Correspondence.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 258, 10 April 1860, Page 3

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Colonist.

Sib,—-In ray last I mentioned our arrival at the Cheviot Hills station, which I was so well pleased with that I-should have liked to become stationary there tayseif.; I do not know any one whocould, with greater truth exclaim when standing at, his; own door, with his hands in his breeches pockets, and balancing: himself alternately upon his toes and heels, "4'ni monarch of all I survey," embracing a? it does an extent, of 50,000 acres ; outside of which to nearly the same extent is the run held under lease* thfc first subdivided into paddocksby a sod-wall which would puzzle a modern steeple-chase rider to clear, and the whole bounded on two sides by the rivers Hurunue and Waiau,' a third by the sea, and ft fourth by a well defined boundary; the whole circumscribed by very high ranges of hills,, all, however, easily accessible by sheep, and of a fair average of grazing and pastoral lano1;. sothatthe i?xperiseof. boundary shepherds with one- exception, is rendered Unnecessary. Speakingof%Jielatter,classof cadets,, Were it my fate to becomef one, judging "froiii the? localises 'I have seen, X should be prompted to exclaiinj with the author above quoted—■ ~ ": "|Oh solitude* where are thy charms ? -Which sages have seen'in thy fuoe- *■■ Better dwell in the midstof alarms .• • vThari reign in this desolate place."..- . For a more a more forlorn spot than some of these roosting places can scarcely be conceived. As regards the site of the intended mansion of the Lord of .the Manorysuvrounded as it will be by extensive plantationsl which are rising up around.it in all directions, and the gardens and pleasure grounds, all be it observed, tithe free, (and long may it continue so), there is nothing I have seen in this or any other of tlfe settlements of this colony,.or, I might add witlv scarcely an exception from Johnny Groats to the Land's End at home to be compared: to it. After a very pleasant sojourn of tea. days, during-which time we visited various parts of the run, including Gore Bay, where his Honor the Superintendent told us he contemplated laying out a town ship, and after completing the erection Vof a powerful hydraulic screw press in the spacious woolshed, we fixed; the day of our deptfrture-^-when on mustering our cavalry eqmV; page/ Uncle Sam's steeds were, as the Sheriff would say to a ca sa, non est inventus (anglice, " catch them if you can;") and although a skir- < jnishing party was despatched in all directions, the return was a nullum bonurn, (anglice, no goods.): However, by following the tactics of old sportsmen, and making a sufficient wide cast, the .parties were satisfied, as it eventually proved that the proud animals had not gbne off the run, consequently,, nothing daunted but rather upon his mettle, or as some would say " his niorikey," by the pros-pect-of having' to " hump his swag," after .turning into his blankets, and upon my announcing to him. in due course "grey-eyed morn begins to peep," he jumped but of his blankets, and on to his pigskin^ ana after sniffing the mountain breeze for some 8 or 10 miles across the run he dropped upon his trail, and lie made' his' appearance at a hand gallop just as we were' preparing to start, consequently we all got away ori a Saturday morning by 10 o'clock on our homeward, journey. After a Tide of some ten miles through the heart of the run over easy undulating hills, we came to Leamington, an outlaying station on the run oh the banks of the river YarrdV a retii-ed wateringplace; though at present not so much frequented as ohother place of that name at home. Here we expected to be joined by a newly married couple who had preceded us from Christchurch to Mr. George Lee's station, oh the opposite side of the Waiau River, who, it would seem had been reading the comic opera of "Love in a village," and probably, being struck with the sympathy of the two~lovers, who are represented as simultaneously exblaiming— ; / " Together let us range the fields,'! determined to effect practically what is there so romantically expressed. From some hitherto unexplained cause they did not make theirappearance^ so we proceeded, over a high range, of aills Cjalled the Loyvry Peaks, wending our way by circuitous sheep-tracks along the sides of the hills until we reached the summit from whence we could look back upon the spot we had started from and the sea; from thence, we made our descent to the plains torming the run of G. Duppa, Esq., the whole of whic'i, if they at all resembled that portion we crossed, are not to be compared to the-country wehad passed through. Before crossing the River Waiau, wp stopped to bait, having been on out saddles some three hours. We then resumed our journey,' and after an easy level ride across the Leslie Plain, forming the run of Messrs. Lee and Jollie, we encamped in a creek at the foot of the-Leslie Hills, where I believe, we first fell into. the direct road from Nelson to Christchurch. The next morning, Sunday, where, as the before quoted author eaya—

"The sound of the chur^h-goinij bell, ': , These Jiills and these valleys ne'er, heard,'? we were up before daylight,. and instead of dancing by'the light of the moon with the buffalo gals, we breakfasted, and after doing ample justice to the Commissariat department, mounted our horses, and entered a defile, which .after yarious twistings and turnings, with pretty variations of ups and do'wnß^w 6 came upon the summit of those hill^ from whence we commenced a gradual descent until we came to the banks of a river called, I think,,the Guide, which having crossed we came upon 1 the Hanmer plain, with JoUie's Pass in the distance, which certainly does not bear out its cognomen seeing that it presents anything but a jolly prospect to those who have to surmount it; we^ however, nothing daunted, accoiiiplished. the feat without any mishap, I may here observe that the view from each of these mountain passes amply repays the traveller for the exertion. On approaching near the top, and being a short distance ahead, I discovered that I had taken; the wrong track, and. found myself on an isolated peak, resembling something like a Jackdaw upon a ruined turret, and the party below not a little amused at my elevated position, though I believe by ; no means envious of my pre-eminence. After a considerable, but easy descent, and a ride of pome 15 miles we stopped to bait, and after reaching the confluence ox the Acheron aud the Clarence* and. garter Waikift Bobhiwm and Uncle Sm bsA

amused themselves by rolling down detached rpieces of. rock for the fun ofhearing them fall into the torrt ht below, we proceeded along the banks of the Clarence, and encamped for the second time in the teeth of a strong north-wester; when, following the instinct ot all animals which lay out. of doors we turned out into our blankets, where I shall <syish you good bye-for the present, and . ■ -.. • ..'"■' .' ,■;'. ' • ' . ' ' '' ■ : i I remain, ' Yours &c, ,f."; SENEX ALBUS.