WAYSIDE NOTES.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2713, 27 October 1871, Page 2

WAYSIDE NOTES.

(By our Special Reporter out for a Holiday.)

Roxburgh, or the Teviot, is about 100 miles from Dunedin. ’Tis on the west bank of the Molyneux, at the ferry., The fiat terraces of the river widen out on both sides of the stream, and continue widening for four miles along the telegraph line of road till you come to a rough rocky gorge m the river, where the main road leaves the stream and winds circuitously over a spur of the Old Man Ranges. Bradshaw and Shepherd hail from this neighborhood, and contiguous hereto “Big Clarke” wants to plant his heavy foot. You never forget travelling m Otago that you are in a Scotch settlement. The very streets of Roxburgh are called after Roxburgh towns. This fashion perhaps may be better than One street to No. 21st, like the divisions of Praise God Barebones strmona ; but this everlasting iteration of Caledonian names palls on the car like the grinding of a barrel-organ that can play only two tunes—“ Eriu go bragh” and “ Faugh a ballagh,” A man—not a Bohemian—could live in this valley, could he earn wherewithal to feed and clothe himself, and contemplate living to the end with satisfaction. I have seen few places in Otago where I would sooner settle down-if 1 ever contemplated so doing-than in this valley. There is room to breathe here, and yet ’tis fenced well by the everlasting bills ; but then the river rushes down the valley, and the grass grows green on either side. There are about 250 miners in this district, and they evidently intend remaining here’if well-built houses, trim gardens, everlasting claims, and water rights mean anything to do with settlement. They seem to have a passion for lasting possessions, as all recent buildings arc of solid masonry, and those to be built—of which more anon —are to be of the same enduring character. The inhabitants of these habitations have no dread of earthquakes—they consider themselves out of the line of travel of those underground rumblings and vibrations ; and strolling up the gorge of the river, and noticing the schists lying horizontally as when deposited, you can imagine they may be right. Giles, the blacksmith, will beget children here, and his son will succeed him iu his fathers’ shop. Tradesmen and artisans will remain, occupy the land, and their children after them. Cricket clubs will be formed, and matches played here, John and Mary will walk home from meeting together, and Mary will get kused at her father’s stile, ’neath the chaste light of the moon, when John bids her good night, and go in doors as though nought were more than usual, while her heart beats tremendously and her eyes shine with the glamour of the caress, which she fain would hide. This is how settlements are formed. The men of the West muster strong here ; the two western counties of England being well represented, and Cornish town already has a being. I wonder who can tell the subtle affinity that exists hetwten Cornishmen, Yorkshiremeu, and Methodism. Is the ism suited to their halftamed natures ? Wherever Cornishmen congregate you will find a Methodist chapel. If you ever want a week’s holiday come to Teviot—but come when the fruit is ripeand you can get in many places pasties of any kind, and plenty of scalded cream. Pay your debts before you come away, and you will enjoy your visit I got to Roxburg when the 50,000 acre agitation was on. Every other fellow lias had his say the I metier arid why should I be debarred ? I don't believe you understand half the iniquity of the whole transaction yet, although you have written a couple of leaders on the subject. A block of land on Clarke’s run of 2,530 acres some time since was thrown open. It has been all taken up and cultivated, with the exception of some 400 acres. It faces the Molyneux on the east side of the stream. Bounding this block on two sides 5,000 acres have been surveyed and also cut up in 50 acre blocks. Environing these 7500 acre? is the 45,000 acre patches that Clarke wants, and the 5000 acre block as well, that has been cut up aud surveyed. Now the people of Roxburgh are very wroth about the matter, and for the following reasons : —lf the laud be sold thus m bloc, the purchasers on the 2500 acres will be fenced in on three sides ; it was manifestly a waste of money to survey the 5000 acres block at considerable expense, and then sell it for Iss per acre; it was breaking taith with the public for friend Donald to inform the people who wanted to purchase, that the uOOO acres should be thrown open for settlement as soon as the survey was completed, and then sell it to a non-resident; ’twas worse for the Executive to assure the public that the 5000 acre block should not form part of Clarke’s purchase, and then include it incontinently. And iu addition to this, the 45,000 acre block includes one of the largest pieces of good agricultural laud to be found in the Province. Two ether land items, and I finish on this head. On Cargill and Anderson’s ruu, adjoining shingle block—ruu No. 109 2500 acres of laud have been surveyed and cut up in 50 acre sections for the last six months. Reid promised Shepherd not gentleman Shepherd, but the other one —that it should be thrown open as soon as surveyed. Six months have passed, and yet it is not done. I am informed moit, if not all this block would bo taken up in forty-eirfit’ liouri if thrown open.' The population'of J'evjot domprises about 1200 men, wonifcii,''arid children. They have not an acre of cbinmonage in'the district, and if a man wants to keep a cow he has to pay the riuiholder 10s per head per annum grass money. \ou will observe tlte assessment on horned cattle should be 10s instead of 3s 6d. Many people have been waiting several years to have this land thrown open, and gone away in disgust, A gentleman living in Roxburgh, well qualified to judge, informed me that capital to the amount of LB,OOO or LIO.OOO has left the district in consequence. Yet we are always crying out for settlement. 1 wonder if, like kissing, throwing open land, goes by favor. The same gentleman informed me the population would have been almost doubled had facilities for settlement belli given.

Sir S. Wheatstone is said to have had the first idea of conveying messages under the sea. His experiments at Swansea Bay, in South Wales, in 1840, resulted in the great submarine telegraph system now in use.