ance, each having his advisers called Tualafele, who are respectable chiefs, and are appointed to their office on account of their sound judgment and fluency of speech; it devolves upon them to deliver the sentiments of the great chiefs at their public meetings. One or two of these may generally be found in each village. and was the T The great bulk of the people are of various grades, but far the greater part consider themselves chiefs; indeed the great difficulty is not in finding out who is a chief, but who is not one! borib Mua .IT Many attempts have been made by the Consuls and Missionaries to convince them of the advantages of enacting a code of laws, simple and adapted to their present state, and of forming an executive government to carry them into effect; but have hitherto failed. The chiefs are so exceedingly jealous of each other's power and influence, that it is impossible to get them to agree to any thing that may be recommended for the public good; as should one party agree another would oppose, if only to show his independence. ori & 7m 50 (1.dk The average number of foreigners, exclusive of the missionaries, resident at Samoa, may be considered about eighty; which are principally composed of runaway and other seamen from the different whalers calling here to refit, &c.; whose conduct, generally speaking, is most disgraceful, and far more degraded, in every respect, than the heathen natives; their time being spent in a continuous round of drunkenness and debauchery, many of them keeping grog-shops of the worst description, where they entice seamen to desert, and assist them frequently in doing so. A few others, however, are getting an honest livelihood by working at different trades, such as carpenters, boat-builders, sawyers, blacksmiths, and shipwrights; and others in bartering with the natives for cocoa-nut oil, hogs, &c., with which they supply shipping. Several of these foreigners have lived many years on the islands, and have large famílies by native women. An institution is about to be established for their education, hol There are at present thirteen missionaries distributed amongst the different islands and districts, whose exertions for the advancement and well being of the natives are most exemplary and praiseworthy, and are duly appreciated by a large number of them. They have a printing-office, and an institution for the instruction of the sons of chiefs and others in branches of useful and scientific knowledge, with a view of spreading it, through them, generally throughout these is lands. These establishments are conducted with great ability and Upon inquiry I found that the number and description of vessels arriving at Apia, Upolu, (which is the only anchorage that is frequented,) since 1842, is as follows:→→→ 1844 1845 1845 72 35. 7 English, 25 American, and 3 Tahitian 16 English, 44 American, 4 French, 1 Prussian, 7 Tahitian 1847 47 .. 12 English, 28 American, 2 Fr., 2 Bremen, 1 Dutch, 8 Tahitian WEST HARBOUR AND DOCKS, HARTLEPOOL. The old town, bay, and haven of Hartlepool, on the east coast of the county of Durham, owe their favoured position to a bold natural headland. The earliest distinct mention of them is in the year 1171; and history records that, in olden times, they were of much importance, and frequently the scenes of conquest. A pier, to form a small harbour and protection to the old town, was ordered to be built in 1473. In the year 1593 Queen Elizabeth granted a charter of incorporation to the mayor and burgesses of the town of Hartlepool. The old town and harbour in after years sunk into decay, and ultimately became a mere fishing place. In the year 1831 certain individuals having ascertained that there was coal to the north-west of Hartlepool, possessed themselves of coal fields in that district, and in order to procure a transit and place of shipment for their collieries, originated the scheme of a railway of about twelve miles to Hartlepool, and the construction of a dock at its terminus, by excavating a portion of the old haven or harbour. A company was accordingly formed for that purpose under the title of "The Hartlepool Dock and Railway Company," (usually now styled "The Old Dock Company,") who obtained their act of incorporation on the 1st of June, 1832. In the year 1841, a short line, called the Stockton and Hartlepool Railway, was formed as an extension of the Clarence Railway, (nearly the oldest railway in the kingdom,) for the purpose of enabling the owners of coal fields in the south and south-west districts of the county, (and who were then alone confined to the River Tees, which is of very intricate and hazardous navigation,) to ship their coals, &c., also in the bay of Hartlepool. In the original formation of this extension line, Mr. Jackson took a most