THE NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITION.

In our second edition last week. we communicated the satisfactory news received on Saturday, that Colonel Wakefield had purchased Port Nicholson, on the southern coast of the North Island, with all the adjacent territory, which is of great extent and extraordinary fertility, for the New Zealand Company. Copious extracts from Colonel Wakefield's second despatch have been published in the New Zealand Journal and the aienitt/ Ga:ette : enabling us to supply a narrative of the proceedings of the Col.anel and his companions.

The last date of the first despatch was Septemher 2d. and Colonel Wakefield resumed his journal on the 6th of September. It commences with a description of the trade carried on in Queen Charlotte's Sound, and in the seas adjacent ; from which we learn that whalers in the pay of Sydney capitalists are the chief followers of this hazardous but profitable and not very extensive commerce. It is estimated that 1,200 tuns of oil are procured annnally. and that the number of British who compose the " shore-parties" in Cook's Straits and the stations on Banks's Peninsula are abont 500. They are a lawless set of people, quarrelling with the natives and among, themselves. There are, however, sonic respectable persons among them. The half-castes, arising from the connexion of these White men with native women, are represented as a very promising race—none of them darker than Italians, and many with flaxen hair and rosy complexions.

I Levi mg procured a pilot. Colonel NVaketield started on the Gth of September on an expedition to explore the river Oyeroi or Morns, which empties itself into Admiralty Bay. lie was accompanied hy his nephew, " Mr. W—," a chief of the Kalb tribe. another " Mr. W—," settler in Cloudy Bay, and five "hands." of whom fonr were natives of Cloudy Bay. detailed account is given cf this expedition; but Colonel Wakefield was not tempted to make any parebases of land on the banks of the river. The country proved undeserving, of the high character given of its fertility and accessibility. The scenery in Admiralty Bay was beautiful and striking ! " It is i»Tessible to see a more beautiful collection of mountains. wood, and water, than that which the passage from the headlands to the fresh water affords. The liebzlits are more considerable than where we have been, and bear timber of the finest growth, amongst which the pine is cons:dcuous. On either ski:, as far as the cyc can remit. whenever an opening in the hills pmscuts itself, from the water's NW. to the clouds. and for forty miles in length, nothing but a majestic forest ot trees of every description, in comparison with which the woods of Blair Athol are insignificant, is to be seen.

The party returned to the mouth of the estuary of the Pelorus on the 11th of September ; having accomplished a very difficult navigation. They disembarked at Guard's Island, where a portion of the Kafia tribe have a settlement " They have excellent houses, and stores of pigs, potatoes, and flax. They cultivate large patches of the island, which at a short distance has the appearance of barrenness, and seem more independent, free from alarm, and happier than any natives we have seen. We found here the elder brother of the chief we Lad taken with us. Ile is IC tabooed or sacred personage, and cannot be touched. He is consequently not tattooed, and not a little arrogant and scornful. As his tribe owns the Oyeroi by right of conquest, he had followed us, to know how I liked the place ; which he and his brothers are anxious to sell to Europeans, in the hope of deriving benefits which they have learned to appreciate hy their hiten.course with whale-ships in Cloudy Bay. The eldest brother's name is Duni, the second Eboa, and the third Charley ; and they are all influential and well-disposed to Englishmen visiting Cloudy flay. Leaving Guard's Island for Point Jackson, their ship was compelled by a sudden south-east breeze to put into Port Gore, where Enai joined them in his canoe. and caught fish and shot birds for the mess

" lie expressed himself very jealously of Nayti, and tried to disparage him: though of the same, tribe, he cannot bear to hear of Nnytes adventures and reception in England. He even would not allow that his name is Nayti, and only knew him as Eriki 'Sono, which being translated, is Lick-Bottom. I was informed by Nayti that Eriki signifies chief; but he has since allowed that it is a nieknanw, corrupted from Dicky, which he acquired in youth. This assumption of rank, which he thinks we value, is, however, to be greatly excused m Nayti; for in London he had every, temptation to assume caste, both by people addressia Lim as Chief, Prince, Sze., and by the free entry its supposed possession itke him to some society."

