HIS HONOR THE SUPERINTENDENT IN SOUTHLAND.

Southland Times, Issue 1324, 21 October 1870, Page 2

HIS HONOR THE SUPERINTENDENT IN SOUTHLAND.

His Honor the Superintendent, Messrs Donald _R^id, Secretary of Lands and Works; Gteo. Duncan, provincial Treasurer ; and John Mouat, M. P.O. for the ~ Q-oldfie Ids, accompanied I>y Captain Thomson, Harbor master, and Mr.v Commissioner. 'Weldon, left Dunedin at 7 p.m. on the evening of Saturday last, en route for the Bluff. At the cross channel .between Port Chalmers and the Heads, the steamer(the p.s. Wallace) took the ground, vrijere she remained until the following; morning at 5 a.m. Proceeding outside, the weather experienced was cold and hazy until after the vessel had rounded Cape Saunders, when it cleared up and became remarkably fine. The distance from thence to Port Molyneux was accomplished at 5 p.m. The tide being unsuitable, the anchor was dropped outside the bar till halfrpast six. On reaching the wharf the party landed, and remained on shore till daylight the following morning. At the port the following information was gleaned :— -The ; diggings along the beach are turning, out/remarkably well. Withiiv the last few weeks a patch of excellent gold bad been struck at the foot of a terrace half way between the pilot station and the lighthouse. The yield was 7£lbs. to a party of four men, for one month's work. The formation is reported to be a stiff peat bottom, with a wash of boulders and blue conglomerate, in nnny respects resembling what was turned up at Ballarat Flat some twenty years ago. The party likewise visited the Puerua bridge, which is repdrtei to be/progressing satisfactorily. From . thence the steamer proceeded to " Catliri's River, which •it reached early -in the forenoon. She crossed the bar^.and steamed some disance above the mouth of the Owake. Being pressed for time, the party was unable to visit the saw-mills, but from what we- can learn, they- were favorably impressed with, the . general , appearance of the place. Having re-crossed the bar,, they proceeded direct to Waikava, at which place they: landed early in the afternoon. From what we can learn, the impression left upon the minds of the visitors was one of surprise that a place possessing so many inducements for settlement should have been, comparatively speaking, overlooked for such a length of time. Within easy access of the port, it commands something like 30,000 acres of i land admirably Buited for settlement. The digging prospects of Waikava are, moreover, spoken of in very hopeful terms. We are assured that 20s a day can be made at the beach workings with the greatest ease. At the present time the number of miners on the groundis twenty," and the sum named has been their average wages for a considerable time past. One of the mining parties appears to have gone into the work upon rather an extensive scale. They stripped off a large bank of sand, and for the last 12 months have been running away a magnificent wash. . Their returns are not stated, but from the inspection made by Mr Mouat, who is a thoroughly practical miner, the prospect, we are told,, is a. very good one. The entire population consists of 22 men and two womenj so that Waikava, asTacetiously remarked by our informant, has good reason ' to complain about the disparity of the sexes. A great deal has from time to time been said about the entrance to the harbor. The result of the inspection that has just been made is, that the entrance, although intricate, is perfectly Bafe to those haying a knowledge of its bearings. We are at liberty to add that both Catlin's Jttiver and the Waikava left an impression on the minds ' of the Government which is likely to prove of practical advantage to both districts. The steamer left again shortly before dusk, and after a smart-run entered the Bluff at 11 p.m. The sailing capabilities of the Wallace are alluddd to in high terms. The passage throughout was arpleasant onej with~the exceptiqiLofa few heavy pitches met with in weathering Nuggetty Point,; which sent more than one o£ the gentlemen on board to the lee side. The provision made for the"

