NEW ZEALAND. NEW ZEALAND, when viewed with respect to its position and physical circumstances, as well as the future prospects of its settlers, may be regarded as the destined Britain of the southern hemisphere. The points of analogy between these two remote countries, separated from each other by half the circumference of the globe, are both numerous and obvious. Situated nearly at our antipodes, New Zealand occupies a similar position with respect to the vast region of New Holland that Great Britain does to the European continent, only with this additional security, that it is removed upwards of a week's sail from any possible source of hostility. The two islands of New Zealand resemble Great Britain by occupying nearly the same superficial extent, in possessing a most extensive line of sea coast, and many fine rivers, which afford valuable means of inland communication. With these advantages, the position of New Zealand with respect to distant countries renders it probable that it will one day become the centre of a vast commerce between Asia, America, and New Holland. Cook's Strait, which separates the northern from the southern island of New Zealand, and which abounds in fine harbours, may be taken as the centre of a circle, in whose circumference are Hobart Town, Sidney, the New Hebrides, and the Friendly Islands, all these points being about 1200 miles distant from Cook's Strait. If we now regard the same point as the centre of a still larger circle, we find that New Zealand is nearly equidistant from Chili and Canton, both those countries being about 5,000 miles from Cook's Strait. It appears from its happy position on the globe alone, that New Zealand is destined to occupy an important station in the history of the southern hemisphere; and this element of its future prosperity is combined with many other physical advantages. New Zealand, in all its immense line of coast, possesses harbours of unrivalled excellence, into some of which fine rivers enter after having passed through districts of great extent and fertility. The insular position of the country, intersected by lofty mountains, insure a perpetual supply of moisture, and hence the country abounds in beautiful forests and in wild flax, thus containing every physical element necessary for the formation of a great naval power. To appreciate all the natural advantages which New Zealand offers to the enterprising colonist, it will be requisite to consider them with a somewhat greater detail. With respect to harbours, it may be confidently stated that no country in the world surpasses New Zealand in the number and safety of its bays and inlets; and in short, it is only necessary to inspect any map of the country to perceive, that whether on the castern or western shores of the islands, from Stewart's Island on the south to Cape Van Diemen on the north, for a distance of nearly nine hundred miles, there is a succession of fine harbours at very moderate distances from each other. There is, however, one circumstance deserving of notice, with respect to the harbours of New Zealand. On account of the prevalence of westerly winds, the western side of the islands is more exposed to gales than the castern, which have the whole breadth of the island as a shelter; and for this reason, the harbours on the western side are often obstructed by bars or sandbanks thrown up by the prevailing wind. To enumerate all the harbours which have been discovered in the northern and southern islands of New Zealand would be an uninteresting task: we shall only mention a few of the more important, or at least more frequented ones. The Bay of Islands, at the north-eastern extremity of the northern island, is the best known, and is much frequented by European vessels. This harbour can afford shelter for any number of vessels, and during every season; and is valued accordingly, being the favourite resort of the South Sea whalers, and it is said that no fewer than one hundred and fifty such vessels entered the Bay of Islands during the year 1836. In this well-frequented harbour many runaway convicts and seamen from the whaling vessels have established themselves, as keepers of grog-shops and worse occupations, so that this part of the country is at present occupied by those who may, without exaggeration, be denominated the vilest of mankind. Passing from the Bay of Islands southward to Cook's Strait, we find the beautiful harbour of Port Nicholson. In a This bay is about twelve miles long and three miles wide, the shelter is perfect and the access easy to ships of any size and in all weathers. country which abounds in bays and safe anchorages on every part of its coast, the value of a harbour must depend on something more than mere security. It must be situated in a fertile district, and have easy access to the interior, and also be in the tract most frequented by trading vessels. Port Nicholson appears to unite most of these conditions. It is situated in the entrance of Cook's Strait, in the track of the homeward-bound vessels from Van Diemen's Land and Sidney, and also in the centre of the South Sea whale-fishery, and consequently well adapted to become the resort of vessels to refit and obtain