216 
HISTORY. 
clown all their produce by it to the coast, and already is their 
trade of such value as to have chiefly contributed to the pros¬ 
perity of the town ; besides several small vessels, which con¬ 
stantly trade with the neighbouring provinces, it has two larger 
ones, which sail direct to Sydney, and other Australian ports. 
The town itself is rapidly increasing, containing a neat 
wooden church, a large block house, which crowns a hill in 
the middle of the tow r n, having much the appearance of an old 
castle. It has also a custom-house officer and resident magis¬ 
trate, a post-office, and police establishment. It is likewise a 
military post, having between two and three hundred men of 
the 65th stationed there ; nor is not too much to predict that 
before long it will be one of the most densely peopled districts 
of New Zealand. The Island here attains its greatest width, 
which is about 250 miles; this gives it a greater equability of 
climate than any other Settlement in New Zealand. Less 
rain falls at Wanganui than in Auckland or Wellington ; it 
has more of the continental climate ; the noble river, the 
number of small lakes in its neighbourhood, the distant moun¬ 
tains clothed with forests, having Tongariro with its snowy 
heights soaring above all*—enhance the beauty of the district, 
and cause its settlers to be warmly attached to it. 
Wanganui forms the Northern portion of the Province of 
Wellington, which is 120 miles to the south-east of it, and is 
seated on the south-west corner of a large harbour, which 
has the appearance of a lake, shut in on all sides by moun¬ 
tains rising precipitously from its shores, to an elevation of 
full 1,000 feet. The level land which forms the site of this 
town is rather wider, and thus affords a long narrow space 
for building purposes. The town skirts the harbour, and 
is several miles long, but does not contain more than 5,000 
inhabitants; in fact, its population is not so large as it was some 
years ago : but this is to be regarded as a good sign, instead of 
leading an idle inactive life in town, its energetic inhabitants 
have spread out, to occupy spots more suitable for agricultural 
purposes, and some have gone even as far as Wairarapa, 
Ahuriri and Wanganui. 
* The elevation of Ruapehu, is 10,236 feet. 
