MARTIN'S BAY.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 661, 14 April 1870, Page 4

MARTIN'S BAY.

: ♦ (To the Editor of the Grey River Argus.) Sir — As several persons have applied to me for information respecting Martin's Bay in regard to its adaptation for settlement, I beg to hand you for publication some extracts from Dr Hector's reports, which contain, I believe, the most reliable information to be had at present on the subject. — Yours, &c., W. M. Cooper. Survey Office, Greymouth, sth April, 1870. ENTRANCE. After pulling ten miles, and when opposite to the south end of the second bay, or Martin's Bay of the chart, we observed a smoke on the shore ; and, on standing in for it, found it to be a party of Maoris, who made signs for us to land ; but as the sea was breaking nearly a quarter of a mile from the shore, I dared not take the boat even within hail. Guided by the Admiralty chart, which hitherto I had found faithfully correct, I was making to the next bay to the north in search of the Awarua River, when Henry, who had been along this coast sealing, though he knew nothing of that river, thought that I was going too far, and that the mouth of the only large river he had ever heard of on the coast, into which there was a chance of taking a yacht, was at the northern extremity of Martin's Bay, as he recognised the long and dangerous reefs that lay before us. On making towards the north end of the sandy beach, which extends for three miles, we found a strong current against us, which quite confirmed this opinion. Still, however, when close in shore, we could see no appearance of an entrance, the surf seeming to break with increased violence where the sandy beach meets the rocks. Proceeding cautiously, and keeping a few boats 1 lengths from the rocks, we, however, found that this appearance was deceptive, and that there was really a pretty wide channel lying between the rocks and the point of the sandspit, and pulling up again3t a current of two or three knots, a few hundred yards brought U3 into comparatively still water, when we found that we were in a large river about a quarter of a mile in width, the first, reach of which extends for nearly two miles, parallel with the sea shore, and separated from it only by a narrow sandspit, After landing on a gravelly point where there was an old Maori hut and a camping place where tents had been pitched very recently, I lost no time in examining and making a rough plan of the entrance of the river, and having sounded carefully, set np guide marks by which to bring in the schooner at once with next morning's tide, should she arrive in the offing during the night. | The channel is quite deep enough for much larger vessels, as there is ten feet of water in the shallowest part of the bar, but it is very narrow, and there are five or six awkward sunken rocks on that side on to which the.; current would naturally tend to sweep a vessel. However, I anticipated no difficulty in getting the yacht in if we could only hit the proper time of the tide. Next morning, as we could see nothing of her in the offing, we pulled up the river against the ebb ffor a few miles, and were greatly pleased with the alluvial land and the fine quality of the forest growth with which it is covered. Being afraid that the schooner might arrive in time for the evening tide, I did not go far up the river, and on returning to the sandspit at 1 p.m. we saw her at a distance of 8 miles to the S.W., but further from the land than where we had left her on the previous day. After lighting a large fire as a signal, it being then low tide, I was able to improve my plan of the entrance to the river and fill in the rocks and channel more accurately than previously. The current was: flowing out with great velocity, the clear channel at the turn of the tide being contracted to a width of 110 feet. Next morning (the 27th August) there was a fine southerly breeze, and we were on the look-out for the schooner, but she was not in sight. However, at 8 a.m., we heard her gim fire round the point to the north, and immediately put out across the bar, it being then almost the turn of high water. When they picked us up after a pull of a couple of miles from the land, I learnt that the skipper, misled by the chart, had be3n sweeping the northmost bay all the morning in search of the entrance of the Awarua River, where he expected to communicate with me. He describes the bay a3 being very deep, with a bold boulder beach, .without any appearance of a river, and complained of the great risk he had run in being led to sweep so close in shore in search of the river, through the error of the chart, as, if a nor'wester had sprung up, lie-never could have beat out against it. As -the weather looked very threatening in that direction, the skipper was afraid that "unless he got into the river with this tide he would have to run back to 1 Milford Sound, and therefore we determined to try it at once, even though the best time was already past before she was able to beat up. to the entrance. However, I did not anticipate that the ebb current would acquire such velocity in such a short time, as we afterwards found that it did, or the attempt would never have been made. When within a cable's length of the entrance the anchor was dropped in five fathoms water, .while the first kedge and line was run out. This

