The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 784, 4 March 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1871.

During the last session of the Assembly Mr Kynnersley brought the •question of West Coast Marine Survey before the House, but ou a division the motion was negatived ; the numbers being 29 against 19. Whatever importance the question may have, at that time, assumed is heightened by the recent accident to 11.M.5. Clio ■which, fortunately, was not attended with the disastrous consequences that ordinarily attend cases of shipwreck. On the occasion of tbe question arising as to the desirability of completing the survey of the West Coast of the Middle Islaud, it met with a very determined opposition from the PostmasterGeneral. He insisted that the shipping requirements of the Coast were provided for, so far as the survey was concerned, and when obliged to concede that the surveys as yet undertaken where defective and in some instances incorrect, Mr Vogel contended that coasting vessels steered by land and for all practical requirements that was sufficient. On the first opening of the West Coast, as a large settlement, tlie masters of all large steamers trading there complained of the absence of any reliable information respecting the eouudings, Ac, on the Coast, and, as a consequence of these complaints, Lieutenant Woods was appointed to take charge of the department for the special purpose of completing the marine survey of the Coast. Lieutenant Woods surveyed a portion of tho Coast from Cascade Point, near the northern boundary of the County of Westland, to the mouth of

the Grey River, but took no Boundiuga ; and he was then removed to the Province of Auckland to make some surveys that were required in that part of the colony. The result of Lieutenant Woods' survey went to show that that part of the Coast in the Admiralty charts is considerably out in bearings alone, an inmportant landmark, such as Abut Head, being actually six miles out, while every headland along the Coast is more or less incorrectly laid down. It must be said for the Admiralty survey of the West Coast, however, that it was merely a running survey, and the attention of the surveyors was more especially directed to those portions of the Coast where it was most likely settlement would take place ; and they did not, therefore, make such a complete survey as under the present circumstances of the West Coast we ought to possess. The chief grounds of objection to the proposal were, however, that the expense of completing the work in a satisfactory manner, although not likely to exceed £3OOO, was greater than the colony would be justified in expending, and that the masters of the steamers trading on the Coast expressed themselves satisfactorily upon the work undertaken by the Admiralty as shown by the following memorandum addressed to the Postmaster-General from Captain Johnson:— " With reference to our conversation this morning, on the West Coast survey, I have since seen Captain Doile, of the steamer Storm Bird, and Captain Daniels, of the steamer Wallabi ; both these gentlemen have had considerable experience on that coast, and both say that they consider the Admiralty charts of the West Coast are practically correct. The same thing has been told me by Captain Whitwell, of the Kennedy," and other experienced masters on that coast. What I understand from all to whom I have spoken on the subject is, that the surveys are correct so far as can be seen in running along the coast, and are sufficiently correct to shape a course and measuring the distances from place to place. Of course, masters running along the coast do not mean to say that they could detect small inaccuracies cluse in shore, or that there are not even small bays where it appears on the chart a straight coast/'

It can scarcely be said, however, that the opinions of masters of vessels drawing only from six to eight feet of water, and continually trading on the Coast should be accepted as absoiute. A running survey of the shore might suffice for them when it would not be sufficiently accurate for strange masters and vessels having a large draught of water. The question now arises whether, in view of the narrow escape of one of Her Majesty's ships, the British Grovernment might not be induced to bear part of thecost of a'survey which would answer all hydrographical requirements. The matter, in any case, must now receive attention, it being apparent that the expense can no longer be safely dispensed with.