106

by the Provincial Treasurer, is published for general information.

Heney Horner, Invercargill,
J. R. Mills, Riverton,
Peter Dalrymple, Invercargill,
William Robertson, Invercargill,
John Blacklock, Invercargill,
Samuel Allan Wood, Invercargill.

Nath. Chalmers,
Provincial Treasurer.

Harbour Office,
Southland, 26th July, 1862.

NOTICE is hereby given, that a large Black Buoy has been anchored at the West end of the Shoal that lies between Bluff Harbour and Dog Island. It is placed in six fathoms low water spring tides, and about a cable’s length to the westward of where the sea breaks in heavy weather.

A. F. Morris,
Harbour Master.

CROWN GRANTS.

CROWN GRANTS for the persons whose names are mentioned in the annexed Schedule, are now ready for issue.

SCHEDULE.

A. J. Elles,
Receiver of Land Revenue.

Office of Receiver of Land Revenue,
Invercargill, 28th July, 1862.

REPORT OF THE CHIEF SURVEYOR OF SOUTHLAND, as to the PRACTICABILITY OF OPENING UP A DRAY ROAD to the WHAKATIPU DIGGINGS.

Survey Office, Invercargill,
31st July, 1862.

SIR,—My attention having some time since been called by His Honor the Superintendent to the practicability of opening a dray road up the Oreti Valley, I proceeded last week over that line, and extended my journey to the Gold diggings, in the vicinity of the Eyre River.

In seeking a road to the interior, for immediate use, I am led in a great degree to postpone the consideration of what may ultimately be the main north road, and to confine my attention to that line which can earliest be made available with the present resources of the Province.

Since then, the bridge over the Makarewa at Wallacetown is now in progress; and seeing that the direct line from thence to the North is by far the best natural road, being, in fact, in its present condition, quite passable for drays for many miles, I am clearly of opinion that that is the only route on which any works can prudently be executed at present, and the more so, seeing that should the Provincial Legislature at any future period provide funds also for bridging the Makarewa at Mossburn, and for making the direct road to the Royal Bush, the lower road, on which I now recommend improvements to be made, will still remain a very useful and important line of communication.

The works required from Wallacetown to the extremity of the New River Hundred will be limited to a few small bridges and culverts. Considerably further to the north, in a block of most excellent land, which is about to be surveyed immediately, the road will have either to skirt round the western end of an extensive bush, on unsound ground, for about two miles, or else to be carried through it. In either case, a considerable outlay will be required; but it is an expense which will be well incurred, were it only to open up the splendid agricultural district through which it passes, irrespective of the still more important consideration of its being a main, if not the chief artery of the Province.

Beyond that point, some difficulties occur, the easy surmounting of which depends on a sufficient outfall for drainage being found within an easy distance; I am partly confident that this will be found, but of course the question must be determined by survey.

The principal work, however, immediately required, is near the southern extremity of Mr. M’Lean’s run, where it will be necessary to cut an exploratory line from the north, across a narrow belt of bush, not, I should think, exceeding ten chains, on to a low range of open hills, and from thence, to meet the Oreti, as low as may be found practicable, and immediately north of a steep wooded range which meets the river. I expect to find a very good line, such as I have described, which will save four crossings of the Oreti, and will also avoid a very soft, rich alluvial flat, covered with high flax and tutu, through which the track now passes; but I doubt if it will be practicable to avoid one crossing of the river each way.

Your Honor will not expect me to enter into any detail of the construction or the cost of these works. My cursory examination of the country had only for its object to ascertain how far, and in what direction, it might be desirable to send a survey party to lay off the road; and I think I have said enough to show that this ought to be done immediately.

Proceeding onwards to the Dome Pass, the road runs over very fine dry gravelly plains, until meeting the low ridges which form the watershed between the tributaries to the Oreti and the Mataura. There the road is soft, and in places on steep sidings. The flats of the Eyre and its tributaries seem generally to be swampy.

In a small gully leading out to the N.W., on to one of these tributaries, about a mile north of Messrs Rodgers’ station (which is in the angle between the Eyre and the Mataura), are the so-called Whakatipu Diggers.

When I was there, about sixteen or eighteen men were at work in the bed of the small steep rivulet—which I am informed is nearly dry in summer. There is no superficial soil worth mentioning in the upper part, and the diggers (generally in parties of two) were washing the whole of the detritus lying on the top of the slaty rock. This deposit only averaged two or three feet in thickness, and the quantity of gold it contained is very considerable—so that I have no doubt that industrious men could make very good earnings.