passage is spoken of as highly creditable to the liberality of the sfceamft^^^nts. INVEECABQtEL AKD'TB^SSl^^^^^ Although the Veather j foj?' some time previously had been remarkably-fine, Tuesday inorning set in threatening. A quantity of vapor cloud hung aboafcifbe atmosphere, and the wind, wtii|h| wasgusty, shifted about from one; point to another. Still it did not settle upon a bad quarter, consequently the hope was sustained that the day would pass, over fairly. In Invercargill ifc was, observed as a close holiday, and so strict'^as the ' observance that even the smaller" class of retail businesses had drawn blinds. Indeed every facility was given for a holiday in the strictest s?nse of the word. The excursion train, to and from the Bluff and Winton, was the chief attraction. With a prudence which we are happy to say received tangible recognition at the hands of the public, the railway lessees reduced the fares to a sum unequalled in N"ew Zealand locomotion. The rate was less than a half-penny per mile, amounting in all to a sum of 3s. This brought the excursion within the means of all classes of the community, and the extent;, to which it was taken advantage of furnishes a sure guarantee that even as a pecuniary speculation it was far from being unsuccessful. Judging from the avowed policy of Mr Macandrew's administration, no arrangement could have been more congenial to his tastes than the one in question, which afforded an opportunity for every member of the community to partake in it. The train was advertised to leave afc the usual hour (9.15). but for fully half an hour previously, the approaches to the station- were completely thronged with excursionists,; including a very large proportion of females and children.- On- the— Telegraph-- -Office opening at 9'o^clock, the" 1 announcement was received "that , the "Wallace bad arrived, so that, the pririiary object of the excursion was fixed beyond any possibility of a hitch in'tHat quarter. The train -provided-wasa4ong-one, still-it-was -found to be short of/ 'the'demahfto made upon it. This necessitated the hitching on of additional carriages, and the consequence .was the departure was delayed tome 20 minutes beyond the advertisedrtima; By dint of no small tact on tHe part oft the railway officials, the whole of the passengers were accommodated^ and on the train getting in motion a string of 1 eight carriages, ieach capable of seating fifty adults, left the station. It woull be ~wrong~to say that to"e~ag:»reg;»te "dnhese %ures represented the number who left for the Bluff. Eieh of the 83ats~\vera jammed full, and in some instances standing room was at a prenaiu-n. The largest engine oh the line was impressed into the service, and although the "strain must have been a heavy one, when fairly under weigh, it dashed alonaf without any perceptible effort. The passing and repassing of trains lo and frofn the |Bluff is a thing of daily occurrence; still it was evident irom the enthusiasm with, which Tuesday's morning trip was greeted^ that the event was accepted as an j exceptional one all along the line, The«how.era which fell on Sunday; and. Monday gave the surrounding country a refreshing appearance, which in this direction is finely diversified by mountain,- wood; and flood. Indeed the rustic felicities of the day were not by any means the least enjoyable part of the arramjenent. In its own quiet way, Campbelltown looked l cheerful and even gay. The bunting of the place was displayed to good advantage, and _ one building — the Eagli Hotel— was literally draped an flags. . The :prbspectf .seaward was still more' cheerm^ »It was not only gay but if. was sugsestive. At one end of the wharf lav the ponderous intercolonial steamship 'frtr^rua, .moored: as .sndgly as if she had been lying inside a London or Liverpool dock. At; the other .end lay the trim little paddle steamer Wallace, a colonial ; production that would compare favorably with nanyofothe river steamers of : Great Britain of very recent date. ■ W -■ •■-.•■or:-'^■.-^■*^-^.^*&z^r**J>-t-e^****^^ A ■ One or two .salmig, crafts lying in tqe wake gave more 'of :%n effect to the scene than a suggestion ; to the mind; - still? they were evidence -oP i a progressive system of commercial enterprise. . In itself, this is a sight no port in Otago can furnish, not even port Otago, where wharfage > accommodation is only fit for vessels of inferior tonnage; ; to that ' represented ]>y the Tararua., Distinguished as this may appear, it is not the extent of ourexceptional facilities. The locomotive |engine alongside the steamers, dragging away their freights, followed by-the-mind-s eye for a distance of forty miles inland; is the crowning point of our commercial achieve.ments. .^lLMc jAmesJMLacandrew,jind his responsible advisers saw a monument of what. they were.prepared to. accept as onr provincial folly, they were also shown a remnant of wHat~ they are forced to acknowledge as our provincial enterprise— an enterprise which it has been their studied policy for years past to promote in other parts of Otago. We. need not speculate more upon the subject It did not require, the services of a phrenological delineator to show us that, individually, the Otago Government is composed of shrewd, practical men. As politicians, we have yet to make their acquaintance, but we trust they will prove honest enough to admit the true importance of the district: 7 • V ■ " Arriving at the -Bluff the excuw ionists left the train, and^for the time being Campbelftown was not'only gay, but even boisterous. - "Ofncourse the latter remark will be accepted as a short statement of the sudden transition the place underwent consequent upon the arrival, of, a large body of strangers, and not as casting an imputation on the conduct of the excursionists, who were well behaved and orderly throughout. 'Nothing like a formal reception .took place ; iv fact his Honor was not visible until the moment the train took its departure. The wharf and^teain£K^ej»_tha -4)rincipaUattractions, and as the time allowed was short, a hasty glance at the bar-parlors concluded the stay, at Campbelltown. The Governor's carriage, which was taken

