MR. TORLESSE'S REPORT UPON THE CANTERBURY BLOCK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 25, 28 June 1851, Page 6

MR. TORLESSE'S REPORT UPON THE CANTERBURY BLOCK.

(Continuedfrom our last.) It is a remarkable thing that the rivers of the district never overflow their usual channels, which are generally capable of holding a considerably larger body of water than now escapes by them during the wettest seasons: there are also several water-courses, now perfectly dry; and these facts show that a greater body of water used to flow down these plains when they were covered with a dense forest.

Ellesmere is about 70,000 acres in extent, and a reservoir for the waters of the Selwyn, Halswcll, and some streamlets that rise in the low-lands of the plain. It