refreshments. This harbour has also the advantage of being in a situation favourable for communicating with the interior either of the northern or southern island. Behind it there is a very fertile country, watered by the Haritoua river, which is believed to be navigable for a distance of from ninety to a hundred miles. The harbours on the western side of the northern island are also very numerous. Of these, Hokianga is one of the most northerly, and is a good deal frequented by the whaling vessels. Several streams enter this harbour, and the land in its vicinity is a rich alluvial soil, supporting a numerous native population. The distance across the country from Hokianga to the Bay of Islands does not amount to more than about twenty miles. Several years ago the New Zealand Land Company purchased a tract of land on the Hokianga river, which will probably be the first part of the country which will be colonized by Englishmen. A great proportion of this land has been, we believe, already disposed of. The harbour of Waikato, to the south of Hokianga, will one day become a most important station. The river of the same name which enters this bay flows through a beautiful and fertile country, and is navigable in boats for about two hundred miles from the sea. The river is described as being wooded to the water's edge, and numerous valleys extend into the interior of the country, which possess a most luxuriant vegetation. Grass is very abundant, and the ferns attain a height of from five to eight feet. This beautiful district, therefore, only requires to be colonized by an industrious people, to become one of the richest agricultural districts in New Zealand. The southern island is equally well supplied with harbours as the northern one; and the southern side of Cook's Straits contains many fine bays. The north-castern angle of the island opposite to Port Nicholson is said to be an uninterrupted tract of fine level land as far south as Banks's peninsula. At the southern extremity of the island we find the extensive harbour of Knowlesly bay, receiving a fine river which has a course of about one hundred miles. It is unfortunate that the knowledge which we as yet possess concerning New Zealand is exceedingly defective; so that we know little more than the leading features and capabilities of the country, and in the present case, with respect to climate, we have no thermometrical observations to guide us to definite statements. The islands of New Zealand are situated between the 36th and 48th degrees of south latitude, so that the climate even of their southern extremity must be a mild one. As the islands are narrow in proportion to their length, the interior is no where very distant from the sea, and hence the climate is eminently an insular one, and supplied with abundance of moisture, forming in this respect a complete contrast with the arid plains of Australia. The supply of moisture is still farther increased by the lofty mountain chain which extends through the whole length of the southern island and the southern half of the northern one. This range attracting the moisture, and its loftier portions being covered with snow, affords a perpetual supply of water, giving rise to the numerous streams which flow through the more level parts of the country. The temperature of the northern island may be called a semitropical one, and somewhat similar to that of the Azores; while the southern portions of the country appear to possess a climate like that of Devonshire or Cornwall. The climate of New Zealand appears to be variable from day to day, but equable throughout the year, without any violent extremes of heat or cold, while the atmosphere is almost always saturated with moisture. The southern parts of New Zealand appear to be well adapted for such crops as flourish in Britain or Ireland, and the winters appear to be even milder than in the most favoured situations in our own country, for Captain Cook observed that various plants which he had left during a former voyage were thriving and had propagated themselves, although they would have perished if they had been exposed in a similar way in England. Potatoes flourish throughout every part of the islands, and appear to have improved under the climate; and large quantities are annually exported to Sidney and Hobart Town, besides what are consumed by the whalers. Wheat has been raised in considerable quantities, both by the natives and settlers; and the climate of the northern island at least appears to be well adapted to the cultivation of Indian corn. It has also been ascertained that the vine is well fitted for the soil and climate of New Zealand, and there appears to be no reason to doubt that all the useful vegetables of southern Europe may be naturalised in these fine islands. The natural productions of New Zealand have been but little explored. With regard to its minerals we are completely ignorant, and the vague intimations of the discovery of coal or iron will obtain but little regard from any one qualified to form an independent opinion on such subjects. We are, however, certain that the greater part of New Zealand is of volcanic origin. Many of the mountains contain craters which, in