possession of by Government officials on J the trip down, was occupied by the j Superintendent and the gentlemen of his party on the run up. The only incident worthy of note that occnrred on the road, is one the truth of which we are not in a f position to vouch for. It took place in j connection with an observation made by the Superintendent on passing the now disused branch, line to the celebrated ! Mokomoko Jetty. " "Where does that road, lead to?" asked Mr Macandrew. " That," replied Mr "Wood, who acted as] exponent, " leads to a variety of places. It led one or two Government contractors to afflnence ; it led one of my { predecessors iv office into a sad mesa ; it led the once prosperous province of Southland two-thirds of its way to ruin ; and finally, it has led your Honor to favor us with the present visit, to take formal delivery of the place on behalf of the now united province of Otago." There was no stenographic writer present, but we are assured this is the substance of the reply as near as a retentive memory can convey it. It is further stated that the remainder of the journey was performed by the state carriage in solemn silence, j which waa only disturbed by the whistle ! of the engine announcing its arrival at Invercargill. THE TEIP TO WINTOi?. . The return of the train to Invercargill completed another step in the progress of arrangements. The platform at the station was crowded with onlookers, and a number who had not gone to the Bluff availed themselves of the trip to Winton. Two or three more carriages were brought into requisition, and, after a short delay, the train proceeded up the line. In this direction the. country does not possess the advantage of such fine. sheets of water as the estuary of the New Biver, or the head waters of the Bluff. Still it has the compensating feature of a higher state of cultivation, which adds no inconsiderable charm to the native luxuriance. The line passes through a succession of bush lands, alternating with open plains, which are so far enclosed by the adjacent forest that admirable shelter is secured. The approach to Eyal Bush in particular is one of the snuggest nooks that could be found. It is. picturesque to a high degree,, while its homesteads, .with their well -trained creepers and neatly trimmed hedge-rows, leave little to be realised in. a true conception of the cottage homes of England. The bush, with the fantastic curves of its outline, gives a certain dash of boldness to the scene, without which the dead level of the country would be rendered in a great measure depressing. In approaching Winton, the bush from which it takes its name flanks off in double line, leaving an intersection of open country to penetrate the 'orast in the form of a gigantic funnel-shaped avenue. The township of "Winton is laid off at its converging point, and a more sequestered spot could hardly be found. Dr Oliver Goldsmith describes his domestic retreat as an Upper chamber, opposite the Three Tans, Free from bailiffs and from duns. "Whether Winton has secured a similar immunity is not a matter for present enquiry. One thing is obvious, the first idea that strikes the mind of a stranger is, how did it manage to get there ? and the second is, what does it mean to do now that it is there ? A little more tact and discernment, however, can detect sundry loopholes, the principal one of which leads out into the Oreti plains, and from thence to Lake Wakatipu, the Npkomai, and Switzers. At present it is little more than a depot in tran&itn between Invercargill and these centres of population. Its tendencies are to establish a* commerce of its own, a fact which is abundantly manifest by the buildings at present in course of erection. Although available for the line is not finished the entire distance bf Winton. For, over 3 miles the ballasting Operations are incomplete, which is notified by a certain ■* amount of oscillation in the carriages passing over it. This shortcoming will be remedied in a few weeks, when it is expected the entire line will be ready for regular traffic. The arrival of the excursion