Historical Glance at Auckland.--A Remarkable Volcanic
Region.--City Institutions.--Queen Street and Its
Belongings.--Mount Eden.--Comprehensive View.--Labor
Unions.--The Public Debt.--Kauri Forests.--Production of
Kauri Gum.--Environs of Auckland.--The Native Flora.--An
Admirable Climate.--A Rich Mineral District.--Agricultural
Development.
Auckland is the northern metropolis of New Zealand, and to us seemed to
be its most representative city. As we have before mentioned, it was
formerly the capital of the country until Wellington was selected for
the headquarters of the Government, as being the more central and
accessible from the various islands. So beautiful and picturesque are
the bay and harbor of Auckland that we were not at all surprised to hear
its citizens call it the Naples of New Zealand. Before the European
settlers came hither, this was the locality where the most savage wars
were carried on by the natives, and where the most warlike tribes lived
in fortified villages. Though the country has virtually no history that
is known to us, it has a recognized past extending back for some
centuries. When the missionaries first came here, about the year 1814,
the main subsistence of the natives who lived around what is now
Auckland harbor, was human flesh. The first white immigrants, as well
as the seamen of chance vessels driven upon the coast, were invariably
killed, cooked, and eaten by the Maoris, until the white men became more
wary, and by superior intelligence, backed by more effective weapons,
proved themselves to be the masters. Thus the time soon came when the
natives dared not attack the whites; but they still carried on their
cannibalistic wars against one another, apparently determined upon
mutual destruction. Not only did cannibalism prevail here at the time of
the early discoveries, but also in Brazil, in the West Indies, in the
Pacific Islands, along the coast of North America, and among the Indians
of Chili, who ate the early navigators that landed upon their shores.
This province bears the same name as the city, and is a region of grand
forests, fertile plains, and majestic rivers,--the very opposite of arid
inland Australia. The variety and value of its trees suitable for timber
are exceptionally noticeable; it was this fact which first drew to New
Zealand the attention of European traders. Hence come the famous kauri
spars, or ship-timber, the best for this special purpose which can be
found in any land. The kauri-tree belongs to the pine family, yet is
quite distinct from all other conifers, bearing a lance-shaped tapering
leaf, and growing to great heights. It is only too well known, however,
that the activity of this export trade is fast denuding these grand
kauri-forests.
The isthmus upon which the city of Auckland is built is undoubtedly one
of the most remarkable volcanic districts in the world, though the
agency of subterranean fires is visible enough to the eye of the
traveller all over New Zealand. Mount Tongariro, six thousand feet in
height, is even now in constant activity, with occasional vigorous
outbursts. The violent earthquakes which occur in both the North and
South Islands cause alternate depressions and elevations. The severest
modern earthquake took place so late as 1855, raising the coast-line
four feet higher for many miles. As in the peninsula of Scandinavia, we
here find a grand longitudinal mountain range extending from the extreme
of the South Island through the Auckland district to the far north,
forming a backbone, as it were, to the country. We were told that within
a radius of ten miles from the centre of Auckland there are sixty-three
volcanic cones, or points, in this range where eruptions have taken
place. These hills vary in height from two to seven hundred feet; each
of them was fortified and occupied by native tribes a century ago, the
highest of all being Mount Eden, close to the present town. On this
there are abundant evidences still left of the native fortification; but
of the large Maori population that once covered the peninsula, and lived
securely in these _pahs_, or fortified villages, not a soul remains.
Auckland is spread over a large territory; its villa-like houses, each
with a pretty garden attached (except in the business section), cover
the sloping hillside and valley from the foot of Mount Eden to the
waters of the bay. Queen Street is the main thoroughfare of the town,--a
broad avenue extending from the wharves to the suburbs, lined with a
rather motley collection of buildings, some of which, however, are large
and have fair architectural pretensions. There are upon this street a
dozen or more fine stone buildings occupied by banks, insurance offices,
warehouses, and some very handsome stores. Besides these there are
several of brick, four stories high, with handsome facades. But the town
is mainly constructed of wood, and--as we noted was the case in
Wellington--has more than once been nearly swept away by conflagrations;
so that a less inflammable material is now universally being adopted for
building purposes. The principal public edifices are the Post-Office,
Supreme Court House, Government House, Public Library, and the Hospital,
while churches are to be seen in all sections of the town. There is also
a University, a college for boys, and a high school for girls, with
numerous primary schools.
