The Superintendent invites communications from persons who may desire to be supplied with these worms for the purpose and upon the conditions mentioned in Messrs. Asselin and Brady’s letter to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

J. WILLIAMSON,
Superintendent.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 19th December, 1867.

Sir,—I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter, dated the 30th ultimo, from Messrs. Asselin and Brady, of Brisbane and Sydney, offering to supply Silkworms, and to request Your Honor to be good enough to inform me whether you would wish to be supplied with a number of these Silkworms on the conditions specified in the enclosure.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

G. W. STAFFORD.

His Honor, the
Superintendent of Auckland.

Brisbane, Queensland, and Glebe, Sydney,
30th, November, 1867.

Sir,—You may be aware that, engaged in an enterprise having for its object the commercial growth of silk in Australia, we, after several years of study, labour, and expense, have been so fortunate as to succeed in introducing the valuable variety known as the Ailant Silkworm, and that this important source of wealth is now thoroughly naturalized in this climate.

We have made to the Governments of this Colony and of Queensland differing proposals to furnish them with living stock on certain conditions for gratuitous distribution on all parts, and particularly in places beyond or out of reach of our personal direct action, and the Government of New South Wales has promised to carry out our suggestion to set forth by its own authority such elementary information as may be sufficient to afford opportunity to persons in remote localities to acquire a certain knowledge of the nature, habits, mode of production, value, &c., of the animal in question, which thrives out of doors and without any protection or expensive provision for its management, and is, therefore, singularly well adapted to become an important staple in Colonies circumstanced as these are.

We have reflected that the introduction of this peculiar silkworm has for several years been ineffectually attempted by public bodies as well as by private individuals, and that, from the nature of the case, it may be long before others attain equal success with ourselves, and regarding it both a duty and a privilege, to do as far as lay with us what may avail in a considerable degree to advance the prosperity of our fellow colonists, we beg you to be good enough to present our dutiful respects to the Governor of New Zealand and to say that it will afford us much pleasure to place at command of His Excellency, and also of the Superintendents of the several provinces under his Government any quantity of the live stock of the Ailant Silkworm that may be requisite for gratuitous distribution so as to render it generally accessible and a source of income to all persons who may have discernment enough to make adequate provision for the sustenance of the animal in quantity to be of more than mere nominal value.

Should His Excellency be advised to accept our gift we must beg permission to offer one stipulation; we would ask that the stock shall not be given to any person for purposes of amusement, and only to such as may satisfy the Government that they have already made preparation, and specify what food they have got in possession for the support of the silkworms, in sufficient numbers to realize a substantial result in a mercantile sense.

We have no knowledge of the nature of the New Zealand Land Laws, nor if any encouragement is held out to pastoral tenants, or freeholders, to attempt any new industry, but, we may say, that we do know of our own knowledge, that the climate of New Zealand by reason of its greater moisture is more favourable than even that of New South Wales, excellent as this is for the propagation of the Ailant Silkworm, and that it would have fewer natural enemies to contend against.

We have only further to add, that should you desire any information or assistance, we shall be very happy to place any resources we may possess freely at your disposal.

We have, &c.,

ASSELIN & BRADY.

The Honorable
the Colonial Secretary
of New Zealand.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION.

Superintendent’s Office,
Auckland, 28th December, 1867.

THE following correspondence and Report, having reference to the trade and social condition of the Fiji Islands, are published for general information.

J. WILLIAMSON,
Superintendent.

British Consulate,
Fiji, November 14th, 1867.

Sir,—Captain Charles W. Hope, of H.M.S. Brisk, has suggested to me that Your Honor would feel interested in having a correct report of the present condition of this group of Islands.