THE IMAGINARY SWAMP.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1984, 3 July 1880, Page 3

THE IMAGINARY SWAMP.

[By Telkohapit.] [PBOM OTJB OWN COBEEBPONDEKT.I WELLINGTON, July 2. With regard to the alleged abandonment of the road on account of the impassable swamp, Mr Hamlin made a personal explanation this afternoon. He referred to his recsnt swamp excursion on the Waimate Plains. He said he went from Stony river, and two miles thence turned at right angles and commenced to traverse the two-chain road which, it was alleged, run into a swamp. The two miles of the road were intersected by four or five rumoing streams, which were not bridged over. The ditches were not covered over from the end of the two miles. The Q-ovornmont believing it was progressing too slowly, and at, perhaps, too groat a cost, commenced constructing a track from 20ft to 30ft wide to near Parihaka, and the second camp, which was occupied by the Armed Constabulary force. The road is traversable, but the other part, though traversable by horse, was not so for vehicles. Mr Bryce said Mr Hamlin’s report quite agreed with his own statement of the matter. He had driven along the road into Now Plymouth in a buggy in four and a quarter hours. Mr Hamlin completely demolished the “ Lyttelton Times ” canards as to the abandonment of the road, that having never occurred, and the alleged swamp is, as I have always maintained, purely imaginary.