MARTIN’S BAY.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2207, 3 June 1870, Page 2

MARTIN’S BAY.

{From our own Correspondent.) To start on a journey on a Friday has been considered unlucky from time immemorial; but when you start on a Friday that happens to fall on the first of April on an expedition, successfully achieve your destination, and return without misfortune, you may defy any croaker in the future to retard your i regress by hinting at calamity from starting on a fast day, and pursue the “tenor of your way” with an “undisturbed mind.” On such a day, the first of April last, three of us started from the head of Lake Wakatip to walk through to Martin’s Bay and back again. The day was fine, the distance we were told was short, the road was well deiiined, easy to travel, impossible to mistake, and the last words ringing in our ears as our friends at the mill wished us good-bye were “ We shall expect you back in a week or ten days.” So, with a change of clothing, bedding, a stone (HJbs,) of flour, and'n couple of 41b, loaves, xve started to visit the new settlement, and see what the chances were for its progress and ultimate prosperity. We had heard of Martin’s Bay in the old country, and the intention to colonize it some years ago. We had heard of it in Auckland, and the advantages accruing to early settlers too late to go hy the Charles Edward ; along the road by the open-eyed ; in Queenstown by those anxious to have a larger back country to supply and rel) on ; and thought that wo might as well be among the first to reap any advantages early visitants might obtain as to be later in the field. The road to the saddle is well known, as the track is partially made from the head of the lake to the top of the timber on this side of the range. It is about 20 miles from Wakatip to Lake Harris on the top of the saddle. Above the timber level on both sides of the range, 3,400 ft high, the hills are covered with rough grass, low koromiko, and other kinds of scrub, while around the lake on tlie lull tops and sidipgs, 20,000 acres of open country ‘may be found, but of little dr no value from its* height and

the worthless character of its herbage and rooky nature of soil., The country having been examined and reported on by the District Engineer, any remark as to the difficulties and expense of the construction of a bridle {track in this district will be superfluous. It took us two days to reach the saddle where we camped. When the track is completed, the distance will be easily accomplished in half the time. From Lake Harris to the Hollyford, a distance of three miles, a line is blazed down the mountain side, so that the Hollyford River is as quickly reached as possible, where you meet M‘Arthur’s blazed line, which you follow to the head of Lake Kakapo. Of course the descent to the Hollyford, nearly 4000 ft, is very precipitous, and in one or two places nearly dangerous. To travel around Lake Harris on either side until the track is made is positively unsafe, as a slip or a misplacing of a foot may precipitate yon into the lake, where your chance of rescue would be very remote and uncertain. Following the river by line and beach for about live miles, you arrive at the ford, a long, shallow, still crossing, where you find the river bed, or level country between the hill sides, from 40 to CO chains wide. It has on an average maintained this width from your first striking it on convng down from the saddle. It is very similar to the Teramakau below its junction with the Otira, and contains about a similar volume of water. Two miles lower down the river, we recrosscd it, a thing perhaps wo ou<dit not to have done, ami followed it in all° its windings to the head of Lake M'Kcrrow. Two streams join the Hollyford on this its eastern side, one about 8 miles below the first crossing, at present, I believe, unnamed, where we found Mr Whitworth’s dog’s collar, and another some G miles lower down called Pike’s Creek. The first stream contains as much water as the Otira, or the Routebnrn at its junction with the Dart, and coming from hills close at hand runs rapidly and roaringly into the Hollyford. There is no back country available up its bed. We were camped on its bank three days it being nufordable through a heavy fresh. Pike’s Creek flowing from Lake Alabaster contains as much water as the Holly Lrd at their junction ; and from the rapidity of its rise, the slowness of its fall, the muddy character of its water, its non-glacial origin, must 1 am led to behove drain a large extent of comparatively level and available country. Class C will receive a large portion of its 60,000 acres in this quarter. The debris in its bed is composed entirely of slate, and unlike the wash in any of the other ’streams I noticed on the coast. This the eastern side of the river would have been no doubt the most suitable for a bridle track or road, as the difficulties of reaching the beach or the township on Lake M ‘Kerrow, are ifar less on the eastern side of the lake and Lower Hollyford than they are on the western side, but the precipitous character of the hill-sides on the Upper Hollyford on this side, and having to cross Pike’s and the other creek seem to force the conclusion that the bridle track must follow the Hollyford from the first crossing on its western side to the head of the lake. This seems a treble misfortune. You are on your arrival on the wrong side of the lake to get to the beach, the wrong side for the township, and as yet the wrong side of the lake to obtain any gold.

Detained on the Routebourne, on the firstmentioned creek flowing into the Hollyford, three days at Pike’s Creek, and slow progress owing to the precipitous character of , the hill sides on the river, and the absence of any track or blazed line, we {failed to reach the head of the Lake till Friday, the 15th of April; all in good condition, minus skin on the back of our hands, plus abundance of patches on torn trowsers—and owing to rigorous husbanding of our resources, enabled to carry flour into the township on the Lake where the survey party were camped, We were fortunate in meeting Mr Thompson and his party in a boat on the Lake, who kindly carried us to the township, and thereby saved us a couple of days weary tramp along the edge of the Lake. It is possible to walk and climb down this side of the Lake and river to the beach, but almost impossible to do so on the other or western side. It is ten miles from the head of the Lake to its foot, and six miles from there to the beach. Forty miles, it may be considered }n roupd mpphers, from the point where yop first strike the Holly! ford till you reach Martin’s Bay, The valley of the Hollyford, from the first crossing to the Lake, will average in width 120 chains; and assuming its distance in a straith line to be 15 miles, of which I have no doubt, it will be seen that in round numbers, without including the valley of Pike’s Creek, to contain 150,000 acres of comparatively level land, hut all heavily timbered. Its character is the same as most other West Coast rivers, with similar timbpr apd undergrowth. 'The soil above tjje wash varieg from twp to six and eight feet in depth. T] £ river is impracticable for either canoes of boats ; and settlers above the Lake on the Upper Hollyford must not calculate on water carriage for their produce. (To be continued. J 1 r* r— 1 i 1 i. j?