Catlin's river Notes.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 86, 2 March 1876, Page 6

Catlin's river Notes.

(By our Travelling Reporter.)

' Mr Forsyth, of (False Island, is engaged; iii , the -wild /pasture. ; oh the 1 . n6rthern..bbund^ry.bf. his estate.. He depastures his cattle on this and. the wild ' scrub in which; they find; aburt r dance-of.fine feed.- . In theicourse,of[ a fewyears I trust to see tl: is enterpriseing ;man iv , possession, of ! an. ihdepehr dence, the. .result- of .cattle .raising. : Mr Forsyth's/False Island is two miles from the .boat-landing on Catlin's! River, the beach rat. low water being very' hard and suitable for the transport of goods by drays. The remains of the Surat are to be seen at low,. water,; it will be , remem-; bered she was -an iron vessel. I am, mr .- formed that all the wood- work having parted from her,! the > sides. .came, to: gether- and; fold up the remainder of her : cargo within her.. As she lies on a bed; of rocks, .it .does, not appear , so! .difficult ; to find a means of breaking out the remaining cargo, which consists.of some ,500 : tons "of: railway iron. and other im--. perishable goods. The aid of one of the .1 powerful sub-marin_ : explosive, agents would open her sides and let. the iron out, which a strong, tide yvould bring, on. shore. Gf - therr other goods, the owners would have to take pot-luck,' Capt. r Hay ward's residence -. on the South Cape; presents a very pretty appearance, with its staff in front. . Bloody. Jack,, the great fighting chief, of Maori memory,' seems to : have figured in the neighborhood of False Island, as. we have. Bloody Jack's Bay, Point, and Bluffy Massacre Bay, __c. : The Government, .township ot. New Haven ;is about 320 .chains *from theOwake bridge, and some. 80 chains more through to the beach at False.lsland, There is no doubt that a road will be formed some day to open up the valuable reach of timber which extends to the hill at the back, of it. . Jn the meantime people must hope on, as they well know that time will' bring population, and population roads and markets.

; I notice at the old limn-burners hut on the junction of the Owake and Ratlin's Rivers, that Mr ■ Hungerford has taken up his abode. This " gentleman is Government ranger foi this district, and must have a pretty lively time of it in the wilderness.

I saw many. " logging brows " on the Owake, or places on the bank to which the log_ are conveyed and launced over into the river; they are then made fast to tbe punts and floated up or down the river to M'Pherson's mill. I passed Mr. Button's mills, now deserted, and was informed that he contemplated, starting them again. At M'Pherson's mill two fore-and-aft schooners lay loading timber for Dunedin, one of whose masters I found to be a New Brunswieker, encountering, two boys rowing a sharp i.e. a boat_harp ; fore-and-aft. Quite an exciting race took, place, my venerable, boatman winning the honors by his skill, and address, showing that although age . had claims' on him he had not forgotten the skill he learned in the Carleton and Indian Town race gigs on the New Brunswick waters long ago. I landed just at dark at a new boarding-house erected by Mr George, Brokoman, for the accommodation of the mill employes. , I had a chat with , him on newspapers, and found him possessed of a first-rate library, which he in. tends. to, keep. in conjunction with his house , for the ; enlightenment and amusement of his customers, and for the purpose, of serving as a counter attraction . against the temptations of public-houses. Mr Brookman will be supported, and! must, if consistent, be successful.

The passage up the river from this point, to the bridge was nearly pitch dark, and wanted very much the firefly's dance to remind one more of similar rivers in Canada, but bur ancient mariner with wonderful pilotage carried me.over snags and shoals to thelandinobelow the. bridge. Next morning, accepting the guidance of the pilot aforesaid, I sailed for the Big Mill via the Owake ■■ and. Cat* lin's, having been offered a passage, by a! most obliging Scotchman,. who/ put himself and craft at my service. This as it happened, was very acceptable, as 1 1' had some business-to transact which (required me to cross Catlin's river, a. little above the junction; so invoking the protection of Neptune, the salt and brackish water god, I consigned myself to the bosom of the mighty Owake; My boatman handled his sculls with the skill of a fisher, and sent the light craft bounding/over the surface of the: water until reaching Catlin's. Lfound 1 a strong haad tide. My business friend' was absent from home,r so 1 found my way. up to- the Big Mills as ; ,they are called. I found Captain Andrew, ; the head man, most obliging, and received a considerable ! amount of information: "from him. After- thanking my boat/ man, the good-natured and peaceablydisposed native, of Scotland aforesaid, T regretfully passed over to the other side. I; found the Owake farmers on the next day of my soj ourn hard at wort har-. yesting. some here and. some there, all an a state of general activity. By the bye the Catlin's River district is possessed of a. fine school .and. master's residence furnished- with all- its requirements. ' ; Accompanied. by a settler li ying at the liead of the Caledonian Flat, t.bade adieu: to -Catlin's/ having spent three-! andra-half ' very! pleasant , days, during! which time I saw all the lions of the

district-.onland and^witer, ;with;the.:e__-'. c-^tio-uef the: Lake, where there are.no: less than 600 logs "afloat belonging to the Big Mills/ Passing: through the: .UplperOvvake-Flatyi met a lot of 'far! me ! rs . , an ? i P us :;t! : > <„ patronise, the, local, paper/and having, secured • all 'as-4rast t the! bounds of civilization, I pulled up at lastat a friend's. homestead; 'Being hospitably received with a hear land welcome, I remained forthe* nig|i't, and . early- .on , the .fbliowingf.jaiornihg: made a start for - : Balclutha 'via Glen - omar u. The road ,1 ay through a wild and most, romantic, gorge, possessing.! some of the best agricultural land I have seen ; in ; Otago. After passing some miles of this country, T found myself branching off to the [right, and- 'soon I ' entered a bush road down this beautiful track, em powered in ; verdure/ by the side of ' Which the Gleftomaru stream runs.;,. 1., proceed for, : th.ree ; miies,;.: I. emerged on the upper road -to: Catlin?_ on ;the one hand/and Balclutha on • the : other, toir.which last; a, fe\v hours'; ride; soo>., brought, me. !