The harbor is one of the largest and best in New Zealand,--indeed, we
may say in Australasia. Though it is not so large or so varied in
scenery, some unprejudiced persons compare it for beauty with that of
Sydney. It has two dry docks, one of which is the largest in the South
Pacific, being five hundred feet long and eighty wide. There is ample
depth in the harbor for vessels of any size, and excellent wharf
facilities. The shorter distance of Auckland from the ports of America
gives it an advantage over any other seaport in Australasia. It is
reached from London across the American continent in thirty-seven days,
while to reach Sydney requires four days more of steam navigation.
This northern metropolis is situated, as already mentioned, in the
centre of rich timber-lands, and also of abundant coal deposits. Should
the Panama Canal be completed at some future day, Auckland would be the
first port of call and the last of departure between Europe and the
colonies of the South Pacific. Its present population, including that of
the immediate suburbs, is something over sixty thousand; that of the
whole province of Auckland is one hundred and thirty thousand.
The Ponsonby suburb and the village of Whou are composed of pleasant
residences tastefully ornamented. Parnell, as it is called, forms
another notable suburb, rendered attractive by hedge-rows, drooping
willows, and prettily-arranged gardens. From this point one gets a fine
view of the outspread bay lying below, exhibiting its various and busy
craft. Steam ferry-boats are constantly gliding across the harbor,
little white-winged cutters bend gracefully to the breeze, the tall
masts of sailing-ships line the piers, and tiny row-boats glance hither
and thither. The lofty marine-signal hill looms up across the harbor in
its verdant garb, while volcanic cones, a little way inland on either
shore, form an irregular line of background. Far away, and beyond all,
the eye sees the swelling bosom of the restless Southern Ocean.
Both the level and steep streets of the town are "corded" with tramways,
carried on at present by horsepower; but we were told that a
cable-system with local engines was contemplated, and would doubtless
soon be adopted, as the conformation of the town particularly favors
this mode of transit. The pleasure-ground of Auckland is the Domain,
with well-arranged walks shaded by an abundance of noble trees, both
native and exotic; these grounds are bordered on one side by Parnell and
on the other by the city. One pleasure-resort, the favorite of babyhood
and nursery-maids, is called Albert Park, which is a small mountain
rather than a park, as it is quite a climb to reach the summit, toward
which zigzag paths are constructed, without which facility ladders would
be required to reach the conical top. This reserve is but a few rods
from Queen Street, and it rises therefore in the very centre of the
town, which it overlooks in all directions; even Mount Eden, a mile
away, loses one half of its commanding aspect when viewed from the top
of Albert Park. On its highest point there is a tall flag-staff with
signal halyards, which did not seem to be in regular use, except perhaps
to raise the national flag on special occasions. Two or three large
cannon were also found here, mounted upon awkward carriages; but it may
be doubted if they could be made of much use under any circumstances.
As we have said, Queen Street contains many fine stores, and these are
well stocked with a due mingling of a choice and a common class of
goods. The necessities of life were found to be extraordinarily cheap.
Meat, good beef and mutton, might be bought for four cents a pound;
wearing apparel--all-wool goods--was offered at very low prices; the
fish is good, in large variety, and cheap; oysters are abundant, and to
be had all along shore simply for the gathering. These last are small,
but of very sweet flavor.
The first excursion enjoyed after arriving at Auckland was a pleasant
walk of a mile or more to Mount Eden, in the direction of the Khyber
Pass. It is not a severe if a toilsome climb to reach the top, which is
nearly eight hundred feet above sea-level. The terraced and pitted sides
of the mountain show that it was formerly one of the Maori strongholds.
At the top there is a hollow inverted cone of considerable depth, the
sides of which are covered with creeping vines and ferns, the bottom
being strewn here and there with rubble, slag, and hardened lava which
looks as though it had not been cooled a very long time. Here we have
clearly defined the mouth of an extinct volcano. If Vesuvius slept for
centuries and then burst forth to overwhelm an entire city, why may not
this mountain be expected in the course of time to do likewise?