train at Winton was the signal for a general turnout of its inhabitants. The muster was strong in proportion to the size of the place, and the reception as enthusiastic as could have been expected under the circumstances. His Honor and one or two members of his Executive met with some old acquaintances, prominent among these being Mr T. J. White, by whom they were escorted to the Railway Arms Hotel, where a slight refreshment was. provided. Although the stay waa but short, we understand the opportunity was not neglected for pointing out some local requirements, a fact which shows that the residents of Winton have got their eyes about them for business. The body of the excursionists strolled about the township and its environs until recalled by the signal whistle of the engine. It may be satisfactory for our Winton friends to know that their visitors were agreeably surprised at the progress of the place, and on the way back many conjectures were made as to what it would come to in the course of the next twelve months. Leaving Winton with hearty cheers from the onlookers, the train arrived at its destination a few minutes past 4. The entire trip represented a distance of 80 miles. In its execution it combined these three great elements-»-speed, comfort, and economy, in a measure which defies competition so far as the rest of New Zealand is concerned. Of the lessees of the railway it is only right to add that their arrangements were excellent, and the reception is admitted on every hand to have been an unqualified success. THE BANQUET. ' After the fatigues of the day, this part of the programme was not by any means - tfaerieast acceptable. It took place in the Exchange Hall. Covers were laid for - 70 gentlemen, but upwards of \ that number attended. The purvey was under the superintendence of Mr Smith, qf the 'Frioeerof Wales Hotel ; and was arranged

on a principle both elegant and substantial. The walls were decorated with banners, and a variety of floral devices, which, combined with the lofty character of the buildinsr, gave the whole a fine light and airy appearance. The chair was occupied by Mr William Wood, late Superintendent of Southland, supported on the right by his Honor the Superintendent, and Messrs Eeid and Duncan ; on the left by Mr John Mouat. The vicechair was occupied by Mr F. W. Wade, with Mr John Blacklock on the right, and Mr D. Macrorie on the left. Amongst the strangers present were Mr H. Driver, M.H.E., and Mr Commissioner Weldon. On the cloth being rej moved, the chairman gave the usual loyal and patriotic toasts, which were duly honored by the audience. The health of the House of Eepresentatives of New Zealand was given by the vice-chairman, who described its legislative tact and ability as second only to that of the Imperial Parliament of Great Britain. (Laughter and applause.) Mr Henry i Driver responded. As an Otago member he had opposed the reunion movement, atill his objections proceeded upon a different basis from the one they were now met to do honor to. Nevertheless hecould reciprocate their views upon the point, and trusted the expectations it had given rise to would be duly realised. The chairman gave the health of Mr Macandrew, as Superintendent of the united province. He referred to the meeting as one of a purely social character, from which it was- expressly provided that everything tending to political rancor should be excluded. The wisdom of this provision was that all-diversity of opinion upon the reunion question should now be shelved, and a combined effort made to forward the of the district under the new administration. Of tlie public character of tfieir: guest it was unnecessary to say one word. The part he had all .along taken in public affairs was the strongest recommendation that could be given to the toast, and as such he begged of them to receive it with due honor. The toast was received enthusiastically. Mr Macandrew replied. Although partly prepared to meet with a favorable reception, its enthusiasm had far— surpassed hh most sanguine expectations. Looking back upon his public administration, he felt constrained to say that the consummation of reunion was by far the most important feature of that administration. It would be a noteworthy feature in the future history of the colony, whenever that history came to be recorded. He had no desire to revive unpleasant recollections of the past contest, still the part he had acted from the very first of Southland compelled him to make allusions to the separation movement of 1861. To counteract that movement, which he had aU along looked upon as a political blunder, he attended a public meeting held in Invercargill something like ten years ago, at which the subject was fully discussed. For the time being it was knocked upon the head, and he