THE KARAMEA.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 758, 3 January 1871, Page 2

THE KARAMEA.

The following particulars of a visit to the above district have been furnished by Mr "Waite ■— Knowing thatyou are always ready to give publicity to anything that is beneficial tothis district,! will give an account of my travels in the Karamea district on this side of the Coast. You may perhaps have seen my account of a journey from Motueka up the Loadstone to Mount Arthur, and on to Salisbury Open. From Salisbury Open to the Karamea Beach-is about ten miles, and from Motueka to the Bend altogether about fifty miles. From the Bend down the Karamea there has been no track cut, for reasons best known to the Government, but there is only about twelve miles of country to be cut through to make a walking tr„ck from Motueka to the mouth of the Karamea, which will not cost more than £IOO. Then again from Karamea to Westport, I am told by, old diggers that there is a gorge that could bo cut tit very little expense, say about £IOO, that men could walk with swags and come through from Karamea in one day, but we ought to have something done to the road that is at present used by the men travelling. I have travelled thousands of miles on bad roads, but it is astonishing to me how a man can carry a swag over such roads as these. I found it bad enough without a swag, and that in the best of weather, ! It is strange the Government does not,something towards opening up this portion of the country, which has long been known to be auriferous, and which would be an outlet for surplus population. I am not intending this as an intimation that the country is rich, this I do not know, but I do know that it lies in the midst of the finest gold-bearim* country in the Province of Nelson, and the district, for agricultural purposes, is the best on the whole of the West Coast. The i bar is as goodjj to my thinking, as the Grey or Hokitika, and any steamer that enters the abovenamed ports can enter the Karamea. I will, as soon as possible, give you an account of the depth of water on the bar, and until official regulations are issued, will send a code of my own for the benefit of any vessel trading there, There are about eighty men working, who have settled down oomfortably, have nice little gardens, and are well stocked with provisions, appearing to have made up their mind to stay some time.

If the Government would but spend £2OO in opening up this part of the country on both sides, it would be a great benefit to both Westport and Nelson, for it -would give ah open track through a country that has been, comparatively speaking, hitherto untried.