A NEW PASS TO THE EAST COAST.

Evening Post, Issue 98, 2 June 1865, Page 2

A NEW PASS TO THE EAST COAST.

A pass has at length been discovered up the valley of the Hokitika, which promi-es lo he the best yet opened, in addition to bein.i: the most direct to the Christchurch side of the range. Messrs. Griffith and Browning arrived here a few dnys ago by this roue; and it appears from what we can learn that we are in reality but about four days' journey from Christchurch. These gentlemen lett Mnjor Scott's, which is the highest station up the Rakaia, following up the northernmost branch of that river, named the Wilberforce, to a saddle, on this side of which they found a small lake, from which flow the water* of the Aruhaura. They followed down this river for some distance, when, finding the course le.id greatly to tho noith, they thought th-y were on some brinch of the Tenimakau, and so turned off to the south and struck tbe northern branch of the Hokitiku, believing that to be the Arahaura river. They did not discover their error till they arrived to within eight miles of this township, froul which place they started in a boat to finish their journey. The prevalence of very thick weather during the chief part of their mountain journey preventtd them from taking bearings as they desired, but report the pass easily practicable, and quite tree from danger Mr. Browning states that he could reach this township without difficulty in three days from the saddle, which is only 20 miles from Major Scott's station, up to which point there is a natural dray road. Mr. Browning left oti Sunday per the New Zealan I for Christchurch. and will doubtless return to blaze a track through the pass. Mr. Griffiths has gone to join. Mr. Cahill, who is superintending the formation of the Otira road, and the two will then proceed to compare the two routes. They report having seen prospectors' camps and abandoned ground almost the whole way to the saddle. It remains now to be seen whether the Canterbury merchants will have the justice to increase the miserable sum offered aa a reward for such a discovery, which is we believe only .£2OO, or whether they will leive to the Dunedin merchants thmonopoly of liberality and eiuerptise. — West Coast Times