MARTIN'S BAY.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 890, 20 March 1877, Page 6

MARTIN'S BAY.

(To the Editor.) Sir, — lam in receipt of your issue of the 26th January, in xvhich I notice you have some remarks unfavourable to this place. Sir, there is an old saying, " give a dog a bad name and you may as well ha.t-g him ;" and, as a very large amount of error aud ignorance exist throughout the colony about this district, allow me to -state a fexv facts for your information. And, first, let me say your knowledge of the place must hax r e been derived from some unfortunate resident who has wandered out of his element over here, or else you have judged the place from the deck of a steamer lying off the bay, where a more dreary seene — as a place of settlement — does not exist ; but if you had been up the Hollyford river and into Luke M'Kerrow, you would have seen one of the prettiest places in the colony. And I deny that it is bleak and what you describe it to be, further than that houses are not to be had ; aud xvhat farmer going first on to a piece of wild land, finds a house and everything for his comfort and convenience. Why expect such here more than any other wild lands of the Crown. There is one thing we can boast of, there is no sickness of any sort. My xvife, who never enjoyed good health in Oamaru, is strong and healthy here, and tbe children stout and rosy. Then, again, there is more than one family ; there are five families ; sixteen children (we expect to have a school soon) ; several marriageable daughters ; and a number of single men. 'Tis true the place has not prospered or answered the expectation ot its promoters, hut that is not tbe fault of the place, but those who came here ' xvithout experience or energy, and in most instances without a five pouud note to start on, or a hoof of stock, aud no work to be had, Government or private.. Now, Mr. Editor, just you imagine a man placed on a piece of j-our land on the Toko, plain — xvithout money, without stock, and no work for him. Would people be justified in saying Tokomariro is no good, if such a man could not make a living. Now, as regards the entrance to the river. In its present state it is the best on the coast except W»tport ; and the outlay of less than £1000 vsould make it a safe and commodious entrance for all time, and open up a magnificent Government estate of upxvards of 200,000 acres of land in broad vallies and flats amidst a mountainous, mineral district. And to prove to you that .the bar is not the dangerous place you say it is, let me say that the four families who came here by the Government subsidised steamer, instead of being properly landed, have all been pitched ashore on the dangerous rpeks at Big Bay ; that our goods, women, and Children have been taken round by sea in an Open boat with only two men who understood the management of a boat, viz., Messrs, Williamson and Dalsiel. The great evil is> that a very loose agreement has been made with the steamer. As regards Martin's Bay,, they will neither go iv with the vessel nor .

send tbeir boats ashore, and until this state of things is improved the district must suffer. It cost me £54 for passage and freight My .goods and stock have been very much damaged, and I have lost about two months valuable time, but I cannot charge the district with tbat, as it is owing to the bad arrangements made by the Government with the .steamboat company. In conclusion, let me say this is a good cattle country, where people who understand dairy farming and who have tbe means to settle properly, and don't mind a little roughing can come to with advantage. Boatbuilding and saxv milling, also fishing establishments would prosper if Government would only improve the river entrance ; but I would say to half diggers, town dwellers? and those who have not a little capital to start with, stay away, and bring no more odium on this much neglected and abused settlement. — 1 am, Sir, your obt. servt , William Mabtin.