The present view from Mount Eden, however, is indeed charming, and
should not be missed by any one capable of appreciating such a
pleasure. On the seaward side the whole of the volcanic isthmus lies at
the visitor's feet; the portion sloping to the shore, known as the
village of Remuera, is covered with handsome villas, cottages, luxurious
groves and gardens, beyond which lies the city of Auckland, with its
suburbs stretching away on either side. To the southward the volcanic
hills called the Three Kings are conspicuous; and underlying them are
many curious caves, where large numbers of human bones are still seen,
testifying to the former orgies of the Maoris. Beyond the city lies the
harbor, its clear waters sharply reflecting the sun's rays. A couple of
miles away on the other side of the bay is Mount Victoria, once also an
active volcano, but now only a signal station. The irregular north shore
of the Hauraki Gulf, marked by promontories, inlets, green bays, and
fertile meadows, spreads seaward on that side. Away to the right loom
the triple peaks of Rangi-Toto, its well-wooded sides rising gracefully
from the waters of the gulf toward Tiri-tiri and the open ocean. Looking
inland, one sees a rolling country dotted here and there with smiling
homesteads, wooded clumps, and volcanic knolls innumerable,--all
together forming quite an incomparable picture. At the suggestion of a
friend our second visit to Mount Eden was made by moonlight. The
luminary in her last quarter was yet quite sufficient to lend a
bewildering loveliness and light, which brought out the isle-dotted
Hauraki Gulf and Manakoo Harbor clear in every outline, beautifying the
dimpled waters with a silvery sheen. On the summit of Mount Eden there
is to be seen an abundance of small shells embedded in the earth and
mixed with the debris, showing clearly enough that the soil upon which
one is standing, nearly a thousand feet above the level of the harbor of
Auckland, must once have been the bottom of the neighboring sea.
Though we were told that the city was suffering from business
depression, we saw some tangible evidences of growth and
prosperity,--such as the erection of large and substantial buildings for
business purposes, for offices and dwellings. A mammoth flour-mill,
among other structures, was nearly completed; it was located very near
to the wharves, between them and the railroad station. This mill was
built upon the American plan, and all the machinery, as the proprietor
informed us, was imported from the United States. This establishment is
seven stories in height, substantially built of brick, and covers with
its immediate outbuildings an acre of land. The business depression
referred to had arisen almost entirely from the arbitrary acts of Labor
Unions, scores of whose members were seen idling away their time about
the bar-rooms of Queen Street, or being assisted to the police-station
in a drunken condition. Many workmen who were doing well had lost their
situations, and were now eking out a precarious living by resorting to
the gum-fields, where with pick and shovel they could at least keep from
starving. Even the noisy drones who had incited industrious men to
bring about this state of affairs, were now themselves compelled to work
or starve. Some few men have shown sufficient intelligence and
independence to think for themselves and have cut loose from
organizations which cost them so much to support, and which are only
successful in involving in trouble all concerned.
We were a little startled when informed of the magnitude of the public
debt of New Zealand, which aggregates nearly thirty-three million pounds
sterling. This sum, large as it is, represents only the national debt,
to which must be added an equally large sum representing the aggregate
indebtedness of the several cities. The English creditors may be sure,
however, that so long as they are prepared to lend money, New Zealand
will be ready to borrow it. It has now become necessary to borrow large
sums annually to pay the interest upon this growing debt. One is
reminded of Falstaff's sentiments: "I can get no remedy against this
consumption of the purse; borrowing only lingers it out, but the disease
is incurable." A citizen of Auckland said to us, "The necessity for a
fresh, additional loan is aggravatingly obvious; but we have no security
to offer, for we are nearly beggared." The country may and doubtless
will come out of this financial embarrassment all right, for it is rich
in animal, vegetable, and mineral products beyond nearly every other
country, excepting perhaps the sister colonies of Australia. The exports
of 1886 are represented to have exceeded eight million pounds sterling,
over one million of which was in gold. The export of meat is annually
increasing, and the mutton, from its greater size and fatness, is
preferred to that which is produced in Australia. The country is
believed to be almost fabulously rich in auriferous deposits, besides
which coal of excellent quality is abundant and easily mined; while in
the north the kauri-forests yield immense quantities of shipping timber.
