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Historic Poverty Bay and the East Coast, N.I., N.Z.

Statistics

Statistics.

There were 20 weather-boarded houses in the district, besides barns, stores, sheds, stables, etc. Captain Harris was credited with owning five wooden buildings, of which two were dwellings, and at the mission station there was a wooden dwelling, together with two wooden outbuildings. Europeans who had land in cultivation were:—J. W. Harris, 27 acres; W. B. Cooper, 8; R. Espie, 24; T. Norcross, 10; J. H. King, 14; W. Williams, 6; T. Halbert, 13; G. Rich, 1; P. Simpson, 2; a total of 105 acres. No information is given as to the amount of land under cultivation by natives.

The only classes of stock being grazed were cattle, horses and goats. J. W. Harris owned 43 head of cattle; T.U'Ren, 19; R. Espie, 20; T. Norcross, 8; J. H. King, 33; —— (name illegible), 50; W. Williams, 20; W. B. Cooper, 3; P. Simpson, 9; T. Halbert, 5; a total of 210, although Mr. McLean showed a total of only 202. The 20 horses were owned as follow:—Harris, 4; Espie, 1; King, 2; Arthur, 2; Williams, 8; Simpson, 1; and W. Morris, 2. There was no enumeration as to the ownership of 300 goats. The natives on the north side of the Waipaoa River owned 28 “cattle and horses,” and those residing at Makaraka and Turanganui 25.

During 1850 produce had been exported from Poverty Bay as under:—Wheat, 10,902 bushels; salt pork, 27½ tons; maize, 3,220 bushels; bacon and hams, 2 tons; onions, 10 tons; potatoes, 16 tons; barley, 80 bushels. page 184 “Yankee” Smith's exports for that year comprised:—5,000 bushels of wheat, 20 tons of salt pork, 3,000 bushels of maize, and 2 tons of bacon and hams. It was expected by Mr. McLean that Smith's exports for 1851 would be three times as great. He had then in hand £4,000 worth of produce. Salt pork was worth £23 per ton, maize 2/- per bushel, and wheat 3/- per bushel.

Some statistics concerning the Tolaga Bay district were also gathered by Mr. McLean. The native population between Puatai and Waimahuru (as per a census taken in 1846) was:—Males 752 and females 559, total 1,311, but he was given to understand that the aggregate was probably 1,500. “Wm. B.” [this would be W. B. Baker] had 33 cattle, 6 horses, 7 sheep and 220 goats at Tolaga Bay. The item “sheep” is of especial interest, seeing that Mr. McLean had been unable to trace any in Poverty Bay. Robert Waddy had 9 cattle, 1 horse and 25 goats, whilst there were 20 goats at a whaling station. The Puatai natives had 11 cattle and 8 horses, and the natives in the Uawa district owned 11 cattle and 45 horses.

Production in the Tolaga Bay-Tokomaru Bay area in 1850 is shown as under:—Puatai—400 bushels of wheat, 200 bushels of maize, and 6 tons of onions; Uawa—600, 250 and 1 respectively; Kaiaua—200, 95 and¼; Anaura—250, 200 and ½; Marahea—150, 125 and 1; Tokomaru Bay—600, 200 and 1½. Totals—Wheat, 2,200 bushels; maize, 1,070 bushels; and onions, 10¼ tons. Salt pork to the extent of 8 tons was also produced.