CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



in a position to deal successfully with refractory 

 Maoris, partly because they are in earnest, and 

 partly because they are better acquainted with 

 bush life and practices than the home soldiers. 

 The Maoris are turning their attention to trade, 

 agriculture, and pastoral pursuits. 



In 1871, there were 10,083 immigrants into 

 New Zealand, and 5297 emigrants from it : by 

 far the larger part of the excess remaining in the 

 colony, belonged to Otago. In 1852, the imports 

 of New Zealand amounted in value to ,359,444, 

 and the exports to ^145,972 ; while in 1871, 

 the imports were of the value of ^4,078,193, 

 and the exports of ^5,282,084. In 1878, the 

 wool exported from New Zealand amounted to 

 59,270,256 Ibs., of the value of ^3,292,807. Ship- 

 building and the timber trade rank next to wool 

 The minerals are gold, copper, iron, and coal 

 From the time when gold was first discovered, 

 to 1879, th e >ld exports amounted to 9,107,196 

 oz. in value, ^35,594,938. Of this, Otago con- 

 tributed 3,856,065 oz. ; West-coast, 2,357,435 oz. ; 

 and Nelson, 1,620,841 oz. In 1879-80, the revenue 

 amounted to ,3,452,000. The chief sources of 

 revenue are customs-duties, the sale of crown 

 lands, depasturing, and gold-mining licenses. 

 The public debt in 1879 amounted to 21$ 

 millions. 



In 1852, New Zealand received a constitution, 

 which is in some respects peculiar in a British 

 colony, as being modelled to some extent on that 

 of the United States of America. Besides the 

 general parliament, each of the provinces has its 

 own elected superintendent and provincial council, 

 administrative of provincial affairs in as far as they 

 are purely provincial. The general parliament 

 consists of a Legislative Council, composed of 46 

 members, nominated by the crown for life ; and a 

 House of Representatives, of 78 members, elected 

 by the people for five years. The Maoris have 

 equal political rights with the colonists, and four 

 Maoris sit in the House of Representatives for 

 Maori constituencies. The crown is represented 

 by a governor-general. In 1863-64, the control 

 of native affairs, and the responsibility connected 

 with them, was transferred to the colonial govern- 

 ment. In 1865, the seat of government was trans- 

 ferred from Auckland to Wellington, as being 

 more central The town of Wellington has a 

 population of 8000. 



The climate of New Zealand varies consider- 

 ably. It is on the whole fine and bracing. Auck- 

 land in the north is warm, and Otago in the 

 south is somewhat wet and windy; Nelson has 

 the best climate in New Zealand. But Canter- 

 bury' and the northern parts of Otago are very 

 enjoyable. The morning is the most delightful 

 part of a New Zealand day, and is often clear, 

 bright, and exhilarating. 



New Zealand abounds in ferns, some of which 

 reach the size of trees ; the root of one species 

 was formerly much used as food by the natives. 

 The forest trees grow to a very great size, many 

 of them being larger than those of America or any 

 country in the world. 



The Phormium tenax, or New Zealand flax, is 

 another important vegetable production. The 

 fibres of the leaf of this plant have been proved 

 capable of all the applications made of European 

 flax. 



The country is remarkably deficient in native 

 animal life. Wild pigs, the offspring of some pigs 

 left by Captain Cook, a so-called native dog of 

 inferior description, and the rat, were the only 

 quadrupeds which the colonists found on the 

 islands. Remains of the moa, a gigantic bird, 

 from eleven to thirteen feet high, are found in 

 many places. The moa is now extinct 



Irregular settlements by Europeans began in 

 New Zealand early in the io,th century; but it was 

 not till 1840, when the native chiefs entered into 

 a treaty ceding the sovereignty of the islands to 

 Great Britain, that it became a regular colony. 



Other islands claimed by Great Britain are : 



The Auckland Islands, which lie 180 miles 

 south from New Zealand, in south latitude 51. 

 The largest is about 30 miles long, with an area 

 of 100,000 acres. The climate is mild and salu- 

 brious. 



The Chatham Islands, which are situated 300 

 miles east from New Zealand, in south latitude 44, 

 east longitude 178. Chatham Island, the largest 

 of the group, has an area of more than 300,000 

 acres. The climate and soil are excellent. The 

 inhabitants, numbering 133, are now mostly Chris- 

 tian. The islands are under the protection of the 

 government of New Zealand. 



And Norfolk Island, for some time a convict 

 establishment, which has an area of 14 square 

 miles, and is situated in south latitude 29, east 

 longitude 168, about 900 miles east-north-east 

 from Sydney. 



POLYNESIA. 



Polynesia from two Greek words, signifying 

 many isles is the name given to the numerous 

 groups scattered over the central parts of the 

 Pacific Ocean, within 30 degrees on both sides of 

 the equator. The chief clusters north of the 

 equator are the Sandwich group in the east, and 

 the Ladrones and Carolines in the west ; and 

 south of it, the Marquesas in the east, the Society 

 Islands in the middle, and the Friendly, including 

 the Fiji and Navigator's, in the west. The Fiji 

 Islands, which were ceded to Great Britain in 

 1874, have acquired importance from a rising 

 trade in cotton, which is grown there under the 

 auspices of Australasian speculators. Honolulu, 

 on the island of Oahu, the seat of the government 

 of the Sandwich Islands, which is modelled on 

 that of Great Britain, and consists of a native 

 king and two houses of parliament, is the port of 

 call for the line of steamers from San Francisco 

 to New Zealand and Australia. It has a popula- 

 tion of about 10,000. The whole population of the 

 Sandwich group is 150,000. Within the last fifty 

 years, a large proportion of the inhabitants of the 

 Sandwich, Society, and Friendly Islands have 

 embraced Christianity ; and missionaries from the 

 United States of America, Great Britain, and the 

 Australasian colonies, have taught them reading, 

 writing, and a number of useful arts. The popu- 

 lation of Polynesia is about a million and a half. 



The only foreign powers having possessions in 

 Polynesia are the Spaniards, who have occupied 

 the Ladrones since the end of the seventeenth 

 century; and the French, who, since 1843, have 

 established a protectorate over the Marquesas, 

 and to some extent also over the Society Islands. 