All that is needed to promote and confirm the prosperity of this
naturally favored country is population,--a good class of immigrants to
open up the fertile lands, and to produce grain for food and export. But
the Labor Unions are jealous of immigration, and strive to prevent it in
all possible ways lest it should tend to lower wages. Neither the
leaders nor their followers have brains enough to look at the matter in
any other light than a thoroughly selfish one. As they outnumber the
rest of the community and can therefore outvote them, they are likely
for a while to enact laws which will favor their narrow purposes. The
principles and system of Democracy were never so challenged before as in
this case at Auckland. What is wanted there is one-man power--a
despotism, if you will--until affairs can be put into proper course, and
people who are too ignorant to know what is best for them are taught a
little common-sense. Auckland will be set back ten years at least in the
matter of progress by the crisis through which she is now passing. Labor
organizations have chosen as usual the very worst time to enforce their
arbitrary rule, and must suffer accordingly.
New Zealand as a colony has gone ahead too rapidly, and without counting
the cost. It has built railroads too fast; that is, before they are
absolutely required,--railroads running straight into the "bush,"
without any _raison d'etre_; and the present reaction is but a natural
sequence arising from extravagance. Undoubtedly these "bush" railroads,
as they are now called, will help to open up the country through which
they run; but even this may be done at too great a cost. Experience has
demonstrated the wisdom of a rule the reverse of that which has been
adopted here; namely, first to wait for a certain amount of population
and business before furnishing the expensive railroad facilities
required for their accommodation.
The kauri-tree, though a conifer,--the pine of this country,--is not at
all like our North American pine; instead of needles, its foliage
consists of leaves of sombre green. The botanists call it _Dammara
Australis_. It produces a timber, however, which for some uses is
unequalled. It is very slow of growth, is remarkably durable, easily
worked, of fine grain, and does not split or warp by atmospheric
exposure. We were told that the kauri-tree requires eight hundred years
to arrive at maturity. One of the first objects to attract our attention
upon landing at Auckland was a number of kauri tree trunks brought to
the wharf for shipment. Some of these logs measured seven feet in
diameter, and were from eighty to ninety feet in length. To visit the
kauri-forests of the Auckland district one takes cars from the city to
Helensville, a distance of forty or fifty miles, where the Kaipara River
is reached, upon which small steamers ply, taking one directly to the
desired spot. Here the busy saw-mills, which are gradually consuming
these valuable trees, are so located that vessels of two thousand tons
can load at their yards, and with their cargoes pass directly out to
sea. It is singular that while this district is the only place in New
Zealand where the kauri-trees are found, nearly every other species of
tree indigenous to the country is also found here,--among them the rimu,
the matai, the white and silver pines, the tooth-leaved beech, and the
totara, all in close proximity to the kauri, and together forming a most
remarkable conglomeration of species.
It was our good fortune to travel in the kauri-forests with Professor
Kirk, Conservator of State Forests, and from him many interesting facts
were learned. Here over seven millions of acres are forest-covered. The
mills give permanent occupation to five or six thousand men, and the
gum-digging carried on close at hand is pursued as a regular occupation
by at least two thousand more. The saw-mills, as regards their machinery
and capacity, are among the most complete we have ever seen, employing
the best modern inventions to facilitate their operations and output,
which averages six or seven million feet of dimension-timber annually.
There are six of these mills in this immediate locality, each of which
has in its own right many thousand acres of land bearing a sufficiency
of good timber to supply them for twelve years to come. It is believed
that by that time all the kauri-forests of New Zealand will be worked
out or exhausted. In anticipation of the failure of this supply for
ship's masts and spars, iron is being very generally adopted, and will
eventually take the place of wood altogether.
The commercial prosperity of Auckland and its vicinity is largely due to
the harvest reaped from these forests. The kauri-tree grows to an
average height of a hundred feet, with a diameter of fifteen feet and
over. It is a clannish tree, so to speak; when found near to those of
other species, it groups itself in clumps apart from them. One often
sees, however, large forests where the kauri reigns supreme, quite
unmixed with other trees; and beneath the shadow of its limbs there is
no undergrowth save the verdant ferns,--Nature's universal carpet for
the woodlands here. There are thus created dim perspectives and forest
vistas of marvellous beauty.
