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Southland Times, Issue 716, 28 August 1867, Page 2

The s.s. Omeo passed "through the Strai's from Otago to' the West Coast on Monday afternoon without communicating with the shore. " The Hokitika bar still remains almost entirely closed. The " West Coast Times" of. Tuesday, in an article on the condition of the bar, says :-tJJepending as HoVitika does, in more senses than brie, iof its very existence upon the action of the sea and river, all who . have the welfare of the place at heart must naturally take the liveliest interest in any question that may be mooted with a view of either counteracting or aiding the influence of those potent agents which have wrought duriDg the last six months incalcuable injury to the port, reducing it from the proud position of mistress of the West Coast seaboard — accessible at all seasons to vessels of heavy tonnage— to a mere- gap in the beach, scarcely navigable even at spring tides to handy steamers of the lightest drau"ht I __Such is its present sadjstate, but one which we .hope will be considerably, ameliorated by the ffdoSs fllrnriit ™^oi*x., iorac UIUS mn^iAsease which ia consuming us will be only halt 'remedied, unless immediate steps are taken to assist nature in the work she is ready to preform — by closing up one of the two channels that now divide the power of the river — a power never at any. time more than sufficient to keep one bar permanently open. . . . It is not possible to close the south entrance altogether by filling up the apology for a channel, and compel the water of the lagoon to find a way northwards through the gutway, and so out to sea across the north, bar? If once the outflow south were checked, we feel sure_that.iu forty-eight hours the South Spit would be ioye_ home upon the middle_banlc, and^that in the course of a f«w days an unbroken line of high beach would extend from the iiag staff to the north bar. "In process of time the lagoon -would be converted into: dry. land, all but a narrow , channel sufficient to carry the waters of Hospital Creek and the " south arm of the Hokitika ; and the port would be again restored to its iiormal condition of excellence. As itis we— Jhel entire community — ai*e. 'suffering enormous Josses through the stoppage of trade.