CARKEEK'S EXPLORATION PARTY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1045, 11 June 1883, Page 2

CARKEEK'S EXPLORATION PARTY.

No Engineering X>iffiLcul■ties found to Railway Route. We (Taranalci Herald ) are indebted toMr Carkeek for the following particulars of the exploration by himself and party for the purpose of finding a route for the railway via Mokau. The party consisting of six, including Mr Carkeek, left Stratford on 31st March, following the Patea River in a north-westerly direction, and on lthe\ first day;"traversed' about, sixteen •ihiles-throngh ; theT)ush, : the land passed over being very good, but heavily timbered. It was moderately level, the hightest ridge met with not being more than a hundred feet. Next day the party crossed the dividing range, which was about four hundred feet high, but there was a good pass about a mile further north, and they arrived at the Manguotuku Valley. The land hero was good, and the valley almost level. They passed about three miles through bush in . the valley, 1 and 1 ; then came into clearings- of tutu and . fern, where the land was still good. The party camped in the clearings for the purpose of having their provisions brought there and , making a dcp6t. Heavy rains occurred, and the ;riyers were flooded, : necessitating a sojourn at the depot for fourteen days. Afterwards .they wenti ten .miles -up the valley, and crossed over to the Makahu Valley. The pass was rather rough, but Mr Carkeek afterwards received information froth the Maoris of a pass almost level in this locality. The land was very good in the valley, although the hills were broken, but quite capable of carrying sheep. They followed tlm valley up for two days, until -the Patea River/wasireached, Which -branched off In I 'two' directions—one in a north-easterly direction, and the other in a north-westerly direction. Thfe part}/ had only three days’ provisions left, and they determined to follow the north-west branch of the river in pr.der to reach Urenui and’obtain provisions. They reached ther Mangature settlement on.the Waitara River, and here they found ample provisions in the shape of potatoes, pigs, (Sc. Mr Carkeek determined to leave'his party here, while he and acompanion explored.the Waitara River towards its source. He did so, and was detained fourteen daye owing to heavy rain before he could rejoin his party at the settlement. During this time he was short of food, but Mr Carkeek being an excellent bushman does not believe it possible for anyone ,to starve in the bush, and by knowledge acquired through long experience in bush work, ho was enabled without much -difficulty to find food sufficient to keep them from starving; They found on, returning to the settlement that their companions were all right; although rather anxiously waiting for Mr Oarkeek’s return. On the journey from the settlement to Urenui no bad country was met with, and a good road could be easily made the whole distance, about 16 miles. Mr Carkeek’s opinion of the country so far is I highly Satisfactory, and he , is,: certain that no obstacles to a railway line exist so far as ho has traversed. The party met with no accidents of any importance, and they returned in excellent spirits: notwithstanding that they had very unfavourable , weatherifpr carrying, out'their exploration. Mr Carkeek appears to have gone oyer much, the same ground that Messrs -Cheal and Robinson did some eight years ago, ; therefore the; following summary . of; ;Mr Cheal’s report to the Chief Surveyor will, be/interesting at the . present time. /Mr' Cheal writes “ the first sixty miles is undoubtedly a good line for rail,wayStarting from the Patea River at the Mountain Road,, the lineAyould run nearly for four miles, and from thence up the Maknri river, over a low watershed into; the Mangaotuku River, following this river to its source, and over another water-' shed into a tributary of the Wanganui River. Again over another, watershed into the Waitara River, which if followed would, I think, lead into the water-slipd of -the Mokau—a- few miips. from the Mpkaja River itself ,v hut.!this/p6rlion of the country will require a thorough prospecting to find an easy route, owing to the broken nature of the country—being the water-shed of the Mimi, Tohgaporutu, Waitara, Mokau, and Wanganui Rivers, lam fully satisfied that there T 'afb 3 no great difficulties in the way of a lin.e being taken along the route* I have* just mentioned, and which you will find sketched, on the plan acebthpanyißg ' this : report. I ,do not profess to have found tho best line’-of route,* for my instruction# 1 Were simply to report on the practicability,of a lirie through this * so-called 'im'pttssable country ; and 1 had no time to prospect at any different places along the tract. But although -I can see many places where deviations would Inadvisable, yet I do not think a more successful line of route;willxbe(rf6und, even after a- careful survey.”