NAVIGATION OF THE NGARURORO.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3904, 24 January 1884, Page 3

NAVIGATION OF THE NGARURORO.

[To tub Editor of tiie Daily Telegraph.] Sic,—Will you kindly publish these few lines to correct the engineer's report at the last meeting of the Hawke's Bay County Council where ho has stated that by careful navigation the steamer Bella could come in at Waipureka, there being plenty of water at high tide. I do not know how many feet of water he calls high tide, but I can only find from 3ff 6in to 4ft at spring tides, and a vessel drawing 4ft 6in of water would not bo able to do it by careful navigation. There is plenty of water on the bar of the Tula Tuki river, but once inside all navigation is done, only for email boats and punts. Tho turning of the river at Clivo will stop the steamer from entering the river, and we shall hold the County Council responsible for any damage and delay the steamer incurs. The present works are_ of no use, and anyone going to Clivo having Borne experience of 'turning a river will condemn thorn. Had they included the Waitangi creek in the ncour, and made the ■wall; 600 yards further to the north-west, they would have found deep water where intended to open the river, and not had to scour mud and sand banks inside before the river could ■ open. They are not only now blocking tho channel of the river, but also tho old mouth, and not having the new one open. If there be plenty of rain next ■winter Clivo will have to suffer some inconvenience boforo the river breaks open, tho ,ono, opening not being sufficient to take away tho body of water, and you can see last winter, because tho two river mouths were open, there has not been a flood in Clivo for all tho rain we had. We expect tho Railway Department and County Council to give due notice for closing a river, as required by law, and by that being done wo can make arrangements to inconvenience no one.—l am, ifcc,

W. H. Grrejj, . Master HiS. Bella, Port Ahuriri, January 23, 1884.