No. 9.
The Hon. the Colonial Secretary to His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor.

I have the honour to forward, for your Excellency's information, the following report of Port Nicholson and the adjacent country.

Port Nicholson is situated about fifty miles from Cape Palliser, the north-east entrance of Cook Straits. The principal headlands are rugged and precipitous, and off them extend long ledges of rocks, which present anything but an inviting appearance to strangers. The harbour is at the bottom of a deep bay, and its entrance is not easily distinguished until you arrive close off the heads, on account of a reef of rocks which appear across it; but, when inside, it opens out into a beautiful and extensive harbour, in which there are no dangers of any consequence: the anchorage in Lambton Harbour is extremely good, but the one off the beach at Pitone is by no means safe. Its principal defects are the violent winds, which always blow in and out of the harbour, and with such force as to prevent merchant ships from either entering or going out; but a lighthouse and good pilots would in a great measure obviate these difficulties. The bay is capacious; it is surrounded by high and broken hills, except on the north-east side, where there is an extensive valley, through which four rivers—or, rather, a river dividing itself into four branches—run. Its soil is very rich, but it is very heavily timbered, and subject to inundations, and the hills rise abruptly on each side. I was informed that about fifteen miles from Pitone there is an extensive forest of totara, which timber ranks next in value to the kauri. The only, level space in the page 163bay is on the south-west side, where there is about a thousand acres of undulating land, six hundred acres of which are available for a site for a town. There is a large extent of water frontage, and an abundant supply of fresh water from various streams which run from the hills by which it is unfortunately surrounded; they are so rugged and broken as to almost prevent access to the adjacent country. This is the site selected by the New Zealand Company.

The land immediately around Port Nicholson, available for agricultural purposes, is by no means extensive. An industrious yeomanry might gain a good subsistence, and sufficient supply might be raised for a considerable population, but there is no field for extensive agricultural operations. The formation of the country is clay, sand, and clay-slate, over which there is but a thin deposit of vegetable mould, which, although rich, will not bear continued cultivation, as may be seen by observing the hills, on which there is no timber; they are totally devoid of soil, and only covered with low fern and coarse grass. The climate is healthy, but cold; in the winter the hills are covered with snow. During my residence of four months there were continually heavy gales, with a great deal of rain.

Port Nicholson is important only as a port of deposit,—to what extent must depend on the value of the country between Porirua, Waikanae, Taranaki, and Kaipara, and the capabilities of the Port of Manukau: should that port prove sufficiently good to command the trade of the coast in connection with the capital, the importance of Port Nicholson will be considerably diminished: The whaleships resort entirely to the ports of the Middle Island, which are easy of access, and nearer their whaling ground.

I was not able to visit the districts of Waikanae and Taranaki; but I was informed from undoubted authority that there are vast tracts of rich land available for agricultural purposes, and a great quantity of indigenous grass. There are also harbours fit for small coasters at Mana, Kapiti, Waikanae, and Kawhia; and I believe there is an anchorage at Taranaki. I was informed by the Natives that there is an extensive and beautiful valley at Palliser Bay, but it is not easy of access by land from Port Nicholson on account of the high hills.

Dr. Dieffenbach told me that the country about Blind Bay was worthy of attention, and I have since been informed that there is a good harbour there, and a level tract of country. There is also coal in that district.