Nothing is so important to the success of a new colony as a temperate climate. In New Zealand, the thermometer (Fahrenheit), during the day in winter, is seldom known to fall below 40°, and any slight frost which may occur during the night disappears when the sun has arisen. The summer heat generally ranges from 60° to 75°, very rarely reaching 80° in the parts of the northern island nearest the equator,—neither the cold of winter, nor heat and drought of summer, causing any serious check to the pasture fields, which continue in a growing state all the season round, rendering a hoarded winter supply and housing for bestial unnecessary. This is of the utmost consequence to the husbandman, as a vast deal of labour is required, in nearly every country suited to the British race, to construct houses to contain the stock, and to lay up provender for their sustenance during the inclement winter, and is more especially advantageous in the case of new colonies, where the industry of the husbandman is directed chiefly to the rearing of stock. In New Zealand, the labour of the emigrant will be doubly productive to what it is in almost every other emigration field suited to the British race.
The Islands of New Zealand are estimated to be nearly of the extent of Great Britain and Ireland,—about seventy millions of acres. They contain numerous friths and rivers, some of which are navigable to a considerable distance inland,—the Waikato Rivers for about 200 miles, with a great extent of country along the banks, of exceedingly fertile soil. The whole native population of these extensive regions does not equal that of Edinburgh. The natives have exhibited much barbarity and ferocity against their enemies, or those they considered to be such; but where Europeans have appeared, not in the character of an enemy, they have been tolerated to live amongst them, and even treated with kindness. The Missionaries, with their families, now about 100 individuals, have resided amongst them without personal injury for more than twenty years, and about two-thirds of the Northern Island is said to be under their influence. During the last fourteen years, with a very considerable number of sailors, lumberers, and traders, roaming over these Islands, and mixing with the natives, not one well attested case of murder has been laid to the charge of the natives, evincing a degree of forbearance and respect on their part, which perhaps would not have been equalled in any country of Europe. The extreme healthiness of the Missionaries and their families, considering that they have been the first Colonists in a very remote wilderness, almost destitute of the comforts of civilized life, and their success in agriculture and grazing, several of them possessing fine productive grain farms, and thousands of cattle, is conclusive in regard to the salubrity and steady fertility of New Zealand,—perhaps no first colony in any other country has ever been so successful and healthy. We extract the following account of New Zealand from “Emigration Fields,” a work recently published by Adam Black, Edinburgh.
“Estimating the advantages of position, extent, climate, fertility, adaptation for trade,—all the causes which have tended to render Britain the emporium of the world, we can observe only one other spot on the earth equally, if not more favoured by nature, and that is New Zealand. Serrated with harbours securely insulated, having a climate temperated by surrounding ocean, of such extent and fertility as to support a population sufficiently numerous to defend its shores against any possible invading force, it, like Great Britain, also possesses a large neighbouring continent (Australia), from which it will draw resources, and to which it bears the relation of a rich homestead, with a vast extent of outfield pasturage. In these advantages it equals Britain, while it is superior to Britain in having the weather-gage of an immense commercial field,—the innumerable rich islands of the Pacific,—the gold and silver producing countries of Western America (by far the richest in the precious metals of any of the world),—the vast accumulations of man in Japan and China—all these lie within a few weeks’ sail.
