SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

15

E.—No. 2.

the " Nevada " that the United States sloop of war " Narragansett," which vessel was at Honolulu when the " Nevada" left that place, is under orders to proceed to the Navigators for the purpose of forming a naval station at Pango Pango Harbour. Commerce is rapidly increasing in the Pacific, and trading stations owned by British subjects are being established in it in various directions. Large numbers of British vessels are now constantly employed in distributing British manufactures, and gathering up produce at the various islands for shipment (generally through the Australian Colonies and New Zealand) to Great Britain. Very large interests are thus rapidly springing up among the South Sea Islands, and the necessity for having some station in the Pacific where British authority shall prevail and where British justice can be administered, will year by year become more pressing. If British authority should be established on Samoa, I believe that the Natives, under proper management, would readily adapt themselves to our institutions and conform to all necessary laws for maintaining order among themselves. They have already made efforts to establish laws for tho punishment of crime. A simple code was, some time since, drawn up by the British Consul, which the Natives approved of, but, owing to dissensions among themselves, it did not come into operation. Perhaps the most certain indication of their fitness for civil government that can be adduced, is the fact that they have adopted tho plan of levying taxes among themselves for particular objects. For instance, quite recently the Upolu people fixed a tax of one dollar a head on adult males, a half dollar on youths, and a quarter dollar on male children, for the purpose of buying arms and ammunition for the present war. New Zealand, in addition to being the nearest British Colony to the Navigators, is also most favourably situated for communicating with that group, owing to the prevailing winds for nine months in tho year being favourable for the passage both ways. One or two vessels are already employed in trading to them, and it is certain that at no distant date this trade will rapidly increase, as the islands are capable of yielding sugar, coffee, cotton, and almost every kind of tropical produce ; whilst New Zealand raises in abundance and can supply, in exchange for these commodities, exactly those articles which the white settlers on the islands stand most in need of, such as flour, butter, cheese, preserved meats, &c, &c. Many of the European settlers are fully alive to the advantages they would derive from a connection with New Zealand, and a large number of them, I have no doubt, would willingly aid in establishing such a connection. Several of them recognize that the long experience the New Zealand Government has had in the management of the Maoris, would enable it to suggest measures or to take steps that would avert m&nj complications that they think would arise if the management of the islands were placed entirely ujider persons having little or no knowledge of the character and prejudices of the Polynesian Natives. From the particulars given above it will be seen that the Navigators Islands occupy a most important position in the Pacific ; that they possess two safe and commodious harbours, suitable for the largest size vessels, which harbours are admirably adapted for stations from which operations could be rapidly carried out for suppressing the pernicious and iniquitous labour traffic that is now carried on among the South Sea Islands ; that the Islands are capable of producing almost everything that is grown within the topics, and that they are likely to become an important centre for trade ; — further, that they are inhabited by a docile and amiable race of Natives, who have the warmest attachment to Great Britain, and earnestly desire to place themselves under her rule and protection. On reviewing these conditions, and having regard especially to the geographical position of New Zealand in relation to the Navigators and adjacent groups, and to the fact that a considerable trade is likely soon to spring up between this Colony and those Islands, the conclusion, I think, that must be arrived at is, that it would be advisable that the New Zealand Government should strongly support the wishes of the Natives, and should urge upon the Imperial Government to comply with those wishes, by establishing British protection and authority over the Islands of Samoa. I have, &c, The Hon. the Commissioner of Customs, Wellington. William Seed.

EXTRACT from the Meteorological Register kept at the British Consulate at Apia, in the Navigators Islands, for the Year 1864.

Lowest and Highest Temperature during the Month. Month. 6 o'cloi ;k a.m. 4 o'clock p.m. Highest recorded Temperature DURING the Month. Lowest. Highest. Lowest. Highest. O o o o o lanuary February tfarch ... April Vlay fune ruly ... August ... September Dctober November December 70 71 70 70 65 65 61 59 67 61 73 71 75 79 81 76 82 74 74 77 78 79 76 78 76 77 74 74 78 78 79 78 81 82 78 82 82 84 85 88 85 83 82 84 83 84 79 86 85 at 8 a.m. 85 at 10 a.m. 86 at 8 a.m. 88 at 4 p.m. 85 at 4 p.m. 83 at 4 p.m. 82 at 4 p.m. 84 at 4 p.m. 86 at 8 a.m. 86 at 8 a.m. 84 at 8 a.m. 86 at 4 p.m.