HOKITIKA.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2960, 10 August 1878, Page 2

HOKITIKA.

Friday.

The Christchurch coach, due on Saturday night, only reached town yesterday evening. The road is in an almost impassable condition. Avalanches of snow have fallen over portions of the road and filled the lower gullies. Cassid3 r, who was driving from this end, got nearly to the middle peg between Westland and Canterbury when his coach and horses got bogged in the snow. He had to send the horses back, and shouldered the mails, attempting to get through on foot. He managed to get five miles, wading through waist high in places, keeping the road by means of telegraph poles. The snow then became too deep, and they were obliged to return the mails and all to the Otaira Hotel for shelter. Four additional road men were obtained next day and worked at cutting away the snow from Sunday till Wednesday, when a track for the horses was opened, and those who can ride can go through now easily enough, but vehicle communication is now entirely cut off. Numbers of sheep died last week while trying to get through, and others were so famished and footsore that they had to be lifted out of the way to allow horses to pass. The sheep and cattle on the way have had no food for six days. The mails started again this morning, as the weather is improved.