The Evening Star SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2826, 9 March 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1872.

It seems almost time that inquiry should be made as to the destruction of the Government township on the River Grey, for it is unwise that such catastrophes should be regarded as concomitants of colonial settlements. Move especially should this inquiry be instituted, and made searching in its character, as the loss has fallen on the poorer portion of the inhabitants ot Greymouth. The Press should guard the welfare ot the poor in a new settlement, if poor be found in it, as the machinery employed for that purpose in older countries, is often wanting in infant States. The fact to be ascertained is, How in a Government township seventy tenements could in one night be washed away. The first step in the inquiry is to determine what is to be understood by the phrase “ Government township.” It means in this instance, it is to be presumed, a site selected by a Provincial Government, cut up into sections by its survey staff, sold by the waste land board or its delegates and decided by those well qualified to judge, to be a portion of land suitable for men to build houses and places of business on, in which to pursue the oi'dinary avocations of life. It means a situation not selected at hazard by dwellers in tents ignorant of the country and the dangers incident to flood, but one chosen by skilled and well paid servants of the Government, as the most eligible that could be found for the purpose needed. Greymouth passed through this official routine because a Government township, like Tiraaru, Hokitika, or Christchurch. For those who have not visited the River Grey to fully understand the circumstances under which Greymouth was placed in its defined locality, a brief historical sketch is necessary, and a short description of the lower part of the river.

When the Canterbury Government purchased all that portion of laud west of the dividing range from tire Grey to the Awarua River, for the sum of some L3OO sterling, the natives reserved to themselves for their own use, several blocks of land, both inland and on the sea-board, as far south as Jackson’s Bay. These they have reserved on the Grey the Teramakau, the Arahura, Wataroa, Hokitika, Okarita, _ and several other places j from a portion of which they levy rents, amounting to several thousands per annum. Haying held many a runanga on the subject, and being well advised by Mr Mackay who has lately been negotiating with Te Hira, and that by no means fascinating shrew Mare Kuru, anent Ohenimuri, it may be safely presumed that their reserves were well chosen. A Maori rarely requires to have pointed out a valuable piece of land : the rent accruing from the Westland reserves vouches for this fact. On the southern side of the River Grey is situated one of these reserves GlO acres in extent. They selected their western or seaboard boundary as near the beach as possible, bearing two considerations in mind : They wanted to include in their reserve their urupa (or burying-ground), and to avoid including in their reserve any flooded laud. Nearer the sea than this western boundary was an old channel, and flood marks among the moko and koromiko scrub, showing that when the river was very high, the water swept over this avoided land into the lagoon nearer the sea. On this ground the first store ever erected on the Grey •was built on piles some three feet high. This was the Canterbury Government store, erected under the superintendence of Mr Townshend, who shortly afterwards was drowned on the Grey bar. In this old channel a portion of the river ran during the flood that occurred in July, 18G3, when Charlton Howitt waa drowned or missed on Lake Brunner. At tin’s time, also, a large portion of the river bank was

washed away, fronting what has since been called Greymoutli, as well as a portion of the adjoining bank of the Maori land higher up the stream. Old Terapuhi, the chief of the Mawhera Natives, after each heavy flood used to stand on the bank of the liver, and bewail the quantity of land that was carried to sea. So much for past recollections.

Immediately above the level land on the south side of the river, where the township is situated, are two rocky bluffs—one on each side of the stream. The water impinging first on the southern bluff is driven to that on the north, from which it again rebounds and encroaches on the level laud where the township stood. The land itself was of a sandy nature, some eight feet in depth, resting on a bed of loose shingle. A glance at the map will show tbe course of the river, the two bluffs, and the lagoon nearer the sea. The rate of encroachment was manifest from two distinct objects : the large and increasing shingle bank on the north side of the stream, facing where Cobden now stands, and the washing away of the cultivation ground of the Natives on the opposite side and oue or more old Maori whares. It will thus bo understood that, in the natural order of events, the ground on which the Government township stood must have inevitably been swept away. The very existence of the land on which the township stood depended on protective works alone. The stream would have formed a junction with the lagoon and made its exit to the sea nearer the Paroa. It may here be remarked of several of the West Coast rivers that their outlets vary some forty or sixty chains north or south in different seasons, and sometimes in the same year. When northwest winds prevail and the rivers are high, they work themselves channels to the south, the scour not being sufficient to overcome the accumulation of sand thrown on shore by the heavy break of the surf. When the south-west winds prevail, and the rivers are low in consequence, the scour being almost imperceptible—they deflect to the north, run parallel with the shore and the breakers, as frequently seen at Hokitika, close up the outlets altogether, as at Okarita, or close and open new channels, washing away houses, as at the Torara. Again, looking at the map and seeing the bearing of the coast will help understanding these details. Now, Hokitika, like sea-gone Greymoutli, has to depend on protective works to ensure its existence. It has been often a theme for conversation and speculation which township would first be washed away. Although Greymoutli has gone first, under similar conditions it is a very grave question whether Hokitika would not have been similarly unfortunate, and the loss of life far greater. The dwellers in Hokitika are partly sensible of their danger, perhaps not wholly. Although the Grey may have a larger number of tributaries than the Hokitika, being a longer river, and draining a greater scope of country, its volume may be considered less. The mountains at the head of the Grey are below the snow line, while those at the head of the Hokitika are above ; and a similar quantity of warm rain falling after Christmas at the head of the last-mentioned river would doubtless induce a greater rush of water seaward than that which caused such destruction at the Grey. The snow at the head of the Grey at that portion of the year would have all been melted away. At the Hokitika and Kokatahi heads it is found all the year round. Thus a similar quantity of rain at the head of tire Hokitika would induce greater disaster than at the Grey. Now should a similar mishap occur at Hokitika, the river would doubtless overflow above the Post Office, running to sea past Hansen’s Hotel, leaving the south end of Rev ell street, and the Quay is land to be washed away at leisure. Such au event occuring during the night, the loss of life would be appalling. The town itself is built on the sandy sea beach, and would offer no greater impediment in its soil than if it washed itself a fresh channel near the hospital, or where it joins the Mahinapua. Notwithstanding the protective works on the river it still continues its warfare with the northern bank. Now, on the Grey the plea may be urged by the selectors of the site on which the township stood, that hemmed in by native lands they adopted the only one available —which would not be entirely true, as there is elevated and suitable township terrace-land at the head of the lagoon. But at Hokitika there can be 3 , , . no extenuating circumstances urged whatever. There was no land alienated there at all. Rawiri, a native, wanted to purchase twenty acres there, but it was refused him, and any portion of the land on the north side of the river could have been selected as a town site from the sea beach to Kaneiri. There is elevated safe land close to the beach that would have answered the purpose admirably, and the dangers now incident to the inhabitants of Hokitika

avoided. The town ought to ha-ve been placed on the wooded land adjoining the sea beach, and not on the beach itself. The denizens of Hokitika have, however, one consolation—their dead are in safety from the position of their cemetery whatever may happen to the quick. Two questions seem pertinent. Who is responsible for the miserably insufficient protective works at Greymoutli 1 Who is responsible for having selected such a dangerous site for a township as that on which Hokitika stands ? It is no answer to the latter question that miners chose the site and the Government confirmed their choice.