some cases, are still in activity, throwing forth volcanic matters. We have evidence of the same fact in the abundance of hot and mineral springs. Some of the former are so hot as to be capable of boiling meat, as is the case with the waters of the celebrated Geysers of Iceland. New Zealand forms a remarkable contrast with New Holland in respect to its vegetable productions. In the latter region there is not a single indigenous product which is of any value in a commercial point of view; while in the former there are several valuable articles for exportation. Of these the most valuable are the flax and timber, both of which may be procured in inexhaustible quantities, and thus furnish materials for an increasing commerce. The trees of New Holland are chiefly Acacias, Bankseas, Proteas, and Eucalypti, &c.; trees which are not of great value for the carpenter or ship builder. They grow in scattered patches, or spread over the level tracts, more in the way in which we see trees in a park than resembling such forests as abound in North or South America. Adapted for a dry climate, their leaves have a sombre hue, very different from the brilliant vegetation of the Indian archipelago, or the cheerful verdure of the forests of Europe. New Zealand abounds in forests which spread around the bases of the mountains or climb up their flanks. The trees are not scattered as in Australia, but form dense forests. The kinds of trees is also different, consisting chiefly of plants of the pine tribe, analogous to our firs in general properties, being elastic woods, and yielding abundance of resinous juices. But the New Zealand forests do not resemble the dark and gloomy ones of Norway and Canada, and no one but a botanist would recognise them as belonging to the pine family: their leaves are not needle-shaped and slender, but broad and green, like those of the willow or the beech, and thus resembling, in some degree, the forest scenery of England. Many kinds of trees of the pine family are found in New Zealand, but their characters are as yet very imperfectly ascertained. One of the most important of them is the Cowdie tree of the natives, the Dammara excelsa of botanists, which is equally remarkable for its beauty and utility. This fine tree sometimes attains a diameter of fifteen feet, and a height of from ninety to one hundred, and growing tall and straight, with very few branches. The wood of the Cowdie possesses the same valuable properties as the Norway fir. The timber of this tree has been found to answer admirably for masts, and it is coming into extensive use in the navy, and in consequence of good qualities is becoming fully appreciated. Large quantities of timber are also exported to Sidney and Hobart Town; and in New Zealand several vessels have been constructed of native timber alone. As the supply of timber is nearly inexhaustible, so we may anticipate that the demand for it will continue to increase. will enter into more general use in Europe, and will become every day more important to the older Australian colonies. This demand for the timber will also prove a valuable assistance to the colonist, by enabling him to defray the expenses of clearing his ground by the sale of his trees. It Another important vegetable production of New Zealand is the Phormium tenax, or New Zealand flax. This valuable plant grows wild in every part of the northern or southern islands, and any quantity of it might be obtained for exportation. The value of this plant is not yet properly estimated, as no art has been introduced in its preparation, and consequently much that is exported is damaged and unfit for any but the most ordinary purposes. Even with these disadvantages, it is coming more and more into use, and is found to answer admirably for cordage of vessels and for lines for whalers. This valuable article may be imported from New Zealand at the rate of eight pounds per ton, or at about one-seventh of the cost of hemp. It appears that during the year 1828 about sixty tons of flax, valued at £2600, was exported from Sidney for London. During the year 1830, continues Mr. Busby, according to returns taken from the custom-house books, twenty-eight vessels, averaging 110 tons burden each, made, in the aggregate, fifty-six voyages to New Zealand-the total tonnage of the vessels cleared out for New Zealand being, that year, 5,888 tons. In the same year, twenty-six distinct vessels, of the average burden of 114 tons, arrived from these islands, hav. ing made, in the aggregate, forty-six voyages inwards, their total tonnage amounting to 4,959 tons. It also pears that of seventy-eight vessels which cleared out from Sidney for foreign states, South Sea Islands, and fisheries, fifty-six were for New Zealand; and of sixty-four reported as arrived under the same heads, fortysix were from the same place. These Voyages were undertaken chiefly for the purpose of procuring New Zealand flax. The vegetable productions of New Zealand have been but imperfectly explored; although nothing would be more important to the colonists than to obtain such information, which, to them, would be invaluable, and we may add that, reciprocally, it might be of advantage to ourselves. The