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" On the whole, I cannot but conclude that Stewart Island will prove, 

 and that shortly, a very valuable and important portion of the Province of 

 Southland. There are many industries which, dormant at present, will, when 

 quickened into life, prove remunerative. Irrespective of any mineral wealth 

 which may exist, of which I can only form a conjectural opinion from the singular 

 appearance of the different strata of rocks on the south and west coasts of the 

 island, I am of opinion that it will be well adapted for the small class of 

 settlers — say fifty-acre men. From the peculiar configuration of the land, a 

 large extent of it is rendered available by its frontage to the water. Its being 

 covered with timber and scrub cannot form a very serious impediment to its 

 settlement, inasmuch as in many parts of the North Island, heavily timbered 

 land meets with ready sale, though in the interior ; while the densely-wooded 

 shores of Blueskin, Port Chalmers, and the harbour up to Dunedin, in the 

 Province of Otago, were bought and cleared long before the fictitious stimulus 

 to the price of land consequent on the discovery of gold. 



" One of the most serious difficulties a young settler has to contend 

 with in a new and sparsely-populated country, is the carriage of his 

 provisions from the town to his land, pending his being able to raise 

 sufficient produce to support himself and family off the ground he has 

 purchased. He must either buy a team of his own or pay the heavy 

 rates for carriage consequent on bad roads. These expenses, to a man of small 

 means, are very heavy, and not unfrequently so crushing as to seriously 

 retard his advancement. The means which would have enabled him 

 to cultivate and improve his land with rapidity, are dissipated in the 

 expenses of carrying his food. On Stewart Island much of this will be 

 obviated. His fishing line and gun will supply him with one of the necessaries 

 of life ; and if he has a whaleboat, he can obtain the rest at no expense, so far 

 as carriage is concerned, from the main land, or, if he has none, at a trifling 

 cost, both in money and time, in comparison with land carriage. He will thus 

 be in a better position to devote his energies and means to the clearing and 

 cultivation of his land than his compeer, settling fifteen miles inland from 

 Tnvercargill. I believe the sale of the timber would more than pay for the 

 clearing in most of the bays. The admirable water communication would 

 enable the logs to be floated or shipped to where a saw-mill might be established, 

 and if it will pay to saw timber anywhere, it will at Stewart Island. At 

 Port Pegasus, the splendid spars, and the knees, ribs, etc., of the rata, will 

 always command a good price for shipment to the Mauritius — a trade with 

 which is already established in Dunedin ; vessels from the former place would 

 only too gladly load with such on their return. Thus the cost of clearing 

 the land will be less than on- the main, while produce once obtained, the 

 facilities for exporting it are greatei\ The local consumption of agricultural 

 produce in all young settlements is not great, and the demand easily satisfied, 

 the majority of the population being occupied in producing the same staple. 

 To pay the agriculturist he must export, and on the main he is met with the 

 usual difficulty — defective internal communication. The settler at Stewart 

 Island will be in a very advantageous position in this respect ; he has Nature's 

 highway — the sea. He can boat his produce across to the Bluff, and ship it 

 on board a steamer for Australia or the West Coast ; or sell it to a merchant, 

 delivering it as above. He will thus be enabled to sell it at a moderate price, 

 and will consequently find a ready market, 



" Shipbuilding is an industiy which could be conducted with great success 

 on the island, some of the bays in which are peculiarly adapted for the purpose. 

 The numerous sheltered coves in Paterson Inlet and Port Pegasiis, furnish a 

 hundred dock -yards from which vessels of size could easily be launched, while 

 the raw material abounds, and is of the best quality. I saw a vessel of 180 