Although the Pelorus river and the adjacent country were not very pro

mis Mo. Colonel Wakefield had intended to return there and purchase the harbour of the river, which he describes as being "as fine a harbour of refuge as any in the Strait," but, learning that the Church Missionaries had sent a schooner to Port Nicholson with messengers desiring the natives not to sell their land, as "Mr. W—" would shortly arrive there front the Bay of Islands, be resolved to cross the Strait and make at once for Port Nicholson. Here he found a noble harbour and a fine country ; and met with a welcome from the chiefs " Final, an old chief, eagerly inquired the motives of our visit, and betrayed the most lively satisfaction at being informed that we wished to buy the place and bring White men to it. He was followed by Warepori, his nephew, who is fibula thirty-five years old, and has for sonic years superseded the e!,ler chiefs in influence by his prowess in war and skill in the rude arts cultivated by these people. lie also in tine words expressed his desire to see White people here, and his willingness to sell the land, which was solemnly made over to him by the natives of this place five years ago, when the greater virtion of them emigrated to one of the Chatham Islands in an English vessel, whose master they pat tly obliged to carry them. Warepori and the tribes which now inhabit the whole district of Port Nicholson were a little before that time driven out of their own country in the neighbourhood of mama Egmont by the tribes about the boiling springs, and have the same right to this place as Haulier() has to Entry Island, and as the Waikati people have to Kawni, from which they expelled the latter chief. This right is that of posst-sM, ; sanctified in this ease, in the opinion of the natives of all these parts, by th,. ti,rinal cession of the land by the natives who abandoned it, which constitutes the lawful power of use and disposal throughout these islands. Moreover, as regards this district, there is no one who disputes his claim, for the original possessors have made their homes at the Chathams, and having greatly decreased since their departure, would be incapable, if so disposed, to

regain their ceded territory. '

" The two chiefs leinained on board at night. They informed us that the schooner had kit some native Missionaries here, who were instructed to have houses and chapels built by the time Mr. W— was expected, with which orders they had complied. In discussing the merits of the Missionary labours as opp, svd t the former practices of the natives, viz, those of war and cannibali,m, dies. deprecated the constant over talon of praying and singing, which tee!: 1.• oihe off from their potato-grounds and their canoes; the younger one (kci .1 a that the incessant worship had nearly driven him mad, whilst

they at I s,me time warmly denounced any further fighting. ' What we want,' is to live in peace, and to have 'White people come amongst us. We or growing old,' alluding to the numerous aged chiefs on shore, and want our children to have protectors in Europeans ; but we do not wish for the Alissionaries from the North. They are natives. We have been long told of vessels coming horn Europe. One has at length arrived ; and we will sell our land and 1,,e.:,eur, and live with the White people when they come to us.'

" The oh. man :Lshed what the Missionaries meant is hen they said that all who were 1,,,t Mi*,Miniries were Devils and Said that they told him his father would come met we him again, when everybody knew that his father had beets dead and eaten these thirty years.'"

Colonel Wakefield ascended the principal river which falls into the bay ; and was well satisfied with the capabilities of the district. The soil is a rich black loam ; the timber excellent its quality and of various descriptions and the navigation of the river, which was obstructed by heaps of i.roles arid trees thrown across, susceptible of great improvement at slight expense.

Colonel Wakefield determined to fix upon this part of the island for the first and principal settlement of the Company ; and he lost no time in coming to ternis with the natives. A very amusing and graphic account is given of the debates, in a sort of ambulatory Parliament of the different tribes owning the territory, on the question of sale or no sale. There was air opposition, hut not a formidable one ; and after a large majority had agreed to sell the land, the minority was acquiescent. Colonel Wakefield thus describes his purchase

