GOSSIPY NOTES.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 112, 14 August 1877, Page 2

GOSSIPY NOTES.

(FROM OUR TIMARU GOSSIP.) Mr.T.M. H. Johnstone, C.E. will lay his report before the Mil ford Harbour Works.Committee in a few days. To, .un- , derstand thoroughly what the proposed works will bs, needs a slight description of the locality. .In many places along the ninety mile beach, lagoons are formed by the creeks and rivers backing up behind: the shingle beach and flooding the lowlying ground at the hack-of it. Lake Ellesmere and tbe Opihi Lagoon are among the best examples .of this, formation on tbe coast. The Opihi Lagoon is a magnificent sheet of water, about three miles long, and on the average more than a quarter of a mile wide, with a depth in . some places (when it does not burst through the shingle bank) of about eighteen feet. The Opihi, which is the main feeder of Ibis lagoon, rises in Burkes Pass, drains all the country between, the Pass and the Brothers' Range, passing through the latter by a rugged /though beautiful gorge ; thence down the Opihi valley, and across the plains to the sea. The Tengawai, which joins the Opihi at some short distance below the township of Pleasant Point, drains all the country about Albury andMountnessing Station on the western side of the Brothers. The Opuha River, which drains all the country about the western slopes of Mount Four Peaks, is confluent with the Opihi just above Wigley's station. The Temuka River, which runs into the Opihi just below the township of Temuka, drains all the eastern slope of Four Peaks. You will see from the great extent of country drained, that an immense quantity of water must come down even in dry weather. The engineer, if he finds sufficient depth of water outside the lagoon, proposes to construct two piers, and says that the force of water coming down wili keep an open channel between them, and in a very short time scour it out deep enough to allow large vessels to enter. Of course lie may have some means, at present known only to himself, of keeping the ever-travelling shingle from entering the lagoon with the ebb and flow of the tide, and silting it up. „ If, as I believe it is proposed, a short break-' water is run out'on the south-"side of the. it will soon be found that the strong current getting up the coast will quickly .remove the shingle bank in the lee of the northern pier. The promoters of the work propose to keep a steam-tug to take vessels in and out, for no vef.sel could safely enter unless she had a "soldier's wind ;" and. once in, it would be 'dangerous to attempt to gat out without the aid of the tug. I have seen the seas breaking, quite a mile outside the, lagoon in rough weather, so you can guess that the proposed .Milford Haven will only be a fair, weather .port. Talking of harbour works, one is continually hearing surprise expressed by nautical men, that no light has yet been placed oh Akaroa Heads. Taking into . consideration the fact that your magnificent harbour often, serves as a place of refuge for the storm-tossed craft, such neglect by the authorities does seem most culpable. ■~.'"'

(To be Colitinued.y