ROADS IN THE INANGAHUA AND LITTLE GREY DISTRICTS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 740, 15 October 1870, Page 3

ROADS IN THE INANGAHUA AND LITTLE GREY DISTRICTS.

It will be seen by the following extracts from a report published in the Westport Times of Thursday last, that a very strong effort is being made to secure for the Buller district the whole of the trade which the Murray Creek discoveries have caused to spring up there : — EXISTING ROADS. The cement and quartz claims on Murray Creek are at present the centre of attraction in the Inangahua District. Murray Creek is a small stream which falls into the main branch of the Inangahua nine or ten miles above the old township of Kynner3ley, and about sixty from Westport. Murray Creek can be reached on horseback from either Cobden or West- ' port in two days, but the road from Cob- I den is by far" the worst. From Cobden the road follows the Grey River as far as the Little Grey Junction, from thence up the Little Grey to the Saddle, over the Saddle into the Inangahua, opposite the township of Kynnersley ; and from thence up the river bed to the junction of Murray Creek. The claims can then be reached on foot either by going up Murray Creek, or by starting lower down the river near Ross, and going up the spurs by a blazed line ; or, on horseback, by going about two miles further up the river, to Lankey'a Creek, and crossing over a saddle into Murray Creek by a toad made by the cement company. By this route the claims are about seventy miles from Coben and forty miles from the Ahaura, but the distance may be materially shortened by turning off from the Little Grey up Johnson's protected track to Maori Gully, and over the low ranges, by a foot-track, into the Inangahua at Ros3. The distance from Ross tc the Little Grey, by this route, is about fourteen miles, making the reefs about thirty-three miles from the Ahaura, but the road is so bad that it is a two days' journey. From Westport the route is up the main Buller road as far as the Inangahua junction *, from there to the Saddle, opposite Kynneraley, a road has been made, f formerly on the west side of the river, but this has been so washed away above the slips that most persons, after passing the slips, follow the river bed. A very fair track, however, exists on the west side to within five miles of the Saddle, where there is an excellent ford, and from thence to Fern Flat Williams (a storekeeper) has cut a track, so that Kynnersley may be reached with only one crossing of the

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Inaugahua. point to tHe. reefs ihe road has alrt described. T-lje In a n gab v a r» --bed, above the laijclh" ?s very V.mv: and in fine weather the river can be crossed alrcoat anywhere on horseback. From Weslport by this 'route to the veeils is about CO miles. The landing is e'jhfc m^es up the Inangnhua from its ji>«cfcirt"-» u'iJh the Da))er, and thiriy-eight from We&iporfc, avd is tbe point at which the car>o boals at present discharge ; but by unloading at one fall there would be no difficulty in taking bats to Kyunersley, wiihin ten miles of the reef, and by using a smaller boat machinery could be taken to within two miles of the reef. Out of the sums available, LSOO must necessarily be spent on the Little Grey S-.dflJe road, and would likely be sufficient to properly make the worst part of the road, viz., about one and a half miles form the foot of the Saddle down to the Lit'Je Grey, which is at present in a dangerous and alnfost impassable condition. The re maming su\i available mijjht be expended s>i making a track from Fern Flat to the landing on the east side of the river, on which side are numerous grass patches and shingley terraces, admitting of a road being made at a comparatively small cost ; anl any balance that might remain would be well spent in making a track from William's, at the top of Fern Flat, up the eastern fork (the Waituku) to the reefs ; the distance by this route being only about half that by the track at present in use. With these two proposed works completed, Murray Creek would be safely accessible to pack-horses, from either the junction of the Little Grey on the one side, or the Landing on the other— the two points at which cargo boats at present discharge. ROAD TO MURRAY CREEK, THROUGH MAORI GULLY. The road, as proposed by the memorialists of Totara Flat and Ahaura, would turn off from the Little Grey up Johnson's track, through the Maori Gully diggings, and over three low ranges into the Inangahua, at Ross. The distance from the Grey to Ross is estimated by Mr Woolley to be fourteen miles, a portion of this distance is at present available for packhorse traflic by means of Johnson's private track, but being only a uarrow un metalled track, made for his own use, it would require entirely remaking, if constituted part of a through line, and thrown open to the public. It is possible that, by making use of the creek-bed and open patches as much as possible, some four miles of roadlujvkmg might be dispensed with, leaving about ten miles of road to be made. But as there is a great deal of hilly and soft ground, either side-cutting or metalling would be required throughout, and would v,osfc, at least, L3OO a mile or L3OOO for the whole disrauce. In favor of this line it may be said that it would run through existing diggings the whole way, and open np a complete communication between most of the existing Little Grey diggings and the Ahaura. But, on the okher hand, the line offers no advantage in itself. Three low rarges — the highest being about 500 feet — have to be crossed ; the road would be costly to construct and maintain ; the diggings passed through are not extensive ; neither is any large body of miners congregated in any ono locality ; and, considering the saiL.il amount of money available for roads to new diggings, certainly not of sufficient importance at present to warrant the expenditure of any large sums, except with a view of obtaining access to country further inland. But, as previously shown, the Upper Inangahua can be rendered available both from the Grey aud Bnller at one third the cost of this proposed line. It would scarcely be advisable for the Government t>- undertake any works on this line at present ; perhaps by next year the Little Grey diggings may have attained sufficient importance io require roading for their own sake, should there be money available for such a purpose. CENTRAL WARDEN'S COVRT. In order to meet the requirements of the miners in the Inangahua and Lye)!, Mr War Jen Giles has arrange rl t.. hold a monthly court ai Christy's, at the junction of the Inangahua and Buller. Thi3 will be a very great convenience to all il\e mining population, and the men from Murray Creek will be able to walk to Christy's in a day. Hitherto the Warden's work has been done in the Ahaura, which is a two day's journey on foot from the reefs. The trip to the Inangahua Court, allowing one clay for business, will only occupy three days instead of five as the Ahaura trip did. The miners seem well pleased with the proposed alterations. If the work proposed between the Landing and the reefs be executed, the distance will be lessened at least five miles, making it only twentyfive miles from the reefs to Christy's, and most of the river-bed travelling will be avoided. In point o£ actual distance the Ahaura is only a few miles further than Christy.* from the reefs, but it takes nearly twice the time to make the journey, and, should the diggings extend to the northward, the distance from the Ahaura must be increased. At present a number of men are working at the heal of Boatman's Creek, and all the country, on the east bank of the Inangahua is auriferous. (