PORT MOLYNEUX

Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 66, 13 July 1865, Page 4

PORT MOLYNEUX

(From our own Correspondent.) I -wish. I could follow the cheerful tone taken by your Clutha Ferry correspondent ; but the dull state of things here will riot admit of such a proceeding. Since the river steamer left only two small coasting craft have come to the Port, and parties in all directions are crying out for want of stoi'es. The road also from the Port to the interior — the only road in 1 the district that has been made . at all,- — is in such a state that settlei-s use it as little as possible, being really impracticable with a fair load. In one place, . near the Oamaru bridge, is a cutting, where unwary riders find their- horses nearly up to .-.the knees in a clay that would rejoice the Jleart of a man about to build a mud hut ; but is looked upon in a very different aspect by an unlucky individual with a leaded dray, particularly. as. the gradient is rather steep. tJntil the road is metalled almost the whole, distance, it is not likely to be of much* benefit either to the Port or the surrounding district, in the winter. „ • ' r The bridge over M'Keil/s creek will be. a great boon when completed, as that was the most dangerous place, on Jbhe xoad when the creeks were. up. :ii The small sum that wa3 voted by the Council for warping buoys at the mouth of the river, will, I imagine, remain safely in the Treasury chest, unless the Government get constantly reminded that the sum' has been voted, and that the buoys are needed ; but our members, doubtless, will see to . that, ■ particularly as one lives so close to the sjjot that he must have seen what an assistance such an affair would be to vessels entering. The Pioneer when coming in last time, dragged her kedge, and was nearly going out again, -which could not have occurred had there been a buoy. An act of great brutality took place in this district about ten days ago, — a piece of cruelty that, if the effects were not so evident, one could scarcely have believed anyone cowardly onough to perpetrate. Three working biilloeks belonging -to Mr A. S. Begg, of Glenoamaru mills (one of our oldest settlers, and. almost universally esteemed), were found to have been chopped with an axe just above the houghs (hamstrung), from the effects of which one poor brute had bled to death, and the other two are so disabled that they will never be fit to 'work again. Unfortunately, no proof could be obtained that would lead to tlie" aj>prehension of the perpetretor of so fiendish an act. . The fishing, trade, here, which was stopped , by our late fishermen going, or rather trying to go with their craft to Hokitika,-is about to be commenced again by another party— l hope with success: The last company had. just bought a ten ton; cutter, the Spy, partly . decked,, and fit to go. put and in over the bar ; . in fact, were about to give tlie fishing a fair trial,; when the Hokitika rush proved too strong a temptation, and they attempted to go round in the Spy; gettting, however, only as far as Kelson in a damaged state, the pasBengsrs i haying been more- or less wet the whole voyage. They, are now trying, I believe, to sell the Spy at Kelson, which is a pity, as she Was well Suited "for. ;the purpose for wliich she was broughthere.' . : We^haye had one or two very "severe frosts, but the weather now looks more like snow or rain! . *-■..._., c . . -.....-. •• •