active and prominent part; and, though encountering severe opposition from surrounding competing interests, was the great means of bringing the line into operation, and thereby succeeded in producing the much-desired railway-communication between the towns of Stockton and Seaton (a pleasant and rising bathing place) and Hartlepool, as well as in opening out increased facilities for the transit and shipment of the rich mineral districts of the southern and western parts of the county. The object of the promoters of the Stockton and Hartlepool extension was, in the first instance, to form a dock of their own, and a separate entrance harbour to it at the terminus of their line, and about half a mile in the bay, from the old harbour. The old dock company seeking to avoid competition, however, offered to ship in their dock the traffic from the Stockton and Hartlepool Railway upon certain terms, instead of seeing a new set of docks and another harbour estaNO. 10.-VOL. XXI. 4 A blished near them. The result of the negociation was, that a temporary and experimental agreement for such shipping was entered into between the two companies for three years. Smuk to penit s13 It was very soon proved that the shipping charges of the old dock company were so partial and excessive, and that the accommodation they had provided was so extremely inconvenient, as to amount praetically to a prohihition to the southern coal owners sending coal freely for shipment at Hartlepool. di chit sugres wet ego) halinanong bak Repeated attempts were made to get the old dock company to remedy these evils, but all proved ineffectual. The consequence was, that after the expiration of the three years' agreement, steps were revived for the construction of the new dock and harbour in the precise situation originally intended in the bay. Application was accordingly made to Parliament, in the session of 1844, for an Act for the purpose, and it received the royal assent on the 23rd of May, 1844. C600 bog sidder hier 5 7 of 500, a tyr The promoters (of whom Mr. Jackson was also the most prominent and energetic) were incorporated as "The Hartlepool West Harbour and Dock Dompany," and hence the establishment of the west harbour and docks in the bay of Hartlepool. Notwithstanding the approval of the measure by the Admiralty, the bill was severely opposed in Parliament by the old dock company and persons in their interest. Petitions very numerously signed were presented to Parliament in favour of the New West Harbour and Dock, from the shipping interests of the ports of Newcastle upon Tyne, North Shields, South Shields, Blyth, Sunderland, Scarborough, Whitby, Yarmouth, Lynn, Ipswich, and Hartlepool; also from the fishermen of Hartlepool (several hundreds in number); from the owners of collieries in the southern and western' districts of the county, desirous to ship in the west dock, and representing an aimual production of upwards of 500,000 tons; and also from eight captains of vessels who, in attempting to make the old harbour in a severe gale from E.N.E., on the 26th of February, 1844, (when the west Harbour and dock bill was in Parlisment,) were wrecked, under distressing circumstances, on the very site of the then proposed new harbour, und the whole of whom, according to the evidence of one of the captains, could have saved their ships if the West harbour had actually then been formed. It may be here stated that the most dangerous gales on that coast are from E.N.E. to N.N.E., and that no ship can, in such storms, take the old harbour of Hartlepool without the aid of steam, the channel into it laying N.N.E.; whereas any ship can in such gales sail into the West Harbour (its course being N.W.) with perfect ease and a flowing sheet. It is, therefore, at once apparent why the West Harbour was so strongly advocated in Parliament by the shipping interests of nearly every port between the Thames and the Tyne. The works of the West Harbour (then designed to contain about thirteen acres) and of the inner dock (of about eight acres) were com menced in the spring of 1845 and were completed and opened with great public éclat, and in the presence of several thousand people on the first of June, 1847. On that occasion the Prima a barque of Jersey, and a schooner of London, the Admiral Benbow, entered the harbour and dock from the sea, and so excellent and expeditious were the shipping accommodations, even at that period, that, in the short space of two hours both vessels were laden with full cargoes of coal, and proceeded to sea the same tide in which they entered. ~ During the first twelve months after the opening of the West Harbour and its first dock, upwards of 1,000 ships entered, and upwards of 130,000 tons of coal were exported. The West Harbour and docks soon recommended themselves, and as they became gradually known were appreciated by the shipping interest. Hence shipowners have sent their vessels to the West Harbour and dock in great abundance, and the trade has, consequently, increased to a considerable and important extent as the following sum mary will show :→→→→ No Tons. Listemony SAT Ships entered to loadew (aitongens bite aldunen orla sauda idr refuge, vnn ooke shipped. [ [16 From June to December, 18470098H 454,202× 5518 For the six months ending Ju unc, 18481.4 560 matber78,439 07 Ma odr ye inguin Dedi a4 brand (68271*1+7990,582)56 9d2 June, 1849-994π "..Dec. *1759 2041 137,451251,503 274,094 Tr 315,896 June, 1850 1. 