THE KARAMEA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue X, 7 January 1875, Page 4

THE KARAMEA.

The. accounts reoeived from the Karamea appear to be somewhat contradictory, if we may judge by the following extract from the Wfcstporfc Times of Tuesday last. We shall be glad to reoeive some further confirmation of . the T report published by our contemporary, which, is certainly very different to that given by the fifteen immigrants .who had previously left the settlement:-— "Messrs Abbott and M'Donald arrived yes.erday from the Karamea, and bring tidings* of the hew settlement.' It appears that the new chums have settled 'well' into harness, and' that beyond the first few faint of heart who •were frightened and found their way baok tb "their wives in Nelson, the rest have bucklei ;to and 1 ate working perseveringly. They begin to get their' eyeß opened to the fact that, if. they can contrive to rough it for awhile, the offer made them by the Provincial Government is, in Colonial parlance, "not to be sneezed at." .The dense bush before them, wherein they will bave to penetrate and hew out, by main strength find: patience, the Bight of their future homes is enough to appal others than experienced hands fresh from the level meadows and trim cut hedgerows of ' the 'old' country, but saving tbe ( few who first turned tail the new, Bettlers seem willing to do all that men can do to adapt themselves to circumstances. Since: their arrival at the Karamea they have' been engaged mostly in Government work, clearing grouud for the sit? of the 'Government Btote, an^' ah ap^Voaeh to the wharf which >itiis contemplated to construct; fillirig out! spare intervals by planting crop# for winter use, and in making temporary homes for reception Of their wives, .and families, 'expected down during, the present month. Mr Rawson is now busy with a field party of new hands surveying: sections .and marking out the ground to be alloted them, as well as the boundaries, of land now offered for sale. by the Provincial Goverimerit. Mr Hylandis still in charge of the '' imtdigran't party as general superintendent, and haying "dropped down " to his novel duties is now giving very general satisfaction to those most nearly concerned. The season so far has been fine, and the crops although put into virgin soil stand a good chance of coming to full bearing.. Hauls of fish, have not, yet been very frequent owing no doubt to the want of time for patient fishing among the new settlers, some of whom are skilful fishermen. Tbe chief complaint made by the "Karameans" is the utter isolation froni the rest of- civilised life and thiß difficulty of journeying to any other settlement. This however will am luug luot if^tfa-r FrpTincial Government carry out the professed intent of getting a track surveyed from Mokihinui through the Karamea district end on as far as tbe Wanganui Creek avoiding the beaoh line and passing at the rear of the high bluff between Mokihinui and Karamea, round which travellers find so much difficulty in passing. The baok oountry is little known, but those who have penetrated for any distance into its recesses speak well of it as easy of access and fit for. settlement! Little is known of the success of the inland prospecting parties, except that they are still on the search for gold and do not despair of ultimately finding good reward for their long continuing researches.