Beyond sheep,cattle,and land,there are few if any investments here for gentlemen who come out with little practical experience in any business or profession,but others would turn up with time.
What I have written above refers to good men.There are many such who find the conventionalities of English life distasteful to them,who want to breathe a freer atmosphere,and yet have no unsteadiness of character or purpose to prevent them from doing well--men whose health and strength and good sense are more fully developed than delicately organised--who find head-work irksome and distressing,but who would be ready to do a good hard day's work at some physically laborious employment.If they are in earnest,they are certain to do well;if not,they had better be idle at home than here.Idle men in this country are pretty sure to take to drinking.Whether men are rich or poor,there seems to be far greater tendency towards drink here than at home;and sheep farmers,as soon as they get things pretty straight and can afford to leave off working themselves,are apt to turn drunkards,unless they have a taste for intellectual employments.They find time hang heavy on their hands,and,unknown almost to themselves,fall into the practice of drinking,till it becomes a habit.I am no teetotaller,and do not want to moralise unnecessarily;still it is impossible,after a few months'residence in the settlement,not to be struck with the facts I have written above.
I should be loth to advise any gentleman to come out here unless he have either money and an average share of good sense,or else a large amount of proper self-respect and strength of purpose.If a young man goes out to friends,on an arrangement definitely settled before he leaves England,he is at any rate certain of employment and of a home upon his landing here;but if he lands friendless,or simply the bearer of a few letters of introduction,obtained from second or third hand--because his cousin knew somebody who had a friend who had married a lady whose nephew was somewhere in New Zealand--he has no very enviable look-out upon his arrival.