“The south temperate zone, from the excess of ocean, has a much more equable temperature throughout the year than the north. New Zealand, considering its territorial extent, participates in this oceanic equality in an extraordinary degree, by reason of its insularity and oblong narrow figure, stretching across the course of the prevalent winds from lat. 34° to 48° south,—the most enviable of latitudes. On this account, it enjoys a finer, more temperate climate than any other region of the world; and, in consequence, the trees, from the principle of adaptation, are only biennially deciduous, and present, as well as the herbage, a never-failing verdure. The great mountain-chain, or back-bone ridge of New Zealand, which extends through nearly fourteen degrees of latitude, attracting and condensing the high-towering clouds and vapour of the Southern Ocean, affords a constant source of showers and irrigation and freshness to the lower country; and this regular supply of moisture, under the most balmy atmosphere, and the generative influence of a sun brilliant as that of Italy, produces an exuberance of vegetation surpassing that of any other temperate country,—the richness and magnificence of the forest scenery being only equalled by that of the islands of the eastern tropical Archipelago;[2] and the mountains themselves, the sublime southern Alps, more elevated than the highest of the Alps of Switzerland, upheaved, from the depths of the great south sea, in some places to more than three miles of altitude, and, from their volcanic character, of the boldest, most abrupt outline, are perhaps unequalled in all the world. The character of surrounding objects must exert a powerful influence upon the genius of a people. These stupendous mountains, with innumerable rills pouring down their verdant slopes,—their great valleys occupied by the most beautiful rivers,—their feet washed by the ceaseless south-sea swell,—their flanks clothed with the grandest of primeval forests,—their bosoms veiled in cloud,—and their rocky and icy scalps piercing the clear azure heaven,—must go to stamp, as far as earthly things can have impression, a poetical character upon the genius of the Austral British. The small portion of New Zealand already under cultivation, yields, in luxuriant abundance and perfection, all the valuable fruits and grain of Europe; and, unlike Canada (where the husbandman has to endure life-consuming toil in the very hot enervating summer, to lay up provender for the subsistence of all his bestial during the long and rigorous winter), stock of all descriptions fatten in this favoured region, at all seasons, upon the spontaneous produce of the wilderness.[3] The climate is also the most favourable to the development of the human species,[4] producing a race of natives of surpassing strength and energy. From the mountainous interior, the country is, in a wonderful degree, permeated by never-failing streams and rivers of the purest water, affording innumerable falls, suited to machinery, adjacent to the finest harbours. The forests abound in timber of gigantic size, peculiarly adapted for naval purposes and for house-building, and, from its mild workable quality, much more economically convertible and serviceable than the timber of any other country in the southern hemisphere; most of which, from extreme hardness, is almost unmanageable.[5] Millions of acres, it is said, are covered with the famed New Zealand flax (the great value of which is now coming to be appreciated, and which, in case of necessity, will render Britain independent of the Russian supply of hemp and flax); and around the shores are the most valuable fisheries, from the mackerel to the whale; in the pursuit of which latter, many of our vessels resort, though at the other extremity of the earth. Combining all these natural internal advantages with the most favoured position for trade, New Zealand must ultimately reign the Maritime Queen of the South-eastern hemisphere.
“Estimating these surpassing natural advantages in their peculiar adaptation to the energetic maritime British race, it is somewhat remarkable that no regular attempt has been made by Britain to colonize New Zealand. This must have arisen from the numbers and barbarous character of the native population; a population so small, however, reduced as it now is, as to be quite out of all proportion to the extent of territory, and which exists only around some of the sheltered bays of the coast, and in a few of the rich valleys of the interior. According to Mr Yate, and the other missionaries who have had the best means of estimating their numbers, the whole amount may be about 110,000. Another writer states: ‘The inhabitants, in fact, have not, in any sense of the word, taken possession of the country which they call their own. It is still the undivided domain of nature, and they are merely a handful of stragglers who wander about the outskirts.’ Thus, densely populated Britain, with the means of effectual relief, is allowed to remain writhing under the preventive and destructive checks, while a region, the finest in the world,—a region which, beyond all others, can lay claim to the name of Paradise, is lying an untenanted wilderness.”[6]
Already British emigrants of steady character are beginning to flock to this fine country. The New Zealand Land Company, a company of land speculators in London, have made and are making purchases of lands in New Zealand, at almost nominal price, from the natives, or from others who say they have purchased from the natives, and they have sold in this country to intending emigrants upwards of 100,000 ac. at L.1 per acre,—land which neither the Land Company itself nor these intending emigrants have ever seen, nor do the latter even know in what part of the islands their lots may be situated, neither have they received any guarantee from that Company that they will receive them at all;[7] and several thousands of these emigrants, with their working people, are now departing from our shores.
