Auckland

Auckland, the most northern county of New Zealand, occupying about half of North Island, and having a length of 400 and a breadth of 200 miles. The coast line, deeply indented, extends for 1,200 miles, and there are excellent harbours. Mountains, fertile plains, and wooded slopes make up an attractive and diversified country with a climate in some respects superior to that of England. Signs of volcanic action are plentiful in the shape of active and extinct craters, geysers, hot springs, and recent deposits of lava. Of several fine lakes, Lake Taupo (300 square miles) is the largest. The Waikato issuing from it flows north-west, is joined by the Waipa and falls into the sea on the west coast. The Waiho or Thames, the Waitoa and the Piako discharge themselves into the Firth of Thames, an inlet of Hauraki Gulf. The Kaimanawa, Whakatane, and Tewhaite ranges stretch across the southern districts, but few of the summits exceed 2,500 feet. Mount Ikuarangi, the loftiest peak (5,535), is in the eastern peninsula. The chief products are wool, timber (especially Kauri pine), resin, and flax. Minerals, including coal, are abundant, and a good deal of gold has been exported. Auckland, the chief town, was formerly capital of New Zealand, and is now the largest city in the Northern island. It contains many fine buildings, and has a rapidly increasing population.

Auckland, (1) William Eden, Baron, the third son of Sir Robert Eden, was born in 1744. He entered Parliament in 1771, and in 1784 represented England at the French Court, being presently transferred to Spain. In 1789 he was made an Irish peer, and in 1793 received a peerage of the United Kingdom. He was Postmaster-General from 1798 to 1801. A treatise on Penal Law is the chief of his works. He died in 1814.

(2) George Eden, Earl of, second son of the above, was born in 1784 and succeeded his father in 1814, having previously sat for some years in the House of Commons. A steady-going Whig, he served as President of the Board of Trade and First Lord of the Admiralty under Earl Grey in 1830, and four years later was sent out as Governor-General of India, He effected considerable improvements in education, commerce, and internal legislation, but unfortunately was induced to neglect the advice of Barnes, his representative at Cabul, and to resolve on ousting from Afghanistan Dost Mahommed, whom he suspected of intrigues with Russia, in favour of Shah Sujah. Upon this resulted the disasters of 1841-2. Lord Auckland was recalled, and his successor Lord Ellenborough reversed his policy. He subsequently in 1846 returned to his former post at the Admiralty, but died suddenly in 1849.