115

popularly called "whale-feed," deposited all along
the mud bordering the road, and poisoning the air
while putrefying. With regard to the more densely
populated part of the city, the system of open privies
and full cesspools, prevents the senses being offended
more particularly by the sewage on the mudflat, be-
cause its own impurities are so concentrated and
pungent; but it stands to reason, that when the at-
mosphere is sensibly affected by it in those thinly-
inhabited parts lying on either side of it, it must also
have its quotum from the mudflat. I may say that,
generally, in my practice, I have found a great want
of system in the systems of the young and also adult
population in Nelson; slight ailments (looking at
them from an English point of view) producing a
rapid and great prostration of strength, that must
have its origin in the noxious gases emanating from
our excrementitious matter tainting both air and
water, and though we are about obtaining a supply
of good water, in its present state, it is worth a little
consideration whether, as the water is to be collected
into a reservoir in a narrow valley so close to the city,
the gaseous exhalations from sewage matter, exposed
on the mudflat or arising from cesspools, or from one
huge central cesspool (has been proposed to be
made) might not be so wafted as to impregnate our
supply of good water. One of the results of the late
Cholera Commission in England was to demonstrate
that "cisterns of water, though filled from a pure
water supply, were rendered unfit for use by absorb-
ing gases arising from impurities in their neighbor-
hood."

The next enquiry, viz., "As to the present state of
drainage in Nelson," can only be answered by stating
that, with the exception of that in Trafalgar-street,
and the new drain in Bridge-street, there is no
drainage except the percolation through the soil,
generally of a shingly character, into the wells;
which fact, with the generally close position of the
cesspools and privies to the wells needs no comment;
where the drains have been constructed in the above-
named localities, they reflect great credit on the
Board of Works, if simply used as drains for the
carrying away of waste water; and immediately they
are applied to the purpose of sewers, carrying away
pool and other refuse, we are bound to consider them
as part only of a system, the outlet of which was to
be by the Arrow Rock, as exemplified in the plans
produced at the public meeting attended by Mr.
Younger, the Secretary to the Board of Works; and
therefore as being part only of a whole system, are
naturally defective, and convert that system into a
nuisance to the community at large, by depositing
sewage matter on the mudflat contiguous to the city,
and impregnating the air with its impurities.

This brings me to the third and last enquiry, as to
"the best mode of drainage and sewerage for the
future,"—matters of great importance to the health
of the city. To consider this enquiry properly it
must be divided into two parts, the first, that of the
"best mode of drainage." The best plan, in my idues
on this side the Maitai river, comprising generally
the flat parts of the city, with open gutters on
either side of the roadway to receive the rainfall and
convey it through gratings, into traps, into the main
drain; the waste water of houses on either side
should also be led by side underground drains into
the main drain; a special rate on the property,
whether built upon or not, to be levied, as is at
present done in Trafalgar-street. In the more hilly
portions of the city, open drains of sufficient width,

but of no great depth, so as not to interfere with
traffic, should be constructed to carry the waste water
and rainfall into the underground drains at conve-
nient places; (this would, by giving a greater
velocity to the water in the underground drains,
tend to keep them clear); to these open drains other
and smaller open drains should run from each place
of abode, to carry away the waste water, which will
be more plentiful than at present, when the now
water supply is in operation. A special rate on
all property should be levied to cover the expense,
which of course would be less than in having under-
ground drains. By this system, combining under-
ground drains, the best for populous thoroughfares,
and open drains, where the nature of the locality and
its more dispersed population, render them eligible;
several open watercourses in very considerable
thoroughfares, dangerous to passengers at night,
would be obliterated.

The second part of the enquiry, as to the "sewer-
age," or treating of it on the plan of earth-closets, or
waterclosets, the scavengering of the city is a matter
that to initiate will cost somewhat of money, and
after it has been successfully adopted, good super-
vision to ensure its being carried on efficiently; but
the money would, from the establishment of earth-
closets, instead of having cesspools or sewers, convert-
ing the scavengered matters into manure, be returned
after a time, and as its fertilising powers become
recognised by the agricultural population, eventually
give a profit. The calculations as to expense in
detail in first starting the system, are more in the
province of our able Provincial Engineer; but I
think, on considering the matter, that the first ex-
pense of starting it would have to be borne by the
Provincial Government. In the first place, it would
be necessary that a depot or depots for obtaining
the earth, and depositing that which has been used,
should be placed somewhere out of the city, and in a
position convenient for the farmers to obtain the
soil, and cart beds for protecting the soil from the
weather. Two depots would be required, one for the
Wakapuka district, taking the scavengering of that
portion of the city called the "Wood"; and another
for the Waimea Districts. These depots might be
let at a rent to parties undertaking the contract for
supplying the properly prepared earth to the closets,
and for removing the waste matters: for which they
should be charged some moderate sum, which to-
gether with the rent of premises, should be sufficient
to pay interest on the capital expended, and provide a
per centage to be put by as a sinking fund to liquidate
the original sum provided by Government. A fixed
and not too high a rate per ton should be charged by the
contractors to farmers, and others buying the waste water
to reimburse them their rent, &c., and give them a
profit. But this, of course, would have to be ar-
ranged after the system had been put into working
order by the Government, and there is no doubt
to go upon to put before intending contractors.
The farmers would be more readily induced to bring
the manure if required, if, at the first starting of the
system by the Government, payment was deferred till
after the crops of the year had been gathered; the
price for the manure to be made a first charge on the
proceeds of the crops. There are other preliminary
expenses which would have to be incurred; for
instance, the providing of each abode with an earth-
closet of as cheap a construction as possible, and two
moveable boxes or pails for receiving and removing
the deposits from each closet. Also the cleansing