. " I found a territory of forty or fifty miles in length by twenty-five or thirty on breadth, containing a noble harbour, accessible at all times, and in the very highway hoe evil New Holland and the Western world, and land exceeding in fertility any I have seen in these islands, and equalling that of an English garden. I Mond a race of people of warlike habits, and but little used to intercourse at Europeans, just emerging from their barbarism, and inclined to cultivate the arts and intimacy of Great Britailn ; appreciating the protection from their hos.iik and still savage enemies that British settlers would afford, and anxiously desiring to assist them in their first labours in a new country. I found that these v.:ople, mustering, upon the slightest call, three hundred armed mei,, and quite .capable, as they have repeatedly proved themselves, of retain:.., therr possessions, and never having parted with a single acre of land in their district by sale or otherwise, now, for the first time, disposed to :nuke over their country to me, an the representative of a body of my countrymen, in consideration of the promises of remuneration and advantage I had held out to them. Under these circumstances, and following out the spirit of my instructions, I determined to act in the most liberal Mannar in the transaction. Moreover, I was most anxious to distinguish this bargain from all others that have been made in New Zealand, that none of the haggling and petty trading which usually take place between the Europeans and natives of this country should enter into any operations between the latter and the Company's agents.. and that the value of this property should not be regulated by what 1,' hitherto been considered the standard of exchange in similar transactions." q8 The amount paid, of course, is not published ; but the natives were highly pleased with their bargain, and eager to sell more of their laud. The chiefa carefully examined the articles given in barter, and then signed a formal deed, alienating the land for ever. One of the M4. sionaries reproached Warepori the most influential of the chiefs, with not keeping half of the land ior them ; but the shrewd savage turned sharply on him— "lie asked him bow Inc a child dared to reprove Wan for any thing he had done ? and whether, when the laud had been sold to the White Missionaries, they might not have sold it again perhaps to Frenchmen or Americans ? 'This Rangatira-hoya,' i. e. gentleman-soldier, lie said, drawing attention to roe, will bring many people here from England ; and bow could they live in the same place with their enemies ? They are not all Englishmen that come from Europe: I have been inn Port ;Jackson, and know theEnglish; and none others shall come to interfere with those who are coming to live here. There is a man from Europe on board the ship who is not an Englishinan; 1 know him by Iris tongue.' was inn allusion to the German naturalist. After reentering the boat, he said he wished to satisfy everybody; that he had reserved nothing for himself; that when lie had learned English he would go to England ; amid laying his head on my knee, he added, that if the natives were dissatisfied with him, lie would live with the English, and they should lie his fathers. Ile then invited the young men to attend at the principal village to-morrow, six miles off, at a war-dance in honour of Their visiters."

The war-dance, the hoisting of the New 'Zealand flag, and the formal ceremony of taking possession of the territory, are vividly described, Colonel Wakefield left a persona in charge of his uewly-acquired territory— " I had brought with sue a person from Queen Charlotte's Sound, a trustworthy man, well qualified by his knowledge of the language and habits of the people, for the purpose. I left with him saws, tools, garden. seeds, and various articles of trade, an which to pay for native labour, amid to supply himself with food. Warcpori undertook to put him up in a new house at his village, and render him every assistance. I had landed also a sow which had littered on our voyage front England, and her progeny, the goats, and the poultry. 1 left Mr. S— ample instructions to encourage the natives to build temporary houses at Thorndon, to plant potatoes, and to keep their pigs for their expected visitera; and supplied binn.wstls beards to place on tile most prominent spurts, on which is painted 'New Zealand Land Company.'"

It is worthy of remark, that Colonel Wakefield seems to have reposed implicit reliance on the good faith and perfect satisfaction of the natives. If he had overreached them, or procured a reluctant consent by unfairly influencing the chiefs, he would have considered it necessary to leave it strong force in possession, instead of his " trustworthy person." Colonel Wakefield, contemplating further purchases of land, left Port Nicholson for Cloudy Bay on the 4th of October. We learn from a Sydney paper, that on the 1st of November he departed from Capiti, again to visit Port Nicholson.

At a meeting held at their office on Tuesday, the Directors of the Company agreed that " Wellington" should be the name of the future capital of the " Britain of the South." The harbour is to be called " Lambton Harbour ;" and Captains Chaffers, commander of the Tory, named the island in the middle of it "Senses Island."