HOKITIKA GOLD FIELDS.

Evening Post, Issue 104, 9 June 1865, Page 2

HOKITIKA GOLD FIELDS.

Another event was reported in town on Saturday, the news of which came by the William Miskin, namely, a rush to the head waters of the Hokitika river. Here then are two events demanding immediate attention. First, that the diggers are already beginning to come to and fro over the Rakaia passes. We know that psrsous in Christchurch are Btarting for the West Coast by that route ; so that if a track be not cut immediately, lives will surely be lost in the mountains. Men cannot find their way in fog and snow,'but they can follow a track when they caunot see more than a few j'ards around them. Secondly, the diggers are at work within ten or twelve milesfrom the foot of the hiUs on this side, that is to say, they are working within an easy day's drive for stock from good pasturage on this side. Both these events call for immediate action on the part of the Government. A small party of good busb handj would cut a track through in a fortnight or three weeks and any competent surveyor would in the same time bring back a longitudinal section of the route showing the gradients, and a sufficient number of cross sections to enable the Government engineer to decide whether any farther work was desirable on the line. Such a line ought to be cut, not

only by Browning's pass, but an expei dition ought to be Bent up to WhitcombV^ Pass to see if a line can b a . cut that way, J and if worth while the line should be cttt and the sections roughly made. We are bound to say that anything but activity has been exhibited by the Government in this direction. The cost of these expeditions is perfectly trifling compared to the advantage to be gained. If there were tracks by both the branches of the Rakaia, stock could be taken into the inland diggings at once, instead of going to the Hokitika, to the great gain both of the diggers and the stock owners. We have supported the Government as far as possible against whit appeared to us unt'aic attacks, but we are bound to say that a little more activity in pushing on these explorations would have indicated a little wider perception of tne objects to be achieved. Weeks and months are slipping 1 away, and thu passes are not yet by any means fully prospected. We do hope the subject may be taken up iv the Provincial C&uncil. — Canterbury Press.