Despatch from Governor Grey to Earl Grey.

My Lord,—

I have the honor to transmit for your Lordship's information an extract from a private letter I have received from Captain Stokes, of H.M.S. "Acheron," dated the fourth instant, together with two tracings and the copy of a report from Mr. W. J. W. Hamilton. These documents all relate to the nature of the country lying in the vicinity of Port Cooper, which has been selected as the site for the Canterbury Settlement.

2. Tour Lordship will be gratified at finding that the country in the neighbourhood of Port Cooper is so well adapted to the purposes of colonization, as also that the Middle Island of New Zealand appears to be so much broader than was imagined, and that this increased extent of territory is of so fertile and available a character.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Captain J. Lort Stokes, R.N., to Governor Grey.

Dear Sir George,—

Having thus burdened you with our wants, I hasten to say a few words on our late cruise, the extent of which you will gather from the tracings enclosed. That either the climate is vastly improved southwards, or that we were favoured with unusually fine weather, remains to be proved by a series of comparisons. At present I incline to the opinion that the eastern and central part of the Middle Island possesses the most favoured climate.

Of all the selections made for settlements in these Islands, that for "the Great Canterbury" [gap — reason: damage]has the best anchorages, and is the easiest of recognition, from its hill features and submarine slopes, of any I have visited in these Islands. The soundings shoal to nine fathoms between the Heads, and gradually to three fathoms, where the "Acheron" lay, with the sea horizon opening east and east-by-north.

I passed a fortnight travelling over those vast savannahs lying at the foot of the hills surrounding that locality commonly named Port Cooper, by me Wakaraupo Bay. From an elevation of 3,000 feet by barometer, near the north end of this level tract. I saw one entire plain, stretching full a hundred miles to the southward, and watered by a multitude of streams, meandering like silver threads on their seaward course. On the east lay the blue deep sea, broken in the distance by the many peaked hills of Banks Peninsula; and on the west, at a distance varying from twenty to thirty miles, rose a range of mountains of sufficient elevation to have their summits capped with snow, and afford ample means for extending our network of triangles fully midway across the Island. Surprised at seeing such an extent of prairie land in this rugged country, generally exhibiting the reverse features, left me in doubt for a moment as to the name I should give the whole; the next suggested that of the Great Southern Plain of New Zealand. Northwards from Mount Maukatere were further plains of considerable extent, which Mr. Hamilton subsequently examined, and I enclose his accounts, with a tracing of the country north of the Great Plain.

When I meet Mr. Brunner I hope to be able to give his route, and to lay down, at all events, his whereabouts when he saw the Eastern Plains. You will see by the tracings that, with the exception of thirty miles, the Middle Island has been traversed by Europeans, and that, moreover, there is a very considerable increase of acreage there.

Leaving Banks Promontory, we steered southwards for Otago, examining the intervening coast by the way. The result of our visit to this port has been to prove that there is a channel of 21 feet at low water, being six more than were supposed to exist. The settlers are a quiet industrous band. Dunedin itself now consists of 130 houses, and the ensuing quarter's revenue is considered to be about £5,000.

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From a hill in the settlement I saw the whole of the Taieri Valley, and the head of that leading from Molyneux River to Foveaux Strait. The former is limited, and has many lagoons. The latter is distant, and without any certain sea approach. Some new birds and shells, and a few plants, besides lime and an inferior coal, comprise the list of scientific contributions.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Mr. W. J. W. Hamilton to Captain J. L. Stokes, R.N.

Sir,—

In forwarding to you the accompanying rough sketch of the country to the northward of Port Cooper Plains and Mount Maukatere, part of which I visited during the "Acheron's" cruise to the southward, I beg to offer a few remarks on its general character. Beginning at Double Corner, a succession of low limestone ranges, alternating with sandstone, extend from the coast and in lines parallel to it, to a distance of ten or twelve miles inland. These ranges lie close together, are somewhat abrupt, and abound in deep watercourses and excellent keep for sheep; towards the coast the gullies are wooded, but nowhere on the hill-sides, except in deep sheltered glens, is wood to be seen. Inland these ranges begin to break into low downs and narrow valleys, a succession of which (lying for the most part in a N.E. and S.W. direction) brings you to the two large inland plains of Hurunui and Waianua. These valleys are all rich in grass, have a considerable depth of good soil, and are very free from swampy ground, so prevalent in this country in the neighbourhood of The dividing ranges are on the average from 500 to 1,000 feet in height above the adjoining flats, and offer in many places easy slopes for the passage of drays from one to the other, and to the great plains of Port Cooper.