The kauri gum forms a large figure in the table of exports from
Auckland, and the digging and preparation of it for market, as we have
shown, gives employment to many persons. The natives have a theory that
the gum descends from the trunks of the growing trees, and through the
roots becomes deposited in the ground. But this is not reasonable. The
gum is a semi-fossilized composition, showing that it has gone through
a process which only a long period of time could accomplish. It is
usually found at a depth of five or six feet from the surface. It is
undoubtedly the fact that the northern part of New Zealand was once
covered with immense forests of this gum-producing tree, which have
matured and been destroyed by fire and by decay, century after century;
and the deposit which is now so marketable is from the dead trees, not
the living. Experiments have been tried which prove that the gum exuded
by the growing trees has no commercial value. The only evidence to give
color to the Maori theory is the fact that the gum is found near the
roots of young trees; but it is also found far away from any present
kauri growth. It is very similar to amber, for which article it is often
sold to unskilled purchasers; but its principal use is in the
manufacture of varnish. Amber, it will be remembered, is the product of
a now extinct tree of the pine family, whole forests of which are
supposed to have been sunken in the Baltic Sea, whence our present
supply of the article is mostly derived, and where these forests have
been submerged for perhaps twice ten thousand years. The deposits of the
kauri gum in the Auckland district seem to be inexhaustible.
On returning to the city we found quite sufficient in and about Auckland
to interest and occupy us for a week and more. We made almost daily
excursions, sometimes on foot and sometimes on horseback; and when
mounted, our day's journey often covered a distance of many miles
inland, each time in a new direction.
In our trips afield, after passing through the immediate suburbs of the
city, we found outlying cottages where the garden-plats are adorned with
English plants in full bloom, succeeded by thrifty farms, well-fenced
fields, and highly cultivated meadows. These last were dotted here and
there with choice breeds of cattle and picturesque groups of sheep. Some
very fine horses were observed in this region; and there are some
breeding-farms here solely devoted to the raising of fine animals for
the market,--many of which, as the proprietors told us, are sent twelve
hundred miles by ship to Sydney, and even still farther, to Melbourne
and Adelaide. Notwithstanding this district is the oldest in its
settlement by the whites of any in New Zealand, the scenery struck us as
being singularly primitive, bold, and beautiful, while the bright,
breezy, light, and shadow-casting atmosphere brought out every native
grace of form and color. Along the roads one is delighted by the
abundance of the marsh-mallow, sweet clover, wild mint, and trefoil, and
only sighs for time to gather of them and leisure to enjoy their sweets.
Many trees and flowers were noted which were quite new to us, and which
the intelligence of our half-breed guide rendered doubly interesting.
The natives had distinctive and expressive names for every fowl, tree,
and flower before the white man came. There is a lovely little native
daisy called tupapa, and a blue lily known by the aborigines as
rengarenga; also a green and yellow passion-flower named by the Indians,
kowhaia. A glutinous, golden buttercup is known as anata, which is
nearly as abundant as its namesake in America. A small white fragrant
flower which attracted our attention is called the potolara. All these
species are wild. One morning the guide brought us a dew-spangled bunch
of them all together, wound about with a delicate sweet-smelling native
grass known as karetu,--the _Torresia redolens_ of botany.
The immediate neighborhood of Auckland has been almost denuded of the
original native trees, and shade is very much needed both for beauty and
comfort. Fires and the woodman's axe have swept away the grand old
forest and the "bush" which once covered every rod of land in this
vicinity. A few English oaks and other imported trees planted by the
immigrants are to be seen, besides some California pines, which are
universal favorites in this country. At a short distance inland, and
especially bordering salt-water inlets, the traveller is surprised and
charmed by groups of the pohutukawa, a tree thus named by the Maoris.
Like many other blossoming trees of the Southern Pacific, its flowers
when gathered have very little individual beauty or attractiveness, its
brilliant color-effect being derived from the clusters of bright scarlet
stamens, which when seen in mass upon the tree appear strikingly
beautiful.
