_** For many years past, has some communication been 
kept up by individuals residing at Port Jackson, with the 
natives of New Zealand; but it is only of late that the 
trade in Flax has been found to be a profitable speculation, 
Of this, the merchants of Hobart’s Town and Launceston 
in Van Diemen’s Land are now fully aware; and having 
had their attention turned to its advantages, they are be- 
ginning to prosecute it with ardour. 
“« J may here remark, that at the period (years ago) when 
the trade with this noble race of savages was first opened 
by persons of courage and enterprize at Port Jackson, 
axes, knives, and other edge-tools, together with beads and 
similar ornaments, were received by them with avidity ; but 
now, they will hardly take any thing in exchange but arms 
and ammunition. With these last-named articles, the peo- 
ple are not at all likely to be satiated : there is no danger 
of there being a glut of muskets and gunpowder, to stop 
the trade in flax or Cowdie timber ; but the arms must be 
of a superior, or at least a good quality: for, as Mr. Bussy, 
in his paper on New Zealand, just published with other 
authentic information relative to New South Wales, justly 
observes, (p. 61,) Honghi, the late chief of the Bay of 
Islands’ Tribe, could bring into the field five hundred war- 
iors, all of the aristocratic or free class, armed with mus- 
kets ; and so well are they now acquainted with the quali- 
ties of the latter, that a vessel, which lately took down two 
hundred, could not dispose of them on any terms, because 
the locks were only single-bridled. The same vessel sold a 
ton and a half of gunpowder, in exchange for Flax, ina few 
days, and would have had as little difficulty in disposing of 
the muskets, had they been ofa better description. Although 
most of the chiefs can now muster a large force armed with 
muskets, their avidity to add to their armoury has undergone 
no diminution ; and, with the exception of blankets, red 
Woollen shirts and other warm clothing, tobacco, and sugar, 
scarcely any other article of English manufacture or mer- 
chandise has, as yet, any attraction for them. : 
“'To what extent the trade in Flax has increased with 
these islanders of late, (say, since 1828,) some idea may be 
formed from the following facts. According to the sta- . 
tistical returns of New South Wales, for the year 1828, 
New Zealand Flax to the extent of sixty tons, and valued | 
at £2,600, was exported from Sidney to England, during — 
that year ; whilst, during 1830, (according to the returns — 
taken from the Custom-House books,) the quantities stated 
as the imports of it into Sidney for the English amet 
