CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 85, 12 April 1877, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

j " KARAMEA SETTLEMENT. ' To T?IE JEbITOR OF THE ' EVENINCT MAIL.* Sir, — I noticed a paragraph in your columns of March 16 about the Karamea, and wish to say that the statements of the latb settlers are perfectly correct, except in regard to the land, in which they have made a great mistake, as there is on the.north side of tbe Karamea River nine successive miles of splehdid land, of which a small portion is held by private gentlemen, having been purchased at a sale that took place twelve years ago, a small portion is a Maori reserve, and the remainder can be bought frpm the Government at £1 per acre. On the south side of the river the good land runs nine miles up, but it is inferior in places, being intersected by terraces running to the river. There is also fourteen miles of good land facing the sea coast; likewise the Uppohara River, three miles from Karamea River, has huudreds of acres of fine land on its banks. The land held here by private gentlemen, chiefly Nelsonians, is remarkably rich. You eau fall the bush and get a good crop off at once. I have seen patches adjoining them tried, and the result is all that could be wished for, in fact it is as good as the old Nelson bush. These blocks are now being newly surveyed, and having traversed them I can say that in my thirty years' experience I never saw better. One blessing the Government has given us in sending a gentleman as a surveyor. If the Government had favored us with Mr 'Jennings as manager as well as surveyor we should have found ourselves able to pay rates and taxes instead of the best part of us leaving the Karamea. One more item I should like to make known, that is concerning the men who are leaving here. Mr O'Conor spreads it about that they are useless men, but I can assure you, Mr Editor, that this is false, as some of the men arenas good workmen as you could wish for. Mr .O'Conor ought to be satisfied with the injuries he) has done them here without wishing to do them further harm. I am, &c, Charles Matthews.