The Scots New Zealand Land Company is not a land speculating company, consisting of great capitalists residing in this country and trafficking in New Zealand with intent to profit. It is a company of industrious men, chiefly working small capitalists, who are to go out to New Zealand to make their own market, and, after seeing the article, to purchase a territory either at first hand from the natives, or from any other individual or company, wherever they can obtain lands best and cheapest, and to occupy these as soon as bought, thus leaving no room for mistake as to tenures, multiplicity of claimants, or doubtful claims. They, with their families, will themselves cultivate the lands they purchase, as is done in the non-slave portion of the United States, where the principles of colonization, from greater experience, are better understood than in Britain, and where the practice is successful beyond all parallel, the only instance of successful colonization on an extensive scale without slavery,—indeed, the only manner in which colonization can now succeed without slavery, notwithstanding of the “sufficient price,” (merely a new Corn Law!) or any other servant-producing scheme it is possible to devise.
The Scots New Zealand Land Company of emigrants will manage their own affairs,—their own property, while existing as a company, and their political and social matters till the British crown shall interfere to supply a government. They will form their own regulations in New Zealand, suited to local circumstances, with the full power of modifying or changing these immediately, as events may require. They will not be subservient to the rule and dictation of a company of land speculators, or committee ambitious of governing power, residing at the other side of the globe, who may have interests and principles, or prejudices, distinct from or opposed to those of the colonists, and who, even with the best intentions of acting for the good of the colonists, must, from ignorance of facts, at least only receiving their knowledge of these through a colouring or distorting medium, combined with the long period of time that must elapse before the Home Committee can be made acquainted with the necessity of any change of regulations and orders for the change arrive out,—be full as likely to direct wrong as aright.
The evil effects of a managing Committee, at the other side of the Globe, ignorant of facts and of a governor without sufficient discretionary power, has been exemplified in the colony of South Australia (founded in 1836), where, in consequence, the first emigrants were delayed a season after going out (consuming much of their means), waiting till their lots were surveyed and prepared for being occupied,—the working surveyors having deserted, from insufficient pay, and a quarrel having arisen betwixt the Governor and Colonel Light, and other officials, respecting the site of the capital. The unfavourable condition of the colony, as late as February 1839 (corresponding to August in Britain),—only one grain field (it is said) existing,—the sheep, which had been imported at very high prices, perishing from the drought, and of little value, and the portion of the emigrants, destitute of capital, shipped off in such numbers, to act as servants, in a state approaching to insubordination,—is attributable, at least partly, to the same source, the ignorance and prejudices, or rather the erroneous Theories, of a Home Committee. The people which the Home Committee have so unwisely sent out, and encouraged to go out,—poor improvident men, without habits of forethought, economy, or steadiness of character,—and capitalists themselves, not inured to work, and expecting to benefit by the abundance of hired labour, but most of whom, in effect, have become mere gambling land-jobbers—are not the classes suited for colonists. Colonization can only proceed successfully, under the three following systems:—1st, Compulsory labour or slavery. 2d, Working small capitalists, working families. 3d, Co-operative working societies, possessing capital. The plain fact is, that the Swan River and South Australia colonization has been sacrificed, and the New Zealand London colonization is about to be sacrificed, to a scheme of master and servants, under circumstances where master and servants, at least to any considerable extent, is impracticable. In a new colony, at least under the present diffusion of knowledge amongst British men, it is imperative that the majority of the colonists be working capitalists. This is absolutely necessary to solder a new society together. Their fine spun plausible theories, totally unsupported by facts, or rather totally in opposition to facts, about “the sufficient price,”—fixing the price of fresh land so high as to keep it above the reach of the poorer class—thus forcing the working men, carried out, to work as servants—desirable theories, which have imposed upon the understanding of many, and amongst others, upon that of the late Colonial Secretary Lord Glenelg—are mere moonshine.[8]