1845 Dec. Totals in three years and a half. 83412 1,202,167 The above are exports of coal and coke alone, but so soon as the railway communication is open (and which is now rapidly drawing to a completion) between Leeds, the West Riding of Yorkshire, and South Lancashire and Hartlepool, the imports and exports of merchandise, &c., at the West Harbour and docks are certain to be very large, and to give a corresponding addition and importance to the trade and position of the undertaking. So great has been the trade already to the West Harbour and the one dock, that it has become necessary to provide as well further dock accommodation as increased harbour space, and, consequently, another dock of twelve acres was commenced about twelve months ago, is on the eve of completion, and intended to be opened early in June next. In addition to the above two docks, provision is being also now made for two more docks, so that, as the trade requires them they may be speedily executed. Additions to the West Harbour are also in course of formation, by which, during the present year, it will be increased to an aggregate area of about forty-four acres, thus rendering it the largest pier harbour on the whole of the east coast of England and Scotland. With the west harbour thus completed, and its two inner docks of twenty acres, which in a few months will be in existence, there will be " 2 the means of accommodating and sheltering upwards of 500 sail of ships at one time. 1 Many valuable ships of a large class of merchantmen have been loaded and sent safely to sea from the West Harbour, bound for the Cape of Good Hope, the East and West Indies, the various Mediterranean, Russian and northern ports.pw par sent H Since the opening of the works in June, 1847, many heavy gales and storms have occurred, which have proved the stability of the sea works and the value of the West Harbour for shelter and safety to ships on such occasions. This may be exemplified by a reference to three of the gales of great severity. The first was a gale at N.E., on the 30th of September, 1849, when seven vessels were saved by the West Harbour, while seventeen were cast on shore after attempting the old harbour. On this occasion the West Harbour Company's own lifeboat, during a long and arduous struggle for nine hours, assisted during a portion of the time by the Seaton lifeboat, was the means of taking from those wrecks sixty-five lives; only one man in the whole of the ships perishing. The second gale was one at S.E. on the 3rd of December, 1849, when nine vessels (among others) in running for the old harbour were wrecked; while, in the same gale, nine ships took the West Harbour in perfect safety. The third gale referred to was one also at S.E. on the 30th of March, 1850, during which ninetythree ships took the West Harbour in two tides; in one of which, and during the heaviest of the gale, fifty-five ships safely entered the West Harbour in forty-five minutes. The masters of six of these ships had ; never been in it before. The exertions which Mr. Jackson has made on all occasions in promoting the undertaking of the West Harbour and docks, and the railways connecting themselves with it, have been most exemplary and extraordinary; and he has also ever been foremost in affording efficient service to all vessels entering the West Harbour. Often has he boldly gone out to sea in heavy storms in one of the west harbour steamboats, for the purpose of rendering assistance to vessels in distress, and in many trying instances he has been eminently successful in so doing, ele od f The company possess a great extent of land adjoining their docks, and which they are selling off for buildings. A larger town, indeed, is fast springing up at West Hartlepool, which it is generally acknowledged will, in the course of a very few years, become a place of considerable importance. The streets are laid out with judgment, the whole sewerage is undertaken by the company, upon uniform and sanitary principles, and the greatest regard is shown by the company in all respects to the drainage and health of the new town. T |