AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

Western Star, Issue 143, 3 June 1876, Page 5

AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

For the following account of a four mouths’ trip to the above-named group we have to express our acknowledgments to Mr Thos. W. Newton, step-son to Dr. Mouckton, who accompanied the expedition in charge of sheep on behalf of the lessees. The crew of the vessel—the Awarua —being made up of sealers on shares for Mr Hatch. The schooner crossed the bar on 23rd January —and three days afterwards anchored in Port Ross, Auckland Island. Landed the sheep safely and visited Mr and Mrs Nelson, who were found well, and who had created for themselves a home which, hut for its loneliness, can bo described as extremely comfortable. The ingenuity of the man had resulted in his manufacturing a violin, strings and all: a turning lathe, also of his own construction, had been made to supply both occupation and comfort. They had kept the large amount of tools, the boats, and other plant belonging to the settlement, in excellent order; but were naturally annoyed at having been falsely reported to have deserted their charge. The original sheep are now to be seen in company with a great number of large and small lambs, but cannot be gathered or shorn without a gathering dog, the two dogs on the settlement being too much used upon seals and pigs to be trusted after tho sheep. During our stay at Port Ross a good number of seals were obtained by the men, and .our informant made severai excursions inland and to the west side, with Nelson. The hills are covered with grass and scrub, and there area great many pigs,' some of a long-haired large size, that were generally poor, and a hairless smaller sort,, which were mostly fat. For game, there are immense quantities of ducks—especially teal. Plenty of crabs are to be obtained, and a small striped fish three to four inches long, that were vary delicious when boile.l, The Rock Cod is plentiful, hut has worms in the flesh. - We lived largely, by preference, on seal meat, which, if cooked in beef dripping, and .net its own oil, is as good as beef itself. W« lauded the flour, oatmeal, sugar, tea, and sundries, brought for the settlement, and left for the South Harbour, promising to call again before returning. In the south moderate success was met with by the sealers, and afier about six .weeks a start was made to run back to Port Ross, at that time having 495 fur skins, 89 hair skins, and two tons of oil on board. Heavy weather burst upon us as soou as we got outside, and while hove-to the decks were swept by a sea that smashed the boats and the bulwarks, which were carried away with the galley and everything moveable. Another sea threw her on her bsam ends, filled the foresail, and in that helpless condition she would have foundered had not a friendly wave struck her bows, and helped to put her before it. We ran before the gale for eighteen hours, and then bore up for New Zealand; but the damage to the covering board prevented our going on both tacks, and glad enough we were to get to Port Chalmers, as the water casks had been stove, all but one, and that was strongly impregnated with seawater. There is more grass on Adam’s Island than any other part, and neither pigs, goats, sheep, or rabbits to eat it. I have heard of Muscovy ducks having been turned out in the Straits, but am not aware that any were seen.

When the Germans were at Port Poss they lost some merino wethers, one of which I shot. He was so fat that we ran out two large square coffee-tins of fat from his kidneys. I did not observe any of the settlement's ew r es or lamb's lame ; they were getting rather wild, and appeared active enough. The fowls on the township at Port Poss have multiplied greatly, but the s;te is not so favourable for gardening,the root crops growing to too much top. , Nelson has industriously sown artificial grasses., in the pig-roolings over a great extent of country, . and it was thriving and growing luxuriantly. The captain took the temperature ofthe air and water, and told me the water was eight degrees wanner than the air.

As many of the things in the different depots were found to be spoiling, such articles as were perishable from damp have been dried and removed’-to the livinghouse. Mrs Nelson 1 old me that if there were one or two more residents she would not desire to leave the island. Had wo not been blown off, they would have had the option of taking a trip back with ns. They no doubt have seen a portion of our boats or bulwarks, and will report us as lost.

The foregoing is correctly taken down from my statement, and is true. Titos. W. Kkwtox.