The plain of the Hurunui is about twenty-five miles long by fifteen broad, containing 242,000 acres; and that of the Waianua is, according to the Natives, double this size, or 484,000 acres, all level,—so remarkably so, indeed, as to look hemmed in, as it is, by hills and mountains, like the dry bed of some lake. Grass of the finest description, equal to any about Port Cooper or the Messrs. Dean's, abounds everywhere on these plains; generally I found it knee deep, but in many places on the banks of streams or soft ground breast high, and by no means easy to pass through at a quick pace. There are exceedingly few swampy patches, and these are covered with such a luxuriance of grass that they are to be looked upon as valuable rather than impediments by any one intending to settle in their neighbourhood. Of the soil, judging from what I saw at the banks of rivers, I may confidently say that it is deep, of excellent quality, and fit for putting the plough into at any moment. I estimate at one-third that which, either from swampiness or having been covered by a considerable depth of gravel in some great flood, is at present suited only for keeping sheep or cattle. The Waiau is only separated from the Hurunui at its head by a low rise, and is consequently easily accessible to drays. I cannot say more of in than that it is of the same rich character as the rest of the country from Port Cooper northwards.

The two plains lie about N.E. and S.W., the rivers crossing them in a more easterly and westerly line. It is remarkable that of the mountains bounding them none seem to belong to any continuous range, but lie in broken ridges of ten, fifteen, or twenty miles long, and on the same N.E. and S.W. line (apparently) as the plains; between them, the Natives told me, are grass valleys and streams. They were separated with sufficient clearness to enable me to trace by eye the course of these valleys, tributaries as it were to the larger plains.

No wood is to be seen elsewhere than on the mountains: here, however, rimu (red pine), totara, kahikatea (white pine), matae (black pine), and tawhai (black birch), are in great abundance.

The Hurunui runs through the deep gorge by which is one of the passes to the West Coast. To the north of this gorge is a high range, beyond which again is a plain partly grass and partly wooded. This succession of plain and mountain continues the whole way to the West Coast, and in like manner to the northward towards the Waiautoa and Wairau.

The Waiautoa is represented to be a much larger river than the Waimakariri, and as running through a beautiful tract of country. The easiest access to it would be from the Wairau probably, but there is an old Native path to it crossing the low part of the Kaikoura (Looker's-on Range). The whole of this country between Kaikoura Peninsula and the Waiau is covered with grass; much of it is a limestone formation.

I have said little of the beautiful little plain of the Waipara at the N.E. foot of Mount Maukatere, as I should only have to repeat what I have mentioned about the others, none of which, however, surpass it in the quality of the grass. It is about eight miles by fifteen, and contains some 70,000 acres.

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It is the general opinion of the settlers about Banks Peninsula that the sheep thrive far better on the hills than on the plains. Thus, strengthened by experience, I have not hesitated to include in the estimate parts of the country which to me would have seemed almost useless had I not visited Motunou station, and been able to judge of the great value of even the most broken parts on the sea coast. I found a great extent of fossiliferous limestone, containing innumerable specimens of shells of great beauty and in a high state of preservation; but time, want of tools, and great hardness of the matrix, prevented my carrying away more than one or two pieces. I also found two other descriptions of stone, highly crystallized, containing mostly broken fragments of shells; but I could see no indication of coal or metal.

Of the climate I can speak only from observation during a very limited time. I had to complain of but one day's wet, and one or two mornings showery before 6 o'clock. But, according to the Natives, it is preferable to that of the Northern Island (which latter I have reason to know from experience), inasmuch as the seasons are settled and clearly defined, and slight frosts in winter greatly assist the farmer. June, July, August are decidedly wet months; May partly showery; September, October, showery; November less so; December, January, February, March, April are depended upon as steadily fine months. During three-and-thirty days which my two visits inland (alone and with yourself) lasted, I had but this one wet day stopping my progress. I never before was so long in this country without rain and bad weather.

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