Otago Institute. 441 



The materials are abundant, the subjects various, in its organic and inorganic 

 productions. On the natui-e of these you are constituted a court of enquiry, 

 and to that enquiry our Institute places no limits. Then enter on their study 

 and investigation in as far as your time and opportunity may permit. 



As I have now been connected with this Province for 18 years, and in 

 the first term of that period, when it was in a state of wilderness, I had 

 special opportunities given me for estimating its probable resources and 

 productions, I may, without incurring much risk of the charge of egotism, refer 

 to my opinions at that time, given as the result of observations obtained 

 when exploring the physical geography of the country. There were, no doubt, 

 others as fully alive to the prospects of the colony as myself, but I am not 

 aware that they made any record of their observations for the benefit of the 

 public in general. 



Turning to a lecture delivered by me in Dunedin during the month of 

 July, 1858, at which time the population numbered less than 7,000 souls, I 

 find that, after showing the audience what extent of forest, pasture, swamps, 

 lakes, and barren mountains we had, I made the following remarks : — " The 

 value of our forests is less apparent at present than it wovild be in future 

 times, but the great extent of natural pasture is a fund of wealth whose 

 development will be rapid. The total area of natural pasture extends over 

 15,000 square miles, or 9,600,000 acres. This, when fully stocked, may be 

 assumed to carry 2,400,000 sheep, whose fleeces alone will aflford an annual 

 export valued at £360,000 sterling — that is allowing four acres to carry one 

 sheep, and the average weight of a fleece to be 3ibs. Nor need we anticipate 

 that our export of wool will stop at this limit, for with the increase of 

 population and capital our finest lands will be improved and laid under 

 artificial grass, thereby increasing their productive powers five or ten-fold. 



" More tardy in development, but not less important to the permanent 

 welfare of the Province, is the agricultural interest. The pi'ogress of this 

 branch of industry will so much depend on contingencies, as connected with 

 immigration from the mother country that it would be useless to speculate on 

 the rate of its extension. That our agricultural capabilities are great there 

 can be no doubt, for corn is sown and reaped in all parts of the Province, 

 stretching from the Waitaki to Foveaux Strait. On the banks of the Ohau 

 Lake, 1,500 feet above the sea level, I have seen the potato growing in 

 perfection ; and, as I believe fully half the area of this Province is below that 

 level, it will be a safe estimate to put down a fourth, or 4,250,000 acres, as 

 capable of producing corn or vegetables. 



" Whatever may be the ultimate population seeking support from the above 

 area, in the meantime it is evident — possessing, as we do, a fertile soil and 

 a climate analogous to Great Britain — that our pastoral and agricultural 



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