The Lyttelton Times. Saturday, January 31st.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 443, 31 January 1857, Page 7

The Lyttelton Times. Saturday, January 31st.

Wateß is a thing so common that its intrinsic value is only properly estimated when it is lost. Our fellow-townsmen of Lyttelton are, consequently, mere likely than most people'togive it its proper-value; and, we hope, to take some..trouble to secure enough of it for -the iuturei While this indispensable article of comfort is scarce or bad we have little chance of having our community enlarged;by strangers attiacted to the place for the sake of a residence. Such persons, in estimating the y a hie of a town, do not find that an excellent climate, a safe harbour, and a fair geographical position compensate for the. want of fresh water and a certain difficulty of access. That town, however, which has the former advantages, when joined to a productive country, has the real foundation of progress, irrespective of tin allege4drawbacks ; and the judgment of the practical geographer or the thoughtful colonist will grant.this to Lyttelton,; . For, supposing physical circumstances reversed, how hopeless would be the task of forming a, prosperous port town if the harbour and .position were bad, though fresh wafer was.plentiful and access to the country easy. The former can be but slightly and .-with- difficulty improved, while the latter are at the command of moderate wealth and science ';'' they are the first improvements which art would make upon nature. In Lyttelton, as in many another new town, such minor conveniences have been made to give way to the more solid advantages of the site chosen, and it is left foi- our town to suffer at first, till it can make itself comfortable in the same maimer as older towns have done. If we wish to make this town a residence inviting to strangers, or if we only desire to rendei; ourselves comfortable, we must constantly be, ',"i? T9>'M'l?4]po.t> iiature. Improvements in' the means of/access were rnbst important %n$ first atlemptecf •'.••'•some are now pro-

gres-dtig round us. We can 'fancy all difficulties of this sort removed at some remote time. To provide ourselves with .fresh water cannot be such a long business, if properly set about. We- will, not stop to point out the-.necessity of some provision. The long dry weather of which we now' seem to see the beginning of the end, has made our wants felt. Cleanliness ' the first of the virtues,' has been cultivated of late at no small expense, and, as for drinking, we cannot wonder at those who prefer f lamented liquors at such a time. The same ii.convenience is felt more or less every year. There is apparently no absolute scarcity of water; sotrie evidently exists in various places. But it must be got at, retained, and distributed. Whether this is to be done by sinking wells, or by forming reservoirs under the hills, or by systematically fetching tiie supply from a distance, is a question of comparative efficiency and cost. It is certain that an ample supply of good water would remove one of the greatest objections to this town as a residence ; and we think that, having united to improve the streets to some purpose, our fellow-townsmen cannot do themselves more good than by trying next to find some means of adding' to their health and comfort in anticipation of another summer perhaps even dryer than this has been.