 5

THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

A few days ago Mr. William Hunt, who has resided with his father and uncle for seventeen years in. -the Chatham Islands, called on us, and furnished us with some exceedingly interesting particulars concerning them. It appears tbat Mr. Seed's report, and our own remarks with which we accompanied it, far from being exaggerated, are within the mark ; the picture presented to us is of two islands, limited in extent, but possessing unrivalled natural advantages, prominent amongst which is a soil of unequalled fertility. Mr. Hunt resides on Pitt's Island, which, is the second in size — the third island is of inconsiderable extent. Pitt's Island is twelve miles from the Main or Chatham Island. It is about forty miles in circumference. On Pitt's Island there are three families of Europeans, and about four families of Maories. Mr. Hunt's friends have about 300 acres under cultivation, besides the ground they occupy with about 800 sheep, which have spruug from 20, with which they originally commenced. Besides this increase, they have sold and killed a great quantity. Tbe sheep average 41bs. weight of wqol a year. The main island is much larger in extent, about 200 miles in circumference. There are about 64 English and Americans living on it. They live with the natives, or in friendly intercourse with them. Thousands and thousands of acres in this island are suitable for sheep country, and the soil is so fertile that year after year crops can be raised on it without a chance of failure. Last year 2,000 tons of potatoes were left to rot in the ground, and this year, our informant believed, they would be procurable at 20s. a ton. About twenty chiefs live in the islands, and the native race which the Maori supplanted is kept in slavery, under close surveillance. Tbe Maories are very friendly and hospitable; in fact, Europeaus can live there almost for nothing. Fish and wild pigs are to be procured in the greatest abundance. The two islands abound in fresh water, and wood is to be procurred in sufficient quantities. The climate Mr. Hunt describes as similar to Wellington. He passed three months in Otago and says there is nothing like so much rain at the Chathams. He has never seen snow there beyond a few flakes, insufficient to cover the ground. We mentioned some time ago that several specimens were sent us from the Chathams Islands, one being an txcellent specimen of lignite associated with iron pyrites (mundic) ; the others being mundic in various shapes and forms; Mr. Hunt tells us that lignite exists most abundantly in the Islands, as also mundic and other ores of iron. Both lignite and mundic are good indications of gold and we Bee no reason to alter an opinion expressed some time back, that auriferous deposits would be found within the Chatham Islands, It seems a pity tbat Islands so fitted in every way for settlement should be left in their present comparatively uninhabited condition. We are told on excellent authority that the extinguishment of tbe native title would be a matter of very little difficulty. Would not the colonization of these islands be a good field for speculative enterprise. A company formed for the purpose of trading with and settling the islands would probably secure most favourable privileges by an act from the Legislature. The profits would be likely to prove considerable. Prosperous towns and settlements could be formed, and would flourish, and the agricultural, pastoral, and mineral resources of the islands would |in themselves form an inexhaustible source of remuneration. Daily Times, March 25.