THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1132, 14 March 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1872.

The Hon. the Premier's visit to the southern portion of the Couuty of Westland should prove to be neither the least interesting part of his present voyage of discovery to himself personally, nor the least important part of his journey in even a colonial point of view. Rich as it has been proved to be as an auriferous country, and rapidly overrun as it was by the miners a few years ago, its history as the scene of regular settlement can scarcely be said to have yet commenced. It had its "rushes" in the so-called early days of the Coast, on a scale as extensive as, perhaps, any part of the country, and many reaped the reward of their activity by finding small fortunes among the sand of beaches with which some of the best beach- diggings in other parts cannot be compared. But it happened that some of the greatest of these " rushes" were of the class "bogus," from no fault in thenatural features of the country, but from the falsity of pretended pioneers; and the opening of the Pakihis to the northward, occurring at a time when the beaches seemed exhausted, withdrew a population which might otherwise have promoted inland discoveries of a more lasting cliaK.icter. From the natural features of the country, and from the richness of the beaches, there is every reason to suppose that, extending from the Totara southward to Awarua, at Big Bay, there is an auriferous territory not less valuable than that which, after years of prospecting, has been proved to exist in such neighborhoods as that of the Inangahua. It will, indeed, astonish no one acquainted with the district- if, at any date, near or distant, discoveries are there made of as great importance as any of which the West Coast has yet been the scene. The beaches alone are a fair index to the nature of the interior, and it is only the other day that we haveheard of that index being given as far south as Yates's Point, some distance below Martin's Bay. But it is not as a prospector, or with the view of emulating his almost equally well-known namesake, Bill] Fox, that the Premier has been pushing his way over and up the rivers of the district, nor are we to suppose from the fact of his visiting on© of the wonders of the West, the Waihj glacier, that his mission is solely in search of Ihe picturesque. It is, no doubt, a part of the object of his present visit to the Coast, as Premier, and as member of a Government committed to a great scheme of immigration and public works, to ascertain for himself and his colleagues the elements and facilities which the country possesses for the ultimate settlement of immigrants, who, on the plea of these works proceeding, are now being attracted to the Colony. In that connection the Premier's journey is important, and we have little- doubt that it will prove to him and to the countiy as useful as it is interesting. It may not be — it cannot bethat he will there discover any vast area suitable for easy settlement, or that ho will find it possessed of facilities for the introduction of many of those who " whistle at the plough." But if he fails to find it as good a field for the American axe and {the grubbing-hoe as the Waikava Bush, Stewart's Island, or the vicinity of the Upper Buller, which are spoken seriously of as scenes of special settlement, those acquainted with all the different places will have to confess themBelves sadly mistaken. There are rather reasons for supposing that it will prove as cheap to the Governmeut and as advantageous to. the settler to utilise such portions' of the public estate, as to expend largaeums of money in the purchase of fresh slices of land from the Natives of the North Island. Even the purchases of land which are there made are not purchases fit for the plough. Eminently in one instance a recent extensive purchase made was land more heavily timbered than evon that on some parts of the West Coast, and land possessing no natural facilities of approach. To reach it costly railways or roads will require to be made, and are intended to be made, whereas the southern portion of Westland has a sea-board, and has harbors which, though they may be of humble

capacity, are not inferior ,, to those which have already becoiiie.the sites of important townships, What|road or rail supplies in the one case, steanfjby sea can supply in the other, and it is scfme satisfaction to know to that object— the object of establishing regular steam communication along. the whole length of the West Coast—attention is now, and by no means too soon, being given. In connection with either one object or the other— the settlement of the laud, or the thorough and impartial subaidy of coastal steam communication — Mr iPox'a visit of inspection, as we have said, should prove not only personally, but colonially usoful,'.when any measure for the'development of the West Coast of the Middle Island may come before the Assembly. ■ ■