A RAMBLE TO THE TEVIOT, AND COAL CREEK RACES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 29, 29 August 1868, Page 2

A RAMBLE TO THE TEVIOT, AND COAL CREEK RACES.

(By our Rambiing Reporter); j I started from Lawr-ence at five o'clock on Monday morning for Coal Creek Races. The morning was cold, and threatened sleet or snow. Before I had got well past Evans' Flat, a heavy fall of snow had commenced, and any idea of Coal Creek and horse-racing-, with Hakes of snow thickly falling in my face, were anything but promising. This lasted till I reached the saddle on* the highest point of the road between Lawrence and the Beaumont, when the approach of daylight and the breaking of the clouds made my journey more cheerful. Half an hour, or a little more, brought me along the valley to the Beaumont. Crossing the punt, I pursue my journey. The roads, owipg to the slight frost, are just sufficiently crisp not to be muddy, and they give to the horses' hoofs one cannot cross the Beaumont Flat, all alone and in a reflective mood, without being possessed with a feeling of calm delight. The mighty river Molyneux, ever running on its hurried course, and the calm, blue, majestic mountains, over speaking in their silence, cannot fail to iin- ! press the mind that will allow itself to be impressed by outward nature. The Beaumont shows considerable signs of progress. First, on the Lawrence side, Mr. Stewart has built a neat, comfortable hotel, which he has christened the Duke of Edinburgh ; then, on the other side, Mr. I). Hunter has built a large commodious hotel, with outhouses, which puts Mr. Charles Higgs' Ferry Hotel completely in the shade. The Ferry is now abundantly supplied with convenience for travellers and their horses, having no fewer than four hotels ; but there are other signs of progress besides these new buildings. Mr. Hunter and Mr. Cowap have each a considerable portion of land ploughed and sown with corn, and Mr. R Lancaster has commenced farming on a large on the Flat, a couple of hundred yards from the main road, along the river bank on to the foot of the hills. It is astonishing the work Mr. Lancaster has accomplished during the short time he has made the Beaumont his home. He has upwards of two hundred acres under crop, and as many more in preparation, and the whole of his farm is substantially fenced, which alone must- have cost him a small fortune. Owing to the level nature of the land, Mr. Lancaster has been put to a large outlay for drainage. He was obliged to construct a ditch the entire length of the paddock purposely to carry off all the surface water. I had the pleasure to walk over part of the homestead some weeks past, and was surprised to see it so replete with all the necessary implements and machinery for successful farming operations. From what I know of Mr. Lancaster, I feel certain he will not rest -till he makes his Beaumont farm a model, not only for the Tuapeka farmers, but for the Province of Otago. He has pitched his camp in a genial climate, and on a soil, which, for richness, cannot be surpassed in the Province ; and I hope the large outlay of money involved in his new sphere will prove as remunerative as circumstances at present would i indicate. But to resume my journey — a few minutes 1 ride brings me to Break-neck — that awful pinch which has received many a curse from draymen and waggoners ! Can nothing be done to lessen this angle of forty-five degrees — to reduce it, say to forty ? Instead of Government putting on fifty men to make a road on the Lawrence side of the river, leading to "Nowhere," had the same number been set to work to reduce Breakneck, then some good would really have been the result ; but that hill will, as long as it remains as it is, ever be an eyesore to carriers, and add ten shillings to the ton for cartage. Having at last reached the summit of this hill, I find there has been a heavier fall of snow here than on the road I had come ; still it does not lift with the horse's feet, and consequently does not impede travelling ; so I shortly arrive at Mr. Thomas Higgs' accommodation house, where I feed my horse, partake of - breakfast, and pursue my journey to the Coal Creek race course. But I am not half way yet. It is twenty-two miles from here to the Teviot, and four more to Coal Creek, and I must ' get there by one o'clock, so I must not fag. Well, a slight touch of the spur is responded to by my old nag, who goes off at a comfortable canter — such a canter as - stout people who indulge in horseriding ' are very fond of. I soon passed Mr. M'Cann's house ; and a few minutes mor« 'brings me to M>. Thomas

Evans' store and accommodation house, otherwise the Horse Shoe Bend post-office. In passing I observed that Mr. Evans is enlarging his house, which speaks well for his success since he opened, not very long since. From this point the road to the Teviot, a distance of eighteen miles, is as level as a bowling green, and good strong hacks could canter the whole of the way. The track to the Horse Shoe Bend ! branches off here to the right, There is little to attract the eye of the traveller but the appearance of rich soil and a luxurious vegetation. The native grass, which assumes a stunted growth in colder regions of- New Zealand, is here long and thick, aud the sheep and cattle accordingly correspond. I understand that Messrs. Chalmers Brothers allow the miners to run their cattle at a charge of ten shillings a head per year. This is extremely obliging of Messrs. Chalmers ; but why should they charge ten shillings ? why not the same as in the Tuapska depasturing district, or in the Hundreds— 2a. 6d. or 3s. 6d.? it would pay them amply, and would cause less opposition than there is at present to the squatting interest. Mr. Patrick's Spylaw Hotel is the next house on the road ; and three miles further on brings me to the Benger Burn ; but I must note by the way the, achool house in course of erection for the benefit of the inhabitants ot Moa Flat. It is situated a short distance below Mr. M'Leod's Benger Burn Hotel, and is a building in every way adequate to the requirements of the district. The teacher will have two apartments taken off the building as a dwelling house/ The Camp Hotel, the property of Mr. Nicholson, who is well known and much respected in tho district, is the next building on the road. After crossing the- wimpling burn, Mr. Brazil's Moa Flat Hotel-is situated a few yards to the right ; and then we rise to the terrace which commands a view of Moa Flat proper. Here we have the Court House ; and a short distance to left is Messrs. Chalmers' home station. Crossing the flat, I pass Mr. McCarthy's Dumbarton Rock Hotel, and speed my way on to tho Teviot, where I arrive in a few minutes. The township of Roxburgh is ono of considerable importance, and likely to bo much more so when the district becomes as much devoted to agriculture as it now is to mining. But I may now ask t where is the snow ? Snow did I say? Tho Teviot climate i 3 too salubrious to periiiifc snow to lie any length of time on the ground. It melts as it falls. Look up at the Henger Mount and the Old Man Range, aud observe the snow-line. Tho enow seems to say, — " Here may I rest, but further down I cannot go ! " Four miles up the river, on the Coal Creek Flat, the race course, ' about as fine a one a3 can bo imagined in the Province, barring, perhaps, the one at Moa Flat, is situated within cooey of a large hotel just erected by Mr. Robert Ayling. I had the pleasure of witnessing the whole of the races, and can say with all confidence that they were as well matched as any races possibly could be. The number of spectators was not so large as I expected, owing to the river being low, and tho miners being de termed to. make hay while the sun shone. Still, a large number of horsemen were present, both from up and down the river. Mr. Ayling had a booth, and appeared to do a good stroke of busiuea3. A very com- \ fortable cup of coffee could also be obtained on the course ; so everything was \ Btudied to supply the wants of the visitors. The Stewards were— Messrs, J. Ryan, K. P. Cocker, R. M'Leod, J. Tamulyn, j and J. Robertson. John Low, Esq., made a good Judge ; and Mr. R. Bennet a first-class starter. There was not a false start during the meet. Mr. P. Orraond was Clerk of the Course, and Mr. C. Nicholson Treasurer.