MR. ROCHFORT'S REPORT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 41, 17 February 1871, Page 2

MR. ROCHFORT'S REPORT

ON THE TRACK TO THE RAI VALLEY. To his Honor the Superintendent of Neison. Sir. — I have the honor to inform you that I have examined Mr. T. Mackay's route to the Pelorus, via the Wangamoa and Eai Valleys, and now lay my report before you. I started from Mr. Brown's house in the Happy Valley, and followed up the Bluff Rock River, finding no difficulty for about a mile, after which the hills sloped down to the river for about 20 chains. The sides are small loose rock. Again the valley opens out in. small flats for about a mile and a quarter, and then closes in with high slate cliffs. On the North side the worst part occurs at the end of a long spur, which however forms a dip afc the back, through which the road might be taken. The road should now, or better still, before reaching this point, be graded up to the Saddle marked Aon the accompanying plan . This Saddle is about 1,378 feet above the sea, and is the worst feature in the road, it is 900 feet above the river at the high Slate cliffs just mentioned, and the road might be made on a gradient of 1 in 16 to 1 in 18 with a distance of three or four miles. There is a probability of the Saddle, marked B on the plan, at the head of One Tree Valley, being lower, but it would materially increase the distance. Still, before any expensive woijk is carried out, it should be carefully examined, and also whether there is any moderately low connection between the Maitai and this point, or between the Happy Valley and the lower part of the Wangamoa. From the limited time at my disposal I was only able to travel through the one route. Descending the Wangaraoa, there would be little difficulty in carrying a side cutting, with a gradient of 1 in 30, down the valley on the West side, as only small creeks come in. The river opens out with narrow flats of moderately good land, but the road, to be of any value, ought to be kept on the hill side, gradually workiDg down nearly to the Collins River, a distance of eight miles from the Saddle. To this point there may ba some 500 or 600 acres of flat land, with here and there good timber. For about a mile and a half above the Collins, the hills are close to the river on either side. From the confluence of the Collins and Wangarooß, to the watershed of the Collins and BrownWalleys, this pnrt of the M/itngatapu range is crossed atjxn elevation of 875 feet above the. sea, or 650 above the confluence of the Collins and Wangamoa, and an easy gradient of 1 in 35 might be made. The north side appears the best, being less

broken by gullies. There is a little flat nt. the mouth of this river, sotno 150 jicrpp. The hill slopes are easy and the land good up to the saddle. DcsceuJiug the Brown, a small tributary ot the Jin\, the first two miles near ihe river are rough, with several bad slate points, all of which would probably be avoided hi grading the Hue down from the saddle; lin 31 might be got. The river opens into a large wide flat having good timber, and a narrow swamp runs down the centre till it reaches the Rai River some two miles further down. From the confluence of the Brown and Rai, tho hills around the large flat just mentioned cun be seeu, and also, more northerly, the opening forming the smaller branch of the Rai, which leads to the Croixelles. The Watershed is some eight miles off, and said by my guide to be about the same height, as the saddle between the Rai and Wangamoa. He also informed me that this branch contains more good land and timber than the Rai below. Looking a, little easterly, the opening of the Opouri Valley is next visible. This is the main branch of the Rai, and appears to contain a great qua^tity of flat land, but very little is ko<Tvv\^ijk about it. There is little doubt, however,' that this branch leads to the hills at the < back of a bay bearing the same name in the Pelorus Sound, about opposite the branch leading to Mahakipawa, and would be wortli examining. Returning to the Rai itself, where the Brown joins it, the river is large and sluggish, generally very deep, and about two chains across. A mile and a half down, there are several large groves of totara on the east side, and for three and a half miles more, the valley keeps a width of about two miles, much of which is covered with very fine timber. Here the hills close in, and down to the Pelorus River the Rai is rocky, and its banks steep terraces covered with birch and rimu. The terraces are rather broken with small creeks, which will cause the road to be kept well back. About a mile and a half above its confluence with the Pelorus, the Rai falls over a ledge of rock about four feet deep and two chains wide, forming a very picturesque cascade, with a large deep basin below about five chains across. There is no difficulty whatever in making a road down the Rai ; but care should be taken to keep the road above the broken terraces at the lower end. The length of the road by the Rai would be about 39 miles from Nelson to the Pelorus bridge, or from Happy Valley 28 miles. It crosses two ranges, the highest about 1378 feet, the lowest 875 feet above the sea, with oue bad gradient of four miles, 1 in 16. None of the rest need be steeper than liv 30. The line would open up about 10,000 acres of good flat land in the valley of the Rai ; 500 or 600 in the upper Waugamoa, and more below. Considerable value might be given to the Croixelles, from its accessibility. On the other hand, a flal, road might be made from Havelock, with less outlay. The length of the present road over the Mauugatapu, is stated to be only 26 \ miles from Nelson to the Pelorus bridge, but it opens no country either on the Maitai, or Pelorus, for there is do laud above the Pelorus bridge. It crosses a range of about 2,500 feet, with a gradient on one side of 1 in 11§, and on the other of 1 in 10^-, and completes the last seven or eight miles from the Heringa to the Pelorus bridge, with a succession of •e/levations and depressions, more wearying than the hill itself. I miclose a section comparing the two routes, the heights are only approximate, being estimated with a small pocket Aneroid, which had not been adjusted, but was the only instrument I cou|fr^ procure. VHB I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedisnt servant, John Roci-ifort. P.S. — The distance of the road proposed to be made to the Pelorus, via the Rai Valley, within the Nelsou Province, would be about 16 miles, that is, from the cud of the road above Browu's house in the Happy Valley, to the Watershed between the Collins and Brown, which jjis the boundary of the Province. J. R.

The Fijis. — It is said that the United •States Government intend taking prompt action about the protection of the Fiji group, and will very shortly have a man-of-war stationed there and institute a court, to which people of all nationalities may appeal. Botanic Gardens. — A Poser for Papa. — "La! Pa, dear !— What is the meaning of Koelruteria Paniculata ; and why should such a little tree have such a long name ? " For remainder of News see Fourth page.