NELSON GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. 63

for lifting snags. The vessel has been entirely under the
management of the Harbor-Master, who has worked it with the
ordinary boat's crew. Since commencing work, in August last,
all the main channels in the port have been cleared of numerous
very large snags. The vessel is found to answer the purpose
remarkably well, and proves a very great acquisition to the
port, and, considering the expense formerly incurred, by hiring
a vessel and crew whenever a snag was lodged in a dangerous
position, the purchase and working of the schooner has
evidently been an economy.

Grey.—The snags in the Grey river have been troublesome
and met with to extent with those in the Buller. The place
where snags accumulate is just at the entry of Cobden wharf,
and are a constant source of damage or danger to vessels moor-
ing alongside. They have been cleared away at occasional
intervals during the year, but others still come down. The
whole expense, however, during the year has not exceeded £75,
and that has included the removal of several snags at old stand-
ing in addition to fresh ones, so that a considerably smaller sum
may be sufficient to keep the berth clear next year.

New signals have been provided for the stations at Westport
and Charleston, and others are being required by the Harbor-
Masters, as buoys, chains, oars, &c., &c.

PROTECTING THE BANKS OF THE BULLER.

Previous to the commencement of this financial year certain
works were begun on the Buller river, with the object of pro-
tecting the banks from the encroachments of the river, and also
for the purpose of providing wharfage for shipping. These
works were continued in the year now ending. From the first
this undertaking lay under great disadvantage. The line of
bank requiring protection was of great length, and while any
works were in progress, the process of demolition was constantly
going on. The safest plan would obviously have been to begin
up the river, at a point carefully chosen and well protected, and
thence worked down stream, making the work good as it pro-
ceeded. There were, however, other considerations of posed to
such a course.

Firstly.—The shipping required wharfage immediately.
Secondly.—By lying alongside the banks the vessels greatly aggra-
vated the mischievous action of the river. And, thirdly, the lower
part of the town and the most valuable of the ground was in the
most imminent danger. The jetties were, therefore, first erected
in the most convenient places, and breastworks were subsequently
commenced to assist the jetties in opposing the current, and to
protect the intermediate portions of the bank. On the 14th
October, while the work was still incomplete, one of the heaviest
floods ever experienced in the Buller came down with dis-
astrous effect. Large portions of the bank and works on them
were swept away, and things were left in a condition far worse
than ever; by reason of the great depth to which the river was
scoured close under the bank, it became evident that any further
attempt to cope with the floods in the Buller on principles
hitherto adopted would be hopeless. Other plans have been
suggested and reported on to the Government. Since the flood
above referred to, the inroads of the river have continued with
little intermission. During high spring tides the damage done
is more rapid and extensive, but it scarcely ever ceases. Wharf-
street was nowhere less than a chain in width twelve months
ago, now, in one place it is not more than 10 feet—admit the passing
of a dray. The sites of many houses cannot the passing
remain many weeks longer. Attempts have been made to resist
the action of the tides, which are even more destructive than
the floods, but we have said nothing is the ground, and
nothing can stand in it for any length of time. The class of
temporary protection against the tides which has answered best
is a row of posts about five or six feet apart sunk a good depth
in the ground, and long fascines thick-checked with clay
between the posts and face of the standing bank. Another
and breastworks of slabs have also been tried. The former, though
efficacious at first, decay very rapidly. The latter present a
surface on which the water blows great effect when it rises on
them, and the swell sways the breastwork to and fro, until the
whole is loosened, and so becomes destroyed. Of the piling
work which was done prior to the flood above mentioned
enough has stood to form two very useful landings plus constantly
have supplied every accommodation for wharfage for some
months past. Unless the banks entirely recede from these
landing places, I think there is fair reason to hope they may
yet stand a long while to come.

BULLER VALLEY ROADS.

On the main Buller road certain works have been done in the
way of repairs, chiefly above the Lyell. These works were done
by the direction of the Provincial Engineer, and paid for in
Nelson. The line of road between Westport and the Lyell, is
at present in an unfinished state. It has been carefully
inspected, with the object of preparing specifications of work
necessary to complete it. Those works coming under the class
of projected works will be enumerated in their place further on.

FIRE AT CHARLESTON COAL-SEAM.

