Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/425

Rh most peculiar birds of New Zealand are three species of the kiwi or apteryx, allied to the gigantic extinct dinornis, whose bpnes are also found here. (See APTERYX, and DINORNIS.) There are no serpents in New Zealand, and toads and frogs were unknown till 1852, when a few small specimens were found. Six species of small and harmless lizards have been found, and are held in terror by the natives, who think the spirits of their ancestors inhabit them. There are more than 100 species of fish on the coasts, the largest peculiar to the islands being the hapuku, often exceeding 100 lbs. in weight. In the rivers and lakes eels are found weighing 50 lbs., and the lakes abound with inanga, a small, delicate fish, resembling the English whitebait. Of the 100 species of insects one half belong to the order coleoptera. Mosquitoes and sand flies are plentiful and troublesome in North island in summer. Spiders are numerous, and two species are said to be poisonous. The climate of New Zealand is one of the finest in the world. The summer is longer and somewhat warmer than that of England, and the other seasons much milder, with many more fine days. High winds prevail in some districts; in others the atmosphere is peculiarly serene. The coast climate is the most changeable and the most temperate in the world, the heat varying from 40 to 70°, and occasionally reaching both extremes in 24 hours. The mean annual temperature of North island is 57°, and that of South island 52°. January and February are the warmest months, June and July the coldest. Snow rarely lies on the ground at the level of the sea, and ice is seldom seen. There are neither wet nor dry seasons. A fortnight seldom passes without rain, and rain rarely continues for three successive days. The atmosphere is moist, and fogs are frequent in the southern part of the group. There is not only sufficient sunshine, however, to ripen every English fruit, but figs, peaches, grapes, nectarines, melons, and maize thrive well in the open air. Spring begins in September, summer in December, autumn in April, and winter in June. The summer mornings are always cool and exhilarating, and the summer nights often singularly beautiful and mild. New Zealand is divided into eight provinces, of which Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, and Hawke Bay are on North island, and Nelson, Maryborough, Canterbury, Otago, and Westland on South island. Stewart island is included in the province of Otago. Auckland, the chief town of the most northern province, was the capital of all New Zealand till 1865, when the seat of government was transferred to Wellington. The Bay of Islands, a small settlement on a fine harbor, 120 m. N. of Auckland, is much resorted to by American whalers, and is the seat of an American consulate. The capital of Taranaki is New Plymouth, beautifully situated near Mt. Egmont, on the W. coast. Wellington, the present capital of the colony (pop. about 8,000), is on a beautiful bay opening into Cook's strait. Napier, a small village on the S. E. coast, is the seat of government for the province of Hawke Bay. Nelson, the capital of the province of the same name, is on Blind bay at the N. end of South island. It enjoys a more equable, serene, and dry climate than any other part of New Zealand, and has a population of 6,000 in its immediate vicinity. Blenheim, near the mouth of Wairau river in Cook's strait, is the capital of Marlborough. The capital of Canterbury is Christchurch, on the small river Avon, on the E. side of the island. Dunedin, on the S. E. coast, is the capital of Otago, the most southern province. Hokitika, capital of the province of Westland, is at the mouth of Hokitika river; pop. about 5,000. It was hastily built in 1864, when gold mining began on the W. coast. The harbor is obstructed by dangerous bars. The colonists of New Zealand have been superior to those of most English colonies. The imperial parliament in 1852 sanctioned a constitution for the colony, of which the main provisions are as follows: The provinces have distinct governments, consisting of a superintendent and provincial council elected for "four years by a suffrage nearly universal. The government of the whole colony is vested in a governor appointed by the crown, who is also Commander-in-chief of all the colonial troops, and in a general assembly consisting of a legislative council and a house of representatives, the latter having 78 members elected for five years, and the former 45 members nominated for life by the crown. Both in the general and provincial administrations the principle of responsible government is carried out, and legislative majorities, as in England, make and unmake cabinets. The colonial cabinet consists of the secretary, treasurer, postmaster general, and ministers for general defence and for native affairs. The revenue in 1872 was £3,517,072; expenditures, £3,550,854; public debt, £7,360,616. In 1873 there were about 3,000 m. of telegraph in operation, and several railways were projected, small portions of two or three constructed, and nearly 4,000 m. under contract. In the same year 775 vessels arrived, and 773 departed. The intercourse with the United States has been chiefly confined to the visits of a few whalers, mostly at the Bay of Islands. The course of travel from Great Britain to the colony has generally been round the cape of Good Hope, but a more expeditious journey can now be made by way of the United States, from San Francisco to Auckland, in American steamers which carry the mail by contract with the New Zealand government. The colonists are mostly employed in agriculture, and many give their attention to sheep raising, farms of thousands of acres being devoted to that use. The number of sheep in 1872 was 9,700,629, and the value of wool exported, £2,064,480. In North island, and to some extent in South 