September 16, 1842

From Captain Liardet, R.N. to the Editor of The Times of London.

Sir,

Since my return to England, a letter has been read to me bearing the signature of Charles Brown, and publised in The Times of 31st of August, which contains various statements calculated, in my opinion, to convey an incorrect view of the settlement of New Plymouth.

I think, therefore, my duty, in justice to the settlers and their friends in England, to make the following short statement, which you are at perfect liberty to make public.

As soon as I am somewhat recovered from the effects of the accident which obliged me to leave my post in the settlement, I hope to be enabled to give you a more full account of the New Plymouth settlement.

The accidents which happened to the shipping at New Plymouth were all before the moorings sent out by the Company arrived.  Had they been there before, the Regina would not have been lost, nor would the Oriental have been endangered - both circumstances happening from the same cause, viz., the anchor trailing on the ground in the act of weighing; this rendered the sails worse than useless, which, with the united crew of a merchant vessel, could not be taken in in time to prevent her drifting on shore, whereas, with moorings after the sail is set, with or without a spring, a vessel has only to slip and go direct to sea with both anchors at the bows.

One set of moorings was completely laid down the day I left for Sydney, and I gazetted the bearings at that place.  I have now no hesitation in saying that they render the roadstead perfectly safe, even in the worst of winds.

The only thing now required at New Plymouth is a boat harbour, which may be constructed at a very moderate expense at the mouth of the Huatoki, where there is already a natural basin, into which boats can now be taken.

Greatly exaggerated statements have been made of the expense of this work, but as the principal materials - namely the wood of which it should be made, and the flax with which it should be caulked - are on the spot, the labour would be the rpincipal expense.

Such a work is of the simplest nature, and could be executed under the direction of any person tolerably conversant with naval architecture.

When I was at New Plymouth, the settlers were at one time dissatisfied, and held several meetings. They wished the town to be removed to the Waitara; but I explained to them that it was impossible for any vessel larger than a coaster to anchor off the Waitara, in safety, near enough to communicate for mercantile purposes.

She would be so much embayed she could not possibly lie off the shore on either tack if it should blow from the north-west, which is by far the most dangerous wind on that part of the coast.

In my opinion, the Waitara would never do for a principal town. The river is only calculated for coasters not exceeding fifty or sixty tons, and that of a light draught of water. The ingress and egress are so very uncertain, that for everything above the size of boats they would always have to wait until half flood or whole before they could enter or go over the shallow inside.

In addition to this, the surf is so high, that sometimes it happens, for days together, that no vessel could possibly go to sea or enter the harbour; the Waitara, however, is a place well suited for building, repairing and fitting coasters.

I have little doubt a small town will be erected on its banks, but the principal business in exports, will, I think, be carried on from New Plymouth with ease and safety even now, but with certainty whenever the boat harbour is made, from which boats calculated for the purpose can communicate with ships riding at the moorings.

The land in the settlement is beautifully undulating; the soil is considered first-rate by the farmers, more particularly about the Waitara. I should think this river well calculated for floating down timber for every purpose.

Indeed, I am not aware of any place in the world, for size, with so many running streams, or so well calculated to turn mills of every kind.

From becoming blind so soon after my arrival at new Plymouth, I could not see much of the interior; but from Mr.Cook, and several gentlemen who had been out exploring, I heard that the country was beautiful beyond description, and that there were many miles of the flax growing in all directions, more particularly about the Sugar Loaves, which had once been in a state of cultivation by the Taranakians: In fact, it was allowed by everyone it was the finest flax district in new Zealand.

New Plymouth will have many exports: flax, a good whale station to export whale oil, coal and limestone have been lately discovered, and the san on the beach is full of iron, which Mr.Weekes, the colonial surgeon, reported to me contrained from eighty to ninety percent of iron, and that when smelted it turned out a beautiful specimen.

There is building stone of a good description, and clay from which they make bricks; but the Devonshire and Cornish emigrants build excellent houses of mud and straw mixed, which they call cob.

Before I came away a bridle-road had been commenced by the Governor from Auckland to New Plymouth, which I should think must be now open. There is also an overland communication and post to Wellington.

Captain King had imported considerable quantities of cattle, sheep, and working oxen. There is no fear whatever of scarcity, for pigs and potatoes are in abundance, and fish plentiful.

The great thing which is wanted in the settlement is, however, men of capital, to carry on the clearing of the thickly-wooded forest land. But such men will, I hope, soon be found, and in that case the settlement must advance with great rapidity.

I have sent to the Court of Directors a letter from Mr.Smith of Wellington, relative to clearing land at that place, in answer to some questions I put to him on that subject. He states that his experience in cutting down 100 acres of the thickest forest land in the valley of the Hutt led him to suppose that it could be cleared for £16 per acre.

He measured off two acres of the average character, and the cutting, burning and grubbing all, save the largest timber fit for sawing, cost £27, and was then in a fit state to plough. This gentleman, however, suggests that the clearing of land requires at all times the eye of the proprietor to keep down the cost. I am, Sir, yours etc,

T.Liardet, Captain, R.N.

More letters like these, written between February 1842 and January 1843, can be found in a little red-covered book Letters from New Plymouth, 1843, from Settlers & Labouring Emigrants in the New Zealand Company's Settlements of Wellington, Nelson & New Plymouth.