A very troublesome contingency occurred at Charleston in the
earlier part of the year. One of the coal seams at the rear of the
town took fire, either by accident, or more probably, the care-
lessness of persons passing the place. A large mass of coal was
ignited, and the sulphurous fumes emitted from it, was a source
of very great annoyance to the inhabitants, and threatened, if it
increased, to become insupportable. A contract was taken to
extinguish the fire for £50, or nothing at Westport; again
ceaseless. It appears the fire was got under, and no sign appear-
ed for two months, the money was paid. Shortly after, about
the time I should expect, the fire reappeared, not
only in the original spot, but also at a distance of forty or fifty
yards therefrom, indicating that the fire had spread consider-
ably underground. I had a water-race turned into it, and dug
channels to conduct the water into the seam itself, and by
constant attention for a short time the fire was entirely
extinguished.

PROPOSED WORKS.

I have now the honor to propose in detail, certain
works for the ensuing year, and would premise a general
view of the goldfields, with reference to its roads, in connection
with the various mining operations. All the gold workings
may be comprised in these four sections or groups:—

Firstly—The Marine Terrace Workings.—This group extends
from Waimangaroa to the Township of Brighton, and compre-
hends the marine terrace diggings of Westport, Charleston, and
Brighton, including the Six Mile Lead, Giles' Terrace, German,
Caledonian, and Carolina Terraces, Addison's Flat, Shamrock
Lead, Darkie's Terrace, Candlelight Flat, Four-mile and Welsh-
man's Terrace, and known auriferous terrace four or five miles
further south.

Secondly—The Beach Workings.—This section takes all the
beach line from the Razorback to the River Grey. These
workings are, more or less, remunerative, require little capital,
and no very hard work, and steadily maintain a considerable
number of men scattered along the length.

Thirdly—The Grey Valley Diggings, which are worked, at the
present time, to a greater or less extent, on most of the tributary
streams on either side of the river, comprising the Diggings at No-
Town, Blackball, Redjack's, Nelson Creek, Moonlight, Ahaura,
Orwell Creek, Topsy's, Nobles and Duffers' Gullies, and
Napoleon Hill.

Fourthly—The Buller Valley Diggings.—These comprise scat-
tered and at present isolated workings, between the Port and the
Inangahua, and higher up the river the more important diggings
on the Lyell and Matakitaki, and country intervening, as well as
Soldiers', Boatman's, and various other gullies on the Inanga-
hua. From this it will be seen that a line of roads from West-
port down the coast to the mouth of the Grey, thence following
that river to its source, compass the Watershed, and returning
down the Inangahua and down the Buller to Westport, passes
passes through auriferous country throughout its length.
These lines becomes evidently a point of the first importance that
such a line should be a substantial and well constructed trunk
road, for not only is it required at the present time for the
benefit of the whole population, but also from the formation of
the country it, only, must always be the main artery of commu-
nication, and the development of the south-west Goldfields to
a very great extent depends upon it. A large portion of this
line is now a very fair bridle track. From Westport to
Charleston it is open for dray traffic, and from thence to Cobden
it is a good horse road, being the best anywhere available, and
the rest for the most part tolerably substantial but requiring a
few repairs. The roads on the Buller, Inangahua, and the
Grey have many links wanting to complete the circuit above
described, and to these points the next attention will be directed
in the following detailed statement of works required. The next
consideration will be the improvement of branch tracks to some
of the more extensive diggings which stand in greatest need
of it; and thirdly, the improvement of townships and
harbors. After careful consideration I have divided the details
under seven general heads, and I would respectfully express a
desire that whatever sums may be voted by the Provincial
Council they may be grouped in a single vote for each head.
My reason for so strongly recommending this course is, that in
the varying circumstances of a Goldfield, it is impossible to
predict the exact sums that may be voted to be made to suit the
However accurately a detailed estimate may be made to suit the
wants at present existing, it is quite probable that in a few
months time it may be found that such a distribution of funds
would be entirely useless, and yet an equal amount, otherwise
disposed, may be as urgently needed as ever.

Under the following seven heads, the works I have to
recommend, will be included, viz.:—

1. Roads in the Buller Valley and tributaries.
2. Roads in the Grey Valley.
3. Roads on the coast line or seaboard.
4. Branch roads to new diggings, contingeuncies.