Statistics of New Munster, New Zealand, down to 1848, compiled from Official Records in the Colonial Secretary's Office.

[Read before the Statistical Society of London, in continuation of the preceding Paper, 17th February, 1851.]

THE preceding account of Auckland supplies a valuable outline of the condition of the northern portion of the Northern Island of New Zealand, commonly called New Ulster; and the following pages are appended to it as a complete summary of the statistics of the remainder of this interesting colony, forming the province of New Munster, divided into four districts. The first is that of Wellington, forming, with Wanganui or Petre, the southern part of the Northern Island. Next to this, on the opposite side of Cook's Strait, lies the district of Nelson, comprising the northern end of the Middle Island, half way down to Banks's Peninsula. The Middle Island, it should be observed, might more appropriately be called the Southern, in opposition to the Northern Island, separated from it by Cook's Strait; that which bears the name of the Southern Island being of comparatively very small extent and little value; insomuch that it does not enter at all into the present statements. The districts of Akaroa and Otago comprehend all the remaining portions of the Middle Island, which are nearer those settlements respectively. The names of Wanganui and Petre are applied indiscriminately to the settlement on the northern shore of Cook's Strait.

The returns are compiled from materials furnished by a general census taken in August 1848, and from those supplied for the ordinary Colonial Blue Book at the end of each year. This will account for some discrepancies in the totals of different returns respecting the same subjects, for which the authorities are indicated.

Population.

In the years 1845 and 1846, the population of New Munster had decreased 5 68 per cent. from its amount in 1844; but in 1847 and 1848 it increased 20.62 per cent. on its amount at the end of 1846. In Wellington, during the latter ten years, the increase was 17.06 per cent., in Nelson 9.00 per cent.

Place of Birth of the Population, as taken in August 1848.

The number of registered births is no guide to the actual number that took place in the province in 1848, as it is certain that very many occurred which were never registered. But even those that were, amounted to 3.55 per cent. on the population at the end of 1847. An approximation may, however, be made to the real rate of increase by births, by comparing the number of children in the province under two years of age (p. 252,) with the numbers of the population at the end of the years 1845-6-7. As the returns for those years were taken in December of each year, and the return of children in August, 1848, the population returned at the periods mentioned may be considered the correct number of those of whom the children were the produce. The average population of these three years was 7,645 souls. The number of children under two years (deducting those belonging to Otago, the inhabitants of which settlement arrived in 1848), that is, the number born between August 1846, ánd August, 1848, was 760, which gives an average of 380 for each year. The increase consequently on the population in 1846 and 1847 was at the rate of 4.95, or nearly 5 per cent. per annum by births alone. The deaths in 1848 were only 81 per cent. on the population of that year; the number who died being included in its amount. This would give 4.14 for the actual rate of annual increase of the population, exclusive of immigration. In Great Britain, the increase of population for ten years, 1831-41 (allowing for emigration) was 15.02 per cent., or only 1.50 per annum; and the per-centage above given is too low for New Munster, as the births of those who died under two years of age are omitted in the calculation. It will be seen that there are, exclusive of the military, more than four times as many English as Scotch in the province, and nearly four times as many Scotch as Irish. The foreigners are principally Germans, and the French at Akaroa. The total number of emigrants introduced by the New Zealand Company into Wellington, Nelson, and New Plymouth, was 8,904 souls, at a cost of 233,5431., or 267. per head, including cabin passengers.

Immigration and Emigration. The returns of immigrants and emigrants are mere lists of arrivals and departures. The only result, apparently, that can be obtained on this subject is an approximation to the excess of re-emigration over the immigration that has taken place, independently of that set on foot by the New Zealand Company in the first colonization of the country. Deducting from the total population of August 1848, which amounted to 8,543, the number then existing of persons born in the colony, which is shown to have been 2,264, we have 6,279 immigrants still in the province. Taking the whole number introduced by the New Zealand Company at 8,904 souls, and allowing 1,200 for New Plymouth, we have 7,704 for New Munster. If the number of immigrants at present in the colony be subtracted from this, the remainder is 1,423, which represents the excess of loss by death and re-emigration over gain by immigration, other than that caused by the New Zealand Company in founding the settlements of the province. As the deaths in question, by a calculation from the loose return we have of them, amount to between 400 and 500, the excess of loss by re-emigration would be about 1,000. The actual number of them that belonged to the body sent out by the Company the returns do not enable us to ascertain. The following table exhibits the amount of immigration and emigration to and from New Munster in the year ended 5th January, 1849:

Medical Statistics.

The hospital returns chiefly relate to the natives, and show conclusively that the diseases most frequent among them are those arising from want of good food, good shelter, and cleanliness; perhaps also from the absence of habits of industry. The following were the centesimal proportions of disease treated at the Wellington Hospital.

Thus 71 per cent. of the cases of disease may be attributed to the causes above stated, for the 41 of cases of ophthalmia most probably arose from the habit of living in huts filled with wood-smoke. Of the 158 patients treated at the Colonial Hospital, from September 1847, to March 1848, 142 were cured, 15 died, and 1 was discharged as incurable; and from March 1848 to March 1849, of 197 treated, 185 were cured, 9 died, and 3 were discharged as incurable. Of the above, the greater number, as shown by the returns, came from the neighbourhood of Wellington and the West Coast, as far as Wanganui, and belonged to the Ngatiawa. Of the patients treated in 1848, 137 were in-door and 178 out-door.

Occupations.

Of the whole number of mechanics and craftsmen in the province no less than 54 per cent. were carpenters, joiners, splitters of wood, or sawyers. Of the 2,548 persons in the province following specific pursuits, there were 37.5 per cent. belonging to the labouring class engaged in pastoral or agricultural pursuits, 30-5 per cent. of mechanics and craftsmen, and 5.3 of marines and fishermen. The return of persons holding special licences for the sale of spirits affords a standard of the gradual spread of the settlers over the interior of the country since 1845; since one of the first symptoms of traffic commencing in a new direction, is the licensed house for the accommodation of travellers.

The number of houses licensed for the sale of spirits, &c., in 1848, was 10 in Wellington, 7 in Nelson, 1 in Akawa, and 3 in Otago, being in all 21.

The annexed table exhibits the distribution of occupations among the population of New Munster, in August 1848.