IV.—Trade with New Zealand.

Of the English shipping, 29 vessels of 6202 gross tonnage were from Auckland—the other two vessels being from San Francisco and Sydney Island respectively. The connection between Auckland and Rarotonga is of long standing, Messrs. Owen and Graham having, in their Island trading days, a large branch establishment here; but about six years ago they retired. The field thus vacated was entered by Messrs. Donald and Edenborough of Auckland, and by their enterprise and energy the present flourishing trade with Rarotonga and the other islands has been developed. The French and German trade on this group of islands is inconsiderable, and the nineteen visits of vessels mentioned in the foregoing table were made by small schooners and cutters trading between these islands and the headquarters of the commercial houses at Tahiti. The export of fruits to New Zealand could at page 52 once be increased if the market is sufficiently absorbent; and, as formerly pointed out, the export of coffee could be easily doubled, if the abolition of the New Zealand Customs duty left a margin for profitable labour in gathering and preparing it for the market. I may be excused for mentioning a rather novel branch of trade with this colony, which it appears the native Rarotongans are desirous of cultivating. The female population of the island being rather redundant, on account of many young men leaving as sailors and never returning, it is suggested that a portion of the surplus females could be "placed" in the inadequately supplied matrimonial market of New Zealand. It is not forgotten that when Paora Tuhaere, the Maori chief of Orakei, visited Rarotonga a number of years ago, several of the unmarried youths who accompanied him chose wives from among the maids of the island; and on the occasion of her projected visit to New Zealand, Queen Makea proposes taking with her several of her "maids of honour" as samples of the feminine stock of Rarotonga. When the commercial delegates called on Queen Mere Paa at Ngatangihia, the natives turned out in force to welcome us, and after a lengthened "korero" on trade matters, a native chief reminded the delegates that if any of them desired a wife, there were plenty eligible damsels to choose from !