We do not remember to have seen the English lark in any island south of
the Equator, but they abound here, and must have been introduced by the
early settlers from Great Britain.
Another fact about Auckland struck us as curious. Here we find a rich
greensward carpeting hill and dale, field and lawn, which is the growth
of imported seed, and which has proved so tenacious as to root out all
original and opposing vegetation, and establish itself permanently. Here
also may be seen the European thistle, the veritable Scotch article
greatly improved by transplanting. The farmers declare that it enriches
the ground,--a sentiment which we also heard expressed at Dunedin,--and
every one can see for himself that it feeds the bees. New Zealand seems
to be adapted for receiving into its bosom the vegetation of any land,
and of imparting to it renewed life and added beauty. Its foster-mother
capacity has been fully tested, and for years no ship left England for
this part of the world without bringing more or less of a contribution
in plants and trees to be propagated in the new home of the colonists.
The consequence is that we find pines and cypresses, oaks and willows,
elms and birches, besides fruit-trees of all sorts grown in Europe,
thriving here in abundance, and so thoroughly acclimated as to seem
indigenous.
The climate of this region appeared to us very nearly perfect, favoring
human life as well as that of the vegetable kingdom. It may be compared
as a whole to the climate of the best portions of Europe. It has the
soft, genial atmosphere of the south of France and Italy (which is best
enjoyed at Nice and Mentone), but none of the chill caused by the
piercing mistral of the mountains, nor the scorching blasts of the
African and Egyptian siroccos. In seeking to recall a climate which most
nearly approaches it, Madeira alone suggests itself. Its range of
temperature is more limited than any other place we have visited north
or south of the Equator, or in either hemisphere. Summer and winter are
here only the dry and the rainy seasons; flowers, vegetables, grapes, in
short all plants grow bright and thrifty the whole year round in the
open air. Tropical and hardy plants are here equally at home; Scottish
firs and Indian palms, oranges, lemons, india-rubber trees, and limes
thrive side by side. As we were told in Japan one could do there, so
here one can gather a pretty bouquet in the open air any day in the
year.
We must not forget to speak of the mineral resources of this Province of
Auckland, which were in the early days of its settlement quite
unsuspected, but which have turned out to be both extensive and
profitable. A gold-bearing range of lofty hills runs northward along the
banks of the Thames River, ending on the Coromandel Peninsula. Here
several quartz mines are being successfully worked for gold, though the
process of disintegration does not seem to be satisfactorily understood.
It is well known that not more than half the precious metal which the
rock contains is realized by the means now employed for its extraction.
In order to obtain the best and latest improvements in machinery
designed for this purpose, a representative agent and proprietor of
these Thames River mines came to the United States in the same ship with
the author, to visit our principal mining centres in the States of
Idaho, Colorado, California, and so forth. Coal of excellent quality
crops out in various parts of the Province, particularly at the Bay of
Islands, and several coal mines are regularly worked. Copper is found
here also, and a valuable article of manganese, besides iron, nickel,
bismuth, asphaltum, and other minerals. In Poverty Bay petroleum has
been discovered in great abundance, and though it is made no special use
of at present, it is sure in the near future to be profitably utilized.
The district to which we have just referred as being rich in
gold-bearing quartz and other minerals, and which is situated along the
banks of the Thames and Waikato rivers, is also productive as a pastoral
and agricultural country. A large portion of the land is laid down to
grass and other crops, and is well stocked with sheep and cattle.
Government has done much to encourage agricultural enterprise among the
people of the province, realizing its great importance over all other
industries. The remarkable fertility of the soil seconds this purpose,
and there are hundreds of square miles of it as level as our Western
prairies. We were told of a company called the Waikato Land Association,
which was formed not alone for pecuniary profit to its stockholders,
but also to advance the pastoral and agricultural interests of the
Province. This association owns a hundred thousand acres of rich land
which is being drained and brought into the most available condition. We
saw the operation going on in the form of extensive and systematic
drainage, tree-planting, and other means of improvement upon the
company's lands, through the centre of which the railroad runs southward
from Auckland.