100 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



tice Chapman. The two engaged in newspaper ventures, and 

 brought out the first daily journal published in British North 

 America — the Montreal Daily Advertiser. This was at a time 

 when the country was seething in that prolonged political dis- 

 content which finally developed into insurrection, and even 

 into rebellion — the so-called Canadian rebellion. Heart and 

 soul the partners entered into the conflict, espousing, as we 

 should say now, the side of right against might and oppres- 

 sion. Mr. Revans was denounced as a rebel, and a price was 

 put upon his head ; but he escaped pursuit, and then, meeting 

 Edward Gibbon Wakefield and others interested in New Zea- 

 land colonisation, cast in his lot with them and their scheme. 

 These gentlemen purchased a press and type for the benefit of 

 the settlers who were about to sail, and intrusted the manage- 

 ment and control to Mr. Revans. The first number of the 

 paper was published in London just prior to the departure of 

 these first settlers. There were two editions of it, one dated 

 the 21st August and the other the 6th September, 1839. 

 These were devoted to a history of the movement, and gave 

 information to intending emigrants. A fortnight afterwards 

 the first three vessels sailed — the " Aurora," " Oriental," and 

 "Adelaide," in the latter of which was Mr. Revans and his 

 freight. She took six months for her voyage ; but there was 

 no delay in the appearance of the second number, which, as I 

 have said, was on the 18th April. It was of four pages, demy 

 folio — that is, the size of the present Otago Witness or 

 Christchurch Press, and also the size of all the earliest news- 

 papers of the colony. Its original name was the "New Zea- 

 land Gazette." To this was appended in the twentieth number 

 the further title of " and Britannia Spectator," after the name 

 given to the first town of the settlement. In November the 

 name of the infant settlement of Britannia was altered to the 

 more euphonious one of Wellington, and the paper assumed its 

 final title of "New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator." 

 It was issued weekly at a price of £2 per annum, or Is. for single 

 numbers. As a comparison the Otago Daily Times costs £1 6s. 

 a year, for which we get a paper six times a week and at least 

 five times larger. After eighteen months had elapsed — that is r 

 in October, 1841 — the Gazette was issued twice weekly, and 

 so continued until a few months before its decease, when it 

 reverted to the original weekly period. As we should expect 

 from a knowledge of Mr. Revans's former experience, he con- 

 ducted the paper with considerable business ability, if with 

 little or no literary pretension. His politics were decidedly 

 against the Government, not only, perhaps, because of old 

 proclivities, but because of the constant antagonism be- 

 tween Auckland and Wellington. One was the seat of the 

 Governor and British Government, the other was founded 