brought her right abreast the point of the sandspit, and in the worst part of the channel, having a group of sharp rocks within a few yards of her stern. The second kedge did not take her out of danger; for the current had now acquired a velocity of five or six knots an hour, so that we could hardly stem it with the boat to lay kedges. The sea had also increased, and made it wild and dangerous work, as immense rollers were breaking twenty feet to our left, the break just ceasing at the edge of the deep water in the channel. Twice the boat was nearly swamped in attempting to fetch back the line from the next kedge. At this time a part of the windlass gave way, owing to the violent jerking on the chain — for the anchor had to be dropped each time the kedges were shifted — so that the position of the craft became very critical, and if any of the kedging lines had snapped, nothing could have saved her. However, thanks to the judgment and care exercised by Captain Thomson before our starting, all our gear wa3 of first-rate quality, and the next kedge brought her behind the shelter of the saidspit, where she was tolsrably safe. It was more than two hours' hard work to get her in so far — a distance of barely 500 yards — during which all hands were taxed to the utmost, and I cannot praise too highly the skill and coolness displayed by the skipper and crew on this trying occasion. When the tide slackened a little the yacht was tracked up for a short distance farther, and moored in a very snug place behind a rocky islet, on the right side of the river. LAKE. Early on the morning of the 28th I proceeded up the river, accompanied by the skipper, to see how far up it would be advisable to take the yacht. We had the advantage of the flood tide, which carried us rapidly up, and after a distance of four miles we were surprised and delighted to find. that it flows out of a lake, one to two miles in width, and extending in a southerly direction for ten or twelve miles. We had a fair wind up this lake, so that by noon we reached its upper extremity, where a considerable stream enters it from the S.S.E., and up which we were able to take the boat for nearly a mile. The lower part of this lake is comparatively shallow, varying from six to ten fathoms, and surrounded by a large extent of level land, which is continuous with the flat through which the river winds, and is bounded on either hand by low sloping hills. About five miles from its lower end it, however, acquires all the characters of one of the Sounds, being bounded by steep mountains that rise out of deep water. At the head of the lake there is a large flat, covered with thicket of the tutu, f uschia, and other shrubs, where we found tracks of wild pigs — the progeny, Henry learned from the old Maori, ot a pair that had been turned loo3e a few years since. After finding the only safe mooring place near the head of the lake, which is a little projecting headland on the east shore, which will afford shelter from the north-west gales, we returned next day to the schooner. For some time after this we had stormy and changeable weather, which caused some loss of time, and nearly a fortnight elapsed before I had completed the survey and examination of the lower part of the river and coast, and was able to proceed up to the lake with the schooner. This river is called by the Maoris the Wakatipukaduku, or the river that looks up to the Wakatipu Lake ; by which they mean, not the Wakatipu Lake of the east side of the mountains, but the lake I had just discovered, and which in order to avoid confusion, I propose to name the Kakapo Lake, in order to preserve the name of that rare and interesting bird which will, in all probability, soon become extinct ; and preserving part of the Maori name, I would name the river Kaduku. The mouth of this river, situated at the north end of Martin's Bay, is in lat. 44deg 12m 253, long. 168deg lm 13s W., the latter, as the chronometers were irregular, having been obtained by the bearing of Pembroke Peak, the exact position of which I ascertained trigonometrically from Fresh-water Basin at the head of Milford Sound, the longitude of which is given in the " New Zealand Pilot." This will place the stream which falls into the Awarna Bay a few miles to the north and east of the position given to it on the chart, and thus throw the boundary of the province nearer to the northward. The Maoris describe this stream, the one that falls into Big Bay, as of very small size ; and further that it is impossible to land with a boat at its mouth, or indeed in any other part of that bay, which I may mention is known to the whalers as the Big Bay. Martin's Bay, into which the Kaduku River flows, is four miles across, between the two headlands, and rather less than a mile in depth, as the headlands are partly composed of the same grits, sandstones, and conglomerates, that occur on Coal Island in Preservation Inlet, it is very probable that the beds of coal may also occur along with these strata, although, as yet, I have discovered no trace of it. The strata of the South Head is as follows : — Proceeding southwards from the sandy beach, the shore is strewn for half-a-mile with large boulders, principally of syenite, greenstone, and gneiss. The first rock exposed in situ beyond the boulders is a soft chlorite schist, passing into clay slate, and containing large intruded veins of white quartz, and occasional beds of silicious felstone. The best weather for entering the Kaduku River is after a few days of light N N.E. or S.E. winds, or with a light S.W. wind if there has not been previously a ; gale from that quarter, as in that case there is sure to be a heavy swell, especially if the barometer is low. The most severe gales on the coast are from between N.N.E. and N.N.W., and not often from N.W., as is the case farther south, and on the whole these were the prevailing; winds during the month's experience we had of the place. As the' bay is open, and the current sets strongly off shore to the southward, there would be little danger in a vessel anchoring in it for a short time in fine weather, to wait the proper time in taking the bar, as, if a northerly gale sprang up, she could easily reach Milford Sound with the first of it. ; .