CANTERBURY.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 254, 27 March 1860, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

(From the Lyttelton Times.) Wk understand that a despatch has been re" oeived from the Colonial Secretary, informing the Superintendent that the Railway questitf n of this Provinoe will be submitted to tj* c Legislature, at the approaching, Session of t* 19 General Assembly; and that H,k Excellency 8

advisers will recommend a loan of a large amount.to be raised for the execution of the work. It will serve no purpose^ 'therefore, to summon the Provincial Council together prior to the sitting of the General Assembly. The despatch, we believe, will shortly- bo published.

On Wednesday, the" Avon, steamer, left Lyttelton to make her first trial-trip up the river whose name she bears. The tide serving early, she left Lyttelton at 8 o'clock in the morning, and proceeded to Sumner, whsro she arrived safely in ihe short time of an hour and a-quarter. Here some of the shareholders in the company, who had come down from Christchurch to be present at the trial of the river, joined her, and at 10 o'clock^the flood having about an hour and a-half to run in the river —-the boat's head was turned across the estuary to the point where the Avo^ debouches into the wide and shallow lagoon. This is a very intricate piece of navigation, the windings of the channel being numerous and sharp, and its breadth varying considerably. No difficulty,however, need be experienced in this part of the river, if only the points and turns were staked off over the ' flats', as has been done with the Heathcote; but at present, especially when there is much of a ripple on the water, the ohaunel is very obscure. On one of these points the Avon got a-ground, and remained there till next tide, which was so late that no further progress could be made up the river iljaV night. Next morning a fresh start 'was made, and in about four hours, after, a few rubs and bumps, the gallant little boat reached the town of Christchurch, and moored alongside Kilmore-street East. The chief difficulties experienced were; of course, the sharp turns, ,the stroug current, and the weeds—for the shallowness of the stream in parts troubled her but little. After a few turns up and down stream, not only will those on board become more accustomed to the boat and the stream, but the action of the paddles will, no doubt, scatter the troublesome watercress out of the navigable part of the river. Although large masses of weeds, alive aud dead, were passed through, they did not impede or choke the paddles in the slightest degree. Thus far the question of a third route from Lyttelton to Christchurch— one to which we have looked with considerable interest, —has been satisfactorily solved. It cannot be doubted that steam navigation on the Avon will put a considerable agricultural district in cheap and quick communication with the market, and it may even facilitate mercantile business by the carriage of heavy goods. We hope the enterprise will not now be suffered to drop.