120

3. CHARACTER OF IMMIGRANTS.

The "Pladda," "Robert Henderson," and "Silistria" have landed as fine a body of men as perhaps ever left the shores of Britain; and, judging from the certificates of their character and skill which have just been forwarded by Messrs. Crawford & Auld, I feel assured that a more suitable class of immigrants were never landed in any part of New Zealand.

4. TREATMENT OF IMMIGRANTS.

The Immigrants' Barracks are now capacious buildings, capable of housing 700 souls; and at no time during the large arrivals of August were the buildings full. Its value was very evident when the "Bruce" arrived, with 120 passengers, from Glasgow, unconnected with our immigration scheme.

Previous to the arrival of each ship, the Barracks were washed and fumigated. The rule has been strictly enforced of locking all the apartments every night at 10 o'clock, and opening them at 5 in the morning. A police-man is in attendance night and day, so that no stain may attach to the character of any one landing as a stranger in the Colony.

Although the contract for the conveyance of our immigrants from Britain appears on the whole to have been legally carried out, yet there is one particular in which an immediate alteration is absolutely necessary, and, if the change cannot be effected during the present, it should be regarded as of first importance in all future contracts, viz.— the appointment of Surgeon.

The passengers by the "Henrietta" have suffered a great deal from sickness, before and after landing; and, from enquiries at the passengers by the above, and some other vessels, I am sorry to say that ship-surgeons are in general (if I may be allowed such an expression), the very dregs of the profession to which they belong. No doubt, there are eminent exceptions to this unfortunate rule; but the skill, and particularly the character, of this officer is a matter of such vast importance to the comfort of our immigrants, that it should no longer be left to the application of a cheap and worthless surgeon, but, on the contrary, the appointment should be confided solely to the home agents, who are in many respects well qualified to discharge this duty, which they would doubtless do with greater fidelity to the colony than any shipbroker.

5. IMMIGRANTS' BILLS.

At the last meeting of the Provincial Council, the immigrants' bills amounted to £17,000; since that time, the amount has swelled to £20,000; but, during the last three months, I am more than ever convinced that they are a good debt, and that the amount will be refunded at the rate of about £5000 per annum.

The loss on the whole assisted Immigration transactions of Otago will not amount to one-twentieth of the original sum, and so far as I have been able to follow up the account, I think that £800 will cover the losses sustained through those who have absconded from the Colony. Five of these persons were passengers by the ship * from London. I have forwarded their addresses to a solicitor at Christchurch. The recovery of such sums may not put anything into the Provincial chest, but it is necessary for the Government, and due to those immigrants who regularly and honestly pay up their instalments, to teach those who are unscrupulous in such matters, to respect their obligations.

During the six months ending September 30, the immigrants have repaid £799, and during the months of October and November there has been a great increase. In addition to these sums, I have left for collection at the Oriental Bank £1000 in promissory notes. By this mode of payment, I have in my power, to grant an extension of time, according to the circumstances in which a family may be placed. In four cases I have had to request the Provincial Solicitor to take proceedings at the District Court against certain persons, but I am happy to report that the great bulk of the immigrants admit that they have been leniently dealt with by the Government, and acknowledge their bills as just and legitimate claims upon their earnings.

I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
JAMES ADAM,
Immigration Agent.

SHEEP REPORTS.

Dunedin, 30th November 1860.

SIR,—In laying before you my returns for the present year, I think that they will be found satisfactory.

It is with pleasure that I am able to report that all the Sheep in the Northern District are free from disease. The four thousand five hundred (4500) in the enclosed return were in a doubtful state in September, but, as far as I can see, are now perfectly clean. If care is taken to gather all stragglers upon the Runs that are diseased, and should there be no infected importations, I am satisfied that the Scab will not again appear amongst the flocks in the Northern division.

You will observe that there is an increase of one hundred and one thousand, one hundred and ninety-eight (101,198) upon my last return. Sixty thousand of these have been brought into the district during the past year; and, allowing for forty thousand (40,000),—which was about the number killed for consumption north of the Clutha; fifteen thousand (15,000) of these have been used for Lambs,—will give 85 per cent. of Lambs over the Northern District. This must be allowed to be very good, considering that we have had twenty thousand imported ewes, that seldom give more than an average of 35 per cent. the first season after landing in this Province. I am afraid that the returns next September will show a deficiency in the average per centage of natural increase on account of the bad winter. The loss upon some of the Stations has been very great; one in particular, at the head of the Manuherikia, lost four hundred of the original stock, and all the Lambs of two thousand nine hundred (2900) Ewes. Another settler between the Shag and Taieri Rivers only saved six hundred Lambs out of six thousand (6000). The losses have been equally great upon all the Runs in high positions that happened to have had any Lambs during the heavy snow. From all the information I could gather, the decrease of Lambs, from the severe season, cannot be less than twenty thousand (20,000). The portions of the District that appear to have suffered most, are the Upper Manuherikia, and Waitaki; the high land between Shag Valley, Rocks Pillar, and Maungatua Mountains; and all the high country upon the Molyneux River,