■;., ; The dangers, however, which are incurred in entering the Kaduku River, are very great in its present condition, arising from the narrowness of the channel, the strength ol the ootsetting current (excepting at high water), and the exposed nature of the coast, on which there is nearly always a heavy swell rolling. Still, however, I believe it could be

greatly improved, and would form at least, quite as good a port as many which are freely entered by sailing vessels and steamers of small size on other parts of the New Zealand coast. If, however, an easy line of route be discovered to the interior of the province from this point, this district, which is in itself of great interest, will obviously acquire a still higher importance, from its being the nearest part of New Zealand to the Australian and Tasmanian ports, so that in future times it may not improbably be a terminus of mail and telegraphic communication. In that case, for the convenience of large vessels, it ; would be necessary to have communication with Milford Sound, either by a system of lighterage, or overland by road or railway, and thus render useful one of the most excellent harbors on the coast ; the only defect of which arises from its great depth of water and small extent of available land on it 3 shores. The distance from the Kaduku River to Milford Sound is only eighteen liiiles, and the intervening country, though rough and hilly, is yet traversed by valleys which conld doubtless be taken advantage of in the construction of a road ; but having only seen this country from mountain tops and from the seaward, I cannot speak positively on this point. The best anchorage ground, which is at the head of Milford Sound, could not, however, be reached by a road, as some parts of the shores of the Sound are absolutely precipitous ; while Anita Bay, which is the only other anchorage, and situated on the south side, and close to its entrance, is not only on the wrong side, but is also too much exposed to N.W. gales, so that it would be difficult to find a good site for unloading. However, just within Dale Pointj which coald easily be reached by land, and where there would be perfect shelter, I believe, by blasting and quarrying a sufficient extent of wharf frontage might be obtained, where vessels might be safely moored, although the water is too deep for anchorage. The Kaduku River make 3 three reaches between where it leaves the lake and enters the sea. The lowest, or Kaika Reach, is a. mile and a half in length, and is only separated from the sea by a sandspit, which is 100 yards in width and 50 to 70ft in height. This part of the river averages a quarter of a mile in width, and has a wide channel with no where less than ten feet of water. A sunken reef of rock, however, extends nearly half way across it from the split rocks which lie on its eastern side, and again at the upper end of the reach opposite to an old Maori kaika, a bank formed of snags buried in gravel nearly across the fiver, and is almost dry at low water ; but along its eastern side, however, there is a channel 30 fathoms in width, in which there is not less than lift at high water. From the bend of the river a narrow creek navigable for boats extends for half a mile farther along the back of the sandspit, penetrating through dense scrubby thickets, and flowing from a small lake near which the natives have their present kaika and potatoe garden. Above the Kaika Reach the river narI rows considerably, its average width being 180 yards. It is deep from side to side, but out of the line of swiftest current there are a few snags, which narrows the channel to some extent. The proper channel varies from 12 to 25ft, and above the bank at the Kaika there are no obstacles of any kind to its navigation. The land is elevated considerably above the highest floods, excepting in a few places, where there are swampy recesses extending back into the woods. The banks consist of stratified gravel and sand, with a stratum of clay, full of marine shells of the same species as those inhabiting the present mud flats, but elevated thirty feet above the sea level, the whole being covered with a thick deposit of loam. This deposit proves that there has been an elevation of the land at least to that extent, and that the Kakapo Lake is, in its nature, the same as the upper part of one of the Sounds farther south, but only being cut off from direct communication with the sea by the elevation of the shallow bar which formerly extended across its entrance. :■■,:■ LAND. There is at least 4000 acres of alluvial land bordering the river and the lower part of the Kakapo Lake. It is covered with timber of finer quality and of greater variety than I have seen elsewhere on the West Coast, comprising white, red, and black pine?, totara, niiro, iron-wood, moka, birch, ghoa, and others — all of luxuriant and healthy growth. At .the angle between the two upper reaches, named White Pine Reach and Lake Reach, are the Alleys, which are two small coves that have an average depth of 18ft, and form snug little harbors, secure from all winds and currents. Excepting at the entrance of the river, where the channel that is free from dangers is only 110 ft wide, and at the two obstructions which I have mentioned as lying opposite to the kaika and the spitrocks, the river has a clear channel for navigation from the lake to the sea that is not less than 40 fathoms in width, and 12ft in average depth of water. The proper time for taking the bar is after three-quarters flood, when, unless there

