REPORT

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 808, 30 April 1853, Page 4

REPORT

On the Lower Waitaki country, from Cape Wanbrow, (Makolukuteikio) to Pukcwhinau, December and January, 1852-3. 1. Pasture. 4. Inland Transport. 2. Fuel. 5. Shipment. 3. Timber 6. Miscellaneous. 1. The pasture is good throughout, and a large extent, especially inland, of Firce Beacon (Rakaikuruwheo) ; indeed, wherever the porous tertiary limestone ocean?, bears natural growth at least equal to any which I have seen on unstocked land in New Zealand. Messrs. Suisted, Nairne, D. Scott and Cormaek. will, so far as they have seen, corroborate this opinion. The only drawback is Tumatakuru, of which there is a great deal in some parts of the plains, but this, I believe, disappears before stock and burning. 2. Fuel. In the Eastern portion very scarce, but most probably, or rather almost certainly, lignite will be discovered in the Waiareka or Kakaunuicountry. The woods at present known •we as follows :—

Besides charred totara'logs on the ranges, and the scrub and drift wood on the river islands. Peat is found on the hills between Kakaunui and Maerewenua Wood being so scarce I deemed te Warekorari's assertion that there was coal one day's i journey inland of his kaika, although contradicted by the other natives, worthy of investigation. I therefore went up the South bank through the gorge to Te Awawakamau, where we crossed the liver od neokis and found the , Ignite on the Pukewhinau stream, made a large fire with it and brought away about 3cwt. of specimens, which I left at Punaomaru aad Tauheine. I also arranged with Warekorori for the delivery of it at stations along the river, which he will effect by means of large mokis carrying upwards of a ton ; the price per ton to !be fixed by roe. To aid me ia fixing the price it was nece&sary to have a more distinct idea i of the difficulties of the mofci navigation of the Waitaki. I therefore came down in a moki Ihe voyage or " rere" from Pukewhinau to Te Hakataramea, occupying one hour, and thence to Te Panaomaru, four hours. I propose to fix rates varying according to the distance, from £1 to £3 per toa for the lignite delivered at the river's side at places which drays can reach. ! As the lignite is perhaps not in my district I ! would request the sanction of the Governor for this arrangement, and that his Excellency would also be pleased to confirm my direction that no native but Te Warekorari be privileged to work at the lignite in question. Should it ever be thought worth working by Europeans this arrangement would not be an obstacle to their obtaining the necessary license. Lignite also occurs bi»h up Ihe Hakataramea, and I may further njeation that from an intelligent native Y/ho accompanied me down the coast in 184S, I learn the existence of beds of lignite, some of good quality, commencing near the Elephant (Pohowaikawa) and running thence about N. N. W. to the upper Waihau country. I have the honor to forward small specimens from Pukewhinau, which you will perceive is not of first rate quality. 3. Timber must be imported, or obtained from Blackwood, or the woods on runs Nos. 1 1 12, The great forest, though clothing three sides of Ilawea and Wakatipu, comes no lower than the upper coarse of the tributaries of the Waitaki lakes, which are themselves woodless. Much of the limestone is fit for building aud cleavable state is reported inland. 4. Inland transport. The plain commencing at the mouth of the Hecnans continues without interruption to the Gorge, about thirty miles, passes through it in two terraces from 100 to 200 yards wide, and thence stretches widening and narrowing alternately to the lake, whither I should have no hesitation in taking a dray at once. Just below the Piriamokotaha (an impassable cliff on the North chore) the river narrows, between vertical slate cliifs of twenty to thirty feet high, to less than 100 yards. It is evident at a glance that this is the place for a bridge, and the two terraces form a beaut ifi-1 site for a town, which should eventually be one of the most important inland towns in the island. This spot is about North from Mount Domett, the snowy peak mentioned in a former report. 5. Shipment. This must be effected at the mouth of the Hemans, which sheltered on the South by Cape Wanbrow and on the North by Point Sigourney, a low promontory and having what is reported to be a good roadstead, is a really valuable place on a harbourless coast. When I was there the wind was N. E. mod., and the sea in the bight so calm that a small canoe might have landed with perfect safety. There is a second boat harbour at the Cape practicable when the Hemans landing is not. 6. The conjecture which I hazarded in a former report that the remains of the Moa would probably be found in a district so suited to the habits and wants of that bird has been borne out by our discovery, near Cape Wanbrow, of a forgotten kaika of the aboriginal Waitaha tribe, the umus filled with bones and eggshells of Palapteryx, aptornis &c, burnt

stones, charcoal and remains of dogs, seals, { etc. WALTER MANTELL, I Crown Land Commissioner. Postscript. — I should have mentioned that Wanganui natives with each canoes as they use on that river would, I thiuk, not hesitate to navigate the Waitaki, the canoes could he poled or tracked up the side channels. There is not now a canoe on the river.

Acres A A scrub, copse, forest l. Wanbrow Cliffs 1 !. Cliffwood 2 ! Copse on the Hemans (Oamaru) . . 1 • . \. On the Land on ( Awakokomuka) 1 ». Papakaio • 4 • • i. Crusoe copse 2 • • p . Keafsbotirne (Waikoura) half belonging to uaaves 3 \. The Chatteiton (Awaamoko).. .. 8 I. M aerewenua (near the source) .... f 8 .0. Blackwood at foot of Domett. ... . .50-100 il and 12. Otekaikeke, Otealli, KoburauandAwawakamau.. 25 26 27i 60-100