A SHORT TRIP TO THE LYELL.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 455, 21 January 1869, Page 2

A SHORT TRIP TO THE LYELL.

(fhom a correspondent.) Enclosed is an account of a trip by land to the Lyell diggings. I hope it will be of some use to your readers. We left Gilmer's Post Office Hotel on Thursday afternoon, and crossed the river to Packers' Point. About two miles on the road were passed by Dr Giles and his companion on horseback. We reached the Junction Hotel four miles from town, stopped, and refreshed. The landlord of this hotel will give travellers particulars of the journey, but to the uninitiated his account and the road won't tally. The next four miles of the road are very good—all that a man need wish for. About eight miles from the Buller Dr Giles and his companion sent back their horses. From this point horses cannot travel. The last four miles to the Little Ohika are mostly along the Buller river, and some parts of these four miles are very bad—utterly impassable to swag-men, unless they think very little of continuing in this world. There are men now engaged repairing this part of the road. I suppose in a week's time the road up to the Twelve Mile will be in good repair. "When I passed on Thursday there was barely foot-hold by reason of land-slips and trees falling across the track. Up to this Twelve Mile point the track in many places is completely over-grown with scrub, &c. At the Twelve Mile we intended to stop for the night. The house here belongs to the same proprietor as the Junction Hotel. He has lately had protection and free license granted for putting a boat on the river for ferry purposes. The proprietors are very kind and decent people, and gave us free lodgings "We had our own tucker with us. Tou can buy stores here. Dr Giles's party walked to this place, and there a boat was waiting for them. There is plenty of good fishing here. "While we were at the Twelve Mile the proprietors brought home some fine eels, one weighing twelve pounds, and a lot of small fry. At half-past four o'clock next morning we were once more moving, thinking we should get to

Christy's store, soino twenty-four miles off, by night; but " man proposes." We did not do it, and for why ? The next three and a half miles of the road are good. I mean there is a made track and several wooden bridges, and one or two of them look at you most unmistakeably, and say " If you tread often, tread light." They are certainly dangerous—these bridges are—across deep ravines, and should they break—bend they do—there would be no need of a doctor. In many places in these three and a-half miles, the land has slipped and left you nothing but bare rock to cling to. There is no going round, many places being completely blocked up with scrub. You have to push boldly through it. Tou cannot see where your feet are. You know that a made track is under. Most of the scrub is prickly and you can imagine what it is to push through such scrub growing above your height; Up to this part the road is very moun-tainous—-up one and down another, and a man should not carry one pound weight of stuff more thin he wants. The road is hard enough to walk without carrying a swag. At tie end of this distance you come to a creek containing large boulders. There is no bridge, and here you must be careful. There are two roads, one to the left and one to the right. The right hand road is completely covered with scrub, and, to look at it, you think it is a mere gutter, made by the water running down. You must push through the scrub, for that is the road to take. The left band road looks much better, but don't take it. We took it, and the result was I nearly broke my neck, losfmy hat, and, thank God, I am writing this. I will not tell you of the dangers we went through by taking this left hand road. The road is washed away and nothing but a perpendicular crag to cross. There is no breasting the mountain, and no sidling to get across. The road is completely gone for about forty yards, and if the Government makes these forty yards, then the left hand road is the best. So take therighthand road up to the time this is finished. Prom this point you go up a and a steep one it is too. You arrive at the summit; you lose the Government track ; but keep on. There is no other road. Go down the incline and be careful. You will want both hands till you come to the Black water. Here it wants a ferry very badly, the river being utterly impassable if there is any rain. You are across the Blackwater, and three miles further you come on the Government track. My next will give you the particulars of the rest of the road. The road altogether is very mountainous, and men should not take anything they can possibly do without.