believed that had his term of office not been somewhat abruptly interrupted, the separation of the two provi ices would never have taken place. In continuation, the speaker cautioned them against ex. pectins: too hasty results from reunion. The territorial revenue was the mainstay of their income, and that would be honestly administered in Southland as well as in the other parts of Otago. In conclusion, the speaker referred to the coming meeting of Council, at which a readjustment of the administration of this part of the province would be given effect to, which he trusted would be so ordered by the "Ruler of destinies, as to promote the wellbeing of all ' concerned. The toast of the united Provinces, coupled with the name of Mr Eeid, waspropbsed by Mr W. H. K l*eaTsdti. It had, he said, become a stereotyped remark amongst the provinces of New Zealand to speak of their resources as being illimitable. Of the now united province he would only say that, in extent, its territorial estate was respectable, and its resources considerable. In the old world, more limited space sustained much larger popula. tions. Belgium, for example, with an area not exceeding 11,313 square miles, had a population of 5,000,000, and a revenue amountinsrto £7,ooo,ooo. Saxony, with an area of 6,777 square miles, supported a population of 2,500,000, with a revenue of £2,000,000. In the New World similar examples might be quoted. Now the united province of Otago had an area of 26,640 square miles, with a population not exceeding 70,000, and the rapid strides it had taken in the past gave an earnest of the future. Otago's first appropriation, passed in 1854, amounted to £1995 ; its population being then about 2,000. The last appropriation passed by its Council amounted to £404,161, at which date its population had increased to 70,000 as stated above. Southland, the speaker continued to say, had also progressed rapidly. In 1861, during the first five months of her existence, the revenue did not amount to £2,000. In 1863 it had increased to £103,942. Between the year 1866 and the 30th Sept. of the present year, the land fund alone realised £290,881. It was true she had incorporated herself with the great nationalities of the world by contracting a national debt (laughter), but still she had forty miles of railway to show for it, which was more than any other province in New Zealand could do (hear, hear, and applause). She had besides a number of hopeful resources. She had a large area of first-rate agriculturalland. The Longwood quartz reefs, if properly tested, would, hebelieved, prove rich and extensive as any quartz reefs yet developed in New Zealand. Deep sinking was also alluded to by the. speaker as a probable resource of the province. All the- province needed was population to develope it. Upon the whole; he concluded that the united province had a fair future before it. By union the feel-" ing of jealousy between the two provinces bad been extinguished, and the best available means would be adopted for

opening up the interior. After a few allegoricarremarkß, Mr Pearson concluded in the following poetical strain— Thou, too. siil on, O Ship of State! Sail on, O Union, good and great ! Sonthland, with all her fears— With all the hopes of future years — Is hanging breathless on thy fate. Sail, on ! nor fear to breast the sea : Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears, Our faith, triumphant o'er our fears, Are all with thee, are all with thee. Mr Reid replied. He assured them on the part of the Government that their in : tentionwasto deal.with.the district as if Un separation 'from Oliagb had never tafcpn place. One of the immediate advantages that would be secured to them was a share of the educational endowments provided for Otago. For that purpose arrangements had been made for the Inspector of Schools to visit Southland in the course of the next few weeks. He also congratulated them upon the value of the agricultural resources of; the district, evidences of which he said had that day came under his notice, which perfectly surprised him. Mr T. M. Macdonald proposed the agricultural interest, which was responded to by Messrs Kinross and Lyon, and the mercantile interest by Mr Trumble, replied to by Messrs Macrorie and Pratt. The health of tha chairman was proposed by Mr Macandrew. In acknowledging the toast, Mr Wood said^he had been singularly fortunate in escaping the reflections cast upon some of bis predecessors in office. It might be that he was deemed unworthy of the aspersions with which these gentlemen were favored, stilf th© fact Was -n6 less satisfactory to him as an individual.' This having concluded the programme, a few improvised toasts were given, which enabled the hilarity of the evening to be kept up for some time longer. . : !