AUCKLAND CANAL.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 51, 24 May 1884, Page 6

AUCKLAND CANAL.

Tiik construction of a canal betwoer. Auckland and Onohunga is a topio which crops out continually, the writers in its favour being usually those who have land interests on ono or other of tho alternative linos for the proposed canal, or else have failed to make themselves acquainted with what lias been done in the past in this matter. A correspondent signing "Amieus" writes to-day : " Strangers visiting Auckland often express sm piiso at Auckland people taking no step 1 * to connect the WaitemataandOnenunga by means of a canal, especially as it lies in a direct line from Panama to Australia. As editors of newspapers are looked upon as walking cyolopjudias, will you or any ol your correspondents inform the readers of the Star what steps were taken for that purpose in the old provincial days, as if I mistake not some reserves were set npart for the bonefit of tho proposed canal." It is true that the Provincial Government caused repoits to bo made, the result being, we believe, that two proposal were con sidercd feasible— one to connect by way of the Tamaki, where the isthmus is narrowest, but which would entail cutting through the mud (lats of the Manukau ; the other is a canal from the upper waters of Waiteniata harbour, across the isthmus at the Whau to deepv>ater on the Manukau, avoiding the mud Hats. Since tho Provincial Government ceased to concern itself with the project, the Harbour Board have looked into it. The result of their investigations was decidedly adverse to tho scheme. Such a canal is advocated chiefly in connection with the Panama route to the Australasian colonies. But the steamers in that trade will be large ocean-going vessels, to which the Manukau bar oilers an almost impassible barrier. According to the estimates made by the Harbour Board, the work of cutting the canal and dee[ ening the Manukau Harbour so as to permit of the transit of large v ess-els would cost at least half a million sterling, and when completed it -v\as probable that the ii:>k>of the Manukau would increase insurance and canal dues so as to preventthceanalfrom being used to any great extent. The saving in distance is very much less than most people suppose. Although from Auckland to Onehunga by way of the North Cape is a distance of about 350 miles, vessels coining from or going to Sydney would effect a .saving of only 70 or SO miles by going into the Manukau instead of coming on here. This is so inconsiderable that masters of vessels would prefer continuing the voyage for the additional 80 miles to reach a firstclass and safe harbour like Auckland, which can be entered by night, rather than risk the navigation of a difficult harbour like the Manukau. The saving to vessels going direct to and from Melbourne would be greater, but this trade is hardly considerable enough to warrant an expenditure of half a million of money. Even if it were possible to get a good permanent channel at Manukau Heads tor 4,000 ton steamers— and the shifting sands about the presnt channels render that improbable— the approaches are exceedingly dangerous. The following extracts from the directions furnished by the Harbour Master (Captain Wing) to " Brett's New Zealand Pilot," will indicate the unimprovable character of these dangers :—: — " As Manukau Harbour is situated on an open and exposed coast, with shifting banks at a distance of three miles from the land, the harbour has so many dangers as to make it imperatively necessary for attention being paid to the latest local directions, and the greatest caution being observed by the mariner. No one, unless thoroughly acquainted with the local signals, should attempt to enter the Manukau vithdlit a pilot ; the lead should be constantly kept going." A further caution is that "in thick weather great care should be taken in approaching the shoals, which extend so far from the Manukau Head." "The tides are strong and have a tendency to set over the shoals, which in a measure causes the channels to shift either to S K. or N. W., but as a rule they do not shift suddenly. The Fanny Channel generally has only two fathoms (12 feet) of water in the centre at low tide, and the South Channel 16 feet, yet in most cases there is less sea in the Fanny j Channel than in the South during strong westerly winds. Care must be taken when approaching the Emma Bank, as the soundings decrease very quickly to t> or 8 feet at low water." The tides rise at the Heads 12 feet at springs and 9 feet at neaps. From a consideration of these facts it will be observed that the project of a canal connecting the Waiteniata and Manukau is a chimerical scheme in the present position of the city : what may happen when a dense population covers the entire isthmus of Auckland is, of course, another matter altogether. It seems almost certain, from the geological formation of the isthmus, that in the distant past the waters of the eastern and western seas flowed freely to each other. Volcanic action (of which there are so many remarkable traces on the isthmus) came in and separated the seas. In the nearer but still distant future the wants of man will cause them to be joined together again, but that may not be in our day. The almighty dollar governs every undertaking of the sort in these days, and the voice of the financial augurs is against the project at present.

Some of our Melbourne and Southern contemporaries are making merry over the unmasking of a reverend literary lareenist at Melbourne. It turns out that the smart articles which for some time past have been contributed to the columns of one of the Melbourne dailies are simply paraphrases of the leading matter of the "Saturday Review," from which journal the ideas, the phraseology, and the quotations are all " cribbed." The delinquent has been gibbetted in the Press under the pseudonym of the " Rev. Mr Jfilchitt," a name so very ! closely resembling his own as to render it j easy to fix the responsibility of the plagiarism on the right shoulders. Before undertaking his clerical duties, the now " reverend " gentleman was connected with a labour office in Geelong, and having therefore for a number of years lived on the work of others, perhaps finds himself unable to divest himself of a habit contracted in early life. A question of some interest to the general community was raised at a meeting of creditors at Invercargill on Friday last. This was the first meeting in bankruptcy held in that district before the Official Assignee. The debtor was Henry Penkiert, who has lost heavily in a sawmill speculation. The public took some interest in the proceedings, which were expected to be lively, there being many contending interests. Before the proceedings commenced, the Deputy Assignee intimated that the meeting would be private, and asked the public to withdraw. One of them, however, quoted a Judge as his authority for saying tho proceedings were open to the public, and as those present declined to move, the Court did, adjourning to the office of the Deputy Assignee. The only resolution passed was to ask the Inspector of the Bank of Australasia to agree to an offer of 10s in the £, which is likely to be made.