climate of the southern islands must produce many both useful and ornamental plants, which could be naturalised in England. The New Zealand flax flourishes in the open air in France, and we believe will also support an Irish winter. Another plant from the same country, the Tetragonia expansa, is perfectly adapted to our climate, and is no contemptible substitute for spinach, especially as it may be easily obtained at periods when the latter vegetable is not to be bad. During the last few years a ap very great accession to our out-of-door plants has been obtained from moist and temperate districts of North-west America, and it is scarcely to be doubted but that an equally rich accession to our shrubberies will soon be procured from New Zealand. When these islands were first visited by Europeans, the only indigenous vegetables which were important as affording food to the inhabitants, were the roots of the ferns and the sweet while the latter was cultivated very potato, the former growing wild, The fern-roots extensively. con stituted a great portion of the food of the lower orders, and appears to vegetable matter. contain a considerable proportion of of ferns which cover the surface of the The vast profusion country is one of the most conclusive evidences of a warm and moist climate, as it is in such situations that ferns delight to grow. Concerning the animal productions of the country little need be said, for it is a remarkable circumstance that with the exception of the rat, and, perhaps, a few lizards, the extensive islands of New Zealand did not pos sess and it appears that the fresh waters a native terrestrial quadruped; are equally destitute of fishes, the eel being the only kind hitherto found in them. Like Ireland, New Zealand enjoys the good fortune of a complete immunity from poisonous reptiles." We have thus given an exceedingly brief outline of the various physical advantages which New Zealand offers, as a field of emigration, for the enterprise and philanthropy of Englishmen; and if the region were as destitute of human inhabitants as it originally was of terrestrial quadrupeds, the problem of its colonization could be readily solved. In short, the adoption of the principles of Mr. Wakefield, which have produced such fortunate results in the far inferior country of South Australia, could not fail to have established a splendid colony in New Zealand. In founding settlements in New Zealand, the case is far more complicated than in Australia, where there are only a few wandering savages to deal with. In the former country there is a numerous population of aborigines, whose interests must be attentively and conscientiously considered and provided for. The spirit and humanity of Britain will tolerate no other method of proceeding than one which will comprehend a rational scheme for civilizing the native inhabitants. Any person in the smallest degree acquainted with the history of the New Zealanders, cannot but feel a vivid interest in their welfare. They are unquestionably the noblest specimens of savage man with which voyagers have made us acquainted; and from their high intellectual qualities they offer the most favourable opportunity for attempting the interesting experiment of bringing a nation of barbarians within the pale of civilization and religion. Among the various causes which modify the habits both of civilized and savage man, physical circumstances exercise a most powerful influence; and these conditions may be such on the one hand as to retain a tribe in a state of hopeless barbarism, or on the other to carry it in spite of itself a certain distance on the tract of improvement. If we compare the condition of the New Hollander with that of the physical objects arouud him, we shall soon arrive at the conclusion that thousands of years might have elapsed during which he would not have made the smallest improvement in his condition. In the vast island of New Holland, with scarcely a navigable river, abounding in large tracts of sterile country, with a coast line affording but few points of shelter for vessels or even canoes, the resources of its inhabitants must be very few indeed. When we further reflect that game is far from being abundant, and that the country does not produce a single esculent root capable of being cultivated by human industry, it is not difficult to see that in such a region the people, if civilized at all, can only be so by some aid from without, and never by their own exertions. They could not pass into the pastoral state, for there were no animals capable of being collected into herds; and they could not adopt an agricultural life, as there were no cereal grasses or esculent roots to cultivate. In the case of the poor New Hollanders, the tendency was, naturally, not to civilization, but to the lowest grade of savage existence. Such was the condition of the New Hollanders, that so far from being able to maintain their ground in the presence of civilized man, we may question whether they could have defended themselves from the intrusion of some of the fiercer carnivorous quadrupeds. It is no wild supposition to imagine that if a colony of tigers had made their way to New Holland, along We |