PRESERVATION INLET AND MARTIN'S BAY.

Southland Times, Issue 1202, 28 January 1870, Page 3

PRESERVATION INLET AND MARTIN'S BAY.

The Dunedin correspondent of the Bruce Herald writes as follows : — The movement for the settlement of Martin's Bay and Preservation Inlet is progressing, and judging by present appearances, the first party of pioneer settlers, who are expected to sail in a couple of weeks, will be numerous. A j meeting of " intending settlers" was held a few evenings ago. The meeting was addressed by Mr M'lndoe, who appeared to think that in the course of time thriving settlements would be established i at both places, but stated he had an objection to Martin's Bay on account of the shallow entrance into the harbor. Some speakers, notably a Mr ML^od, condemned the whole affiir, and the inevitable Mr J, G-. S. Grant characterised it as an "attempt to delude the unwary." Mr M'Leod's description of Martin's Bay was thus : He was one of the few who accompanied the Government expedition without putting the country to expense ; described the entrance to the river at Martin's Bay as being very bad, and the surrounding country as unfit for settlement. The captain of the steamer Geelong would not take her in unless the then Government would be responsible ; they wouldn't, but landed in a boat, and were capsized, and one of them nearly lost his life. While there he did not see the sun. — (Laughter)" But against this^ was the experience of several practical men, amongst them being a master mariner, who confirmed all that Mr M'lndoe had stated, and said he navigated through the entrance of the river at the head of Martin's Bay, a sailing vessel with a draught of eight feet. Possibly there are some in the several districts in which the ' Bruce Herald ' circulates, who may think favorably of the scheme. If so, they might derive some information from what j Mr Ashcroft, M.P.C., one of thepomoters stated at the meeting referred to. He said that persons wishing to go there i must make up their minds for hard work, and not to return at once and say they had been disappointed. He should be very sorry if he were the means of getting any person to form an exaggerated notion of the intended settlements. From evidence taken before a Select Committee of the Provincial Council appointed to enquire into the expediency of forming settlements on the West coast, he read extracts, to show that it possessed good harbors; that Martin's Bay was very eligible for agricultural settlement, as the soil was a rich alluvial and vegetable deposit, principally covered with heavy timber, consisting of totara, white, black, md red pine, and rata; that there were about 100,000 acres of land available for agricultural settlement ; and as to ' the mineral wealth of the place, Dr Hector had deposed " that there were good indications of the existence of mineral lodes which have not yet been sufficiently investigated;" that the terraces are similar in character to the auriferous terraces further up the coast ; that there was abundance of building stone; that though the weather was rather wet, it was very mild ; that the climate was suitable for growing cereals, and that in 1863, when the mean temperature in Dunedin was 441, at the West Coast it was 493. He thought he had quoted enough to show that there was a large amount of country ready to settle on. The Government would give 100 acres of land to any one who would settle down for two years. The cost of the passage would depend entirely on the number of persons going. He thought it would be better to. send a steamer, as, though cheaper at first in a sailing vessel, there would ultimately be a gain in the saving of time. Unless he could get a large number of passengers, the charge would not be less than £6. The Government were going to send down a surveying staff, and he believed that those parties who wished to have land surveyed quickly, would have to render assistance to the surveyors in cutting the lines.