THE REPORT ON THE KARAMEA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 299, 18 December 1867, Page 2

THE REPORT ON THE KARAMEA.

To THE EniTOK OP THE NIiLSON EVENING MAIL. Sih— Some people may feel a little surprised that I have not eariier noticed Mr Dobsou's Report on the various routes to the Karamea. Tiie fact is, thut I have been too unwell to do so, and even now I cannot steady my pen. I cannot but think that Mr Dobson is making a great deal of the descent into the Crow-valley. I have been wondering whether he was with his father when he cut the pass thro igh the Otiragorge in Otago? If he was, then I can only come to the conclusion that the son, as the Scot'ih say, is not father to the man, or he would not have made such a di:. culty about comparatively a trifle. In the instance I have cited there was a gorge requiring a road to be cut through it. From two to three hundred men were engaged in cuttiner the road, and I am told that one and all pronounced Mr Dobson, sen., to be mad to dream of ever cutting a road through such a place. But he did it, and cut a road over which Cobb's coaches have run ever since. True, it was done at,a cost of =£40.00(1. but it was a proof of the pluck of the canny Scotchmen of Otago ! Now in the instance before us—the Karamea — we have a large valley, some 70 miles long, and . s°veral jniles wide, containing tens of thousands of acres, all of which there are good ground for believing are auriferous, and probably richly so, yet this valley remains a closed book to us, though the distance from Nelson to the Crow by my pass is but some 52 miles. For the last five years I have done my utmost to prevail upon the Government to open up this country. I have spent in time, money, and labor no small sum in trying to effect this, and yet never did I ask them for a shilling. I would ask, then, what ohy. ct could I have had in deceiving either the Government or the public ? I think I was right, and I believe so still. Are we so rich and so prosperous in Nelson that we can afford ro ignore such a country? Can we or oughc we to shut it up for another year, as seems to be inevitable if the recommendations contained in Mr A. Dob^on's Report are adopted. Here are diggers who have been waiting for the Government to take action in the matter for months. They have sent some of their mates over to look at and examine the the country, and they have returned, stating that they never beheld a more promising country, but that it is utterly useless to do anything until a bridie-track is cut over the ranges, so that their provisions can be brought to them iv the valley. All who have been over my track state that there is no oiffitulty whatever in making a bridle- track to the Crow; others have offered, if the Government will give them the contract, to undertake to make a d. ay-road, and that a good one, over, but at prese.it if they can only get a bridle or pack-track to the Crow, they will be satisfied, as that will enable them to- prospect the whole of the upper and lower parts ofthe valley; and they are confident they will soon find tlie best route to the Karatnea-gorge. 'Ihey believe that a good bridle-track can be cut "frcm the Raton to the ("row for -£500, and that if tins were done at omce the country would be open to them f<r the pre ent summer; but that if new routes are to he the onler of the day, then another summer will be lost to all intents and purposes. Now, if £ji)t) would do this, why not do it at once? Such a track would cut through ab ut the centre of the valley, whilst Mr Dobson 's proposed track hy the Wanga peka would take the upper part of the valley, and his Motueka track the lower part, thus giving free access to it at three different points The distance to the Crow by my track is about 52 miles; by Rochfort's track, by way of Spooner's ranges up to the stores at the upper en i of the Wangapeka plains, 52 miles, and theu you must go over the ranges ar.d down again before you can reach the Karamea-valley. You will remember, Mr Editor, that I wrote some weeks ago relative to a nearer and better route from Motueka into the lower part of the Ka-ramea-valley. I was smartly snubbed for this by a Motueka gentlemau, and yet Mr Dobson proves that 1 was right. Now, sir, with regard to the altitudes of, the different sad' des, I know, as any man now at the Baton can convince himself, if lie stands about 30 yards north from Dutton's shanty, that the sun sets behind Groom's Pass nearly an hour and a half before it breaks through my pass before its seting. Nature gives very reliable indications of altitude. I am told that never throughout all this very severe winter has the snow been more than two feet deep on my saddle, and that only once. It has not frequently been from three to six inches deep, whilst on Groom's track it has lain ten feet thick, with glaciers, and on Dutton's Welve feet. A digger who has been over my track eleven times during the severest part of the winter, and has never once been prevented getting through, gave me this information a few days ago. However, there is plenty of room for a track by Wangapeka, plenty of room for a track behind Motueka, and plenty of room for a track by way of the Baton. The digger, will decide eventually which is the best, only let us have something done at once. I am, etc., W. Hough. Nelson, Dec. 17, 18G7.