be a freshet in the river, the current generally ceases to flow out. At half-flood the average soundings are from 15 to 20ft, and only in one place on the bc*r lOf t, which was probably on the top of a rock. Besides the group of sharp rocks at the entrance, about a cable's length within the bar there is a dangerous rock nearly in mid-channel, and generally a wash at high water ; but the water being quite smooth aronnd it, it can easily be avoided. With regard to the currents and tides within the river, they vary so much, according to the state of the weather, that it would require a few months' experience of the river before a correct account could be given of them. From what has been observed, however, it appears that after a few days' rain the current runs out very strongly, and the effect of flood tides is hardly at all felt, so that there is a constant outset. After fine weather the current in the river does not run stronger than between Dunedih and the Heads, which is from two to two and a half knots per hour during the ebbtide. The influence of the flood in ordinary weather is felt within the river about an hour and a half before, and half an hour after, it is high water outside. But after a few days' fine weather and southerly winds, when the level of the lake becomes lowered, the flood tide commences to run up the river fully two and a half hours before high water, at the rate of nearly two knots an hour. On the bar, however, the current never makes stronger than at the rate of one knot an hour. Within the entrance of the river the rise and fall of the tide is from four to eight feet, being full tide at the change of the moon at 11.40. The range, however, decreases on ascending the river, and in the lake it certainly does not exceed six inches.! By keeping in line the marks which 1 putupto guide the yacht over the bar, and which I inteud to place in a permanent form before I leave the river, a vessel will pass safely between the point of the spit and the sunken rocks; but after opening up the bend of the river she must keep close to the back of the sandspit, where there is the deepest water within a couple of fathoms from the edge of the bank, the exact position of which can always be easily known by the tide-rip, which the rollers give rise to on breaking over the spit into deep water. In the present state of the entrance no vessel drawing more than seven feet should attempt to enter this river, and then under very' favorable circumstances, with a high barometer and light S.E. wind. For a quarter of a mile within the lake the water is shallow, excepting in the proper channel, wnich lies to the eastern shore, in which there is from two to five fathoms ; but when over this , bank there is everywhere from 10 to 20 fathoms,! with steep gravelly shores, and further tiji the lake, where the shores become mountainous, the depth increases to 70 fathoms. When the lake is very low the water is slightly brackish just within the entrance, but elsewhere it is at all times perfectly fresh. In the lower part of the river the water is fresh only during the latter half of the flood tide, but then only on the surface. The slopes of the hills are very steep, but still are covered with trees of large size ; some of the iron-wood trees, (Rata), at an. elevation of 2000 ft having a girth of from 20 to 30ft. South of Gravel Cove a considerable stream enters the lake from the eastward, which the natives call the Hokuri, and south of which the high mountains commenced to bound the lake. From Grain Hill, one of the low peaks on Skipper's Range, which lies along the east side of the lake, a splendid view of the mountains and surrounding country was obtained from a height of 4000 ft. As they give way to the open grassy top of the hill, the birch, which is always the highest tree, becomes scrubby and stunted, and covered with dry crisp lichen. Shrubs not seen lower down also appear, some of which I had only previously remarked on the Pisreon Hill on Jackson's River. The bush is replaced by coarse grass and large tussocks, with scattered bushes of stunted shrub heath (Dracophyllum), several species of Calmisia, and other sub-alpine plants. To the westward the sea bounded the horizon from below Milford Sound to the north of the Awarua Bay, but the shore line was concealed by low wooded ranges, so that its form could not be observed excepting at a few points. The Awarua Valley was very distinctly seen at a distance of six miles trending to the S.E. , and from two to four miles in width. It has a level bottom partly occupied by a lake, and partly open and grassy; but there it is probably swampy. No large river could be seen, but a considerable quantity of water must, I should think, be discharged through the valley from the snowy mountains, where it originates. This lake, I afterwards learned, is known to the Maoris as the Waihuna Lake, and the stream flowing from it to the sea, the Awarua of the chart, by the same name ; the only Awarua which they know being, as I have previously mentioned, a river flowing into the north end of Jackson's Bay.