WEST COAST FERRIES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4373, 26 March 1875, Page 2

WEST COAST FERRIES.

Sir, —Would you allow me to call the attention of the provincial authorities to the unsatisfactory condition of the femes on the West Coast of this province, between Foxton and Wellington. lam afraid if steps are not taken to put them on a better footing before winter comes on that we shall hear of many lives being lost. As a natural consequence of the increasing population of the Manawatn, great numbers of people, who are totally unaware of the dangerous nature of our rivers, are continually on the tramp between Wellington and the rising townships on the coast. _ Last Saturday and Sunday I passed no less than nine persons on the tramp between Paikakariki and Foxton. One party I met consisted of a man, woman, and a little girl of about five years of age ; they had passed the right in the sandhills between the Ohan and Foxton. The Ohau, which is acknowledged to bo the most dangerous river on the coast, is provided only with a miserable old canoe, which fills half full of water in crossing the river. A notice is stuck \\\i on a post, informing travellers in a most explicit manner to cross the river between two posts marked red and white. On arriving at this river last Saturday in company with a friend, we attempted to cross it, and after proceeding about 12ft. from the bank, we found at least 41ft. of water: the river at this point being 200 yards wide. Our horses objecting to go on, we turned round and had a’look at the river at the line of breakers, which we found to be much less inviting than the ford that we had previously tried. We concluded that the best thing to be done was to ring the bell and chance the ferryman hearing it, a not very sure thing, seeing that ins house is at least three quarters of a mile from the bell. Fortunately for ns he did hear it, and on coming across with ins canoe he informed us that there was eight feet of water in the river, and that if we had been half an hour later his canoe would not have been able to cross it; as it was, he stripped himself expecting that he would have to swim for it. Now, Sir, I think at least that the Provincial Government might, for the security of the lives of people travelling on the coast, have a boat at the ferry and not a miserable used-up canoe, that a Maori would scarce trust his life in. Some means surely could be devised of letting people know the depth of water in the river. At the time of my arriving at the Ohan there were two poor unfortunate swagsmen on the point of attempting to ford it, one of them in such a sickly state, that he was compelled to go to' bed as soon as he got to the accommodation house. These men, relying on the instructions on the board, wereon the point of walking into the river. If they had got into the current, one of them would certainly not have been able to reach the other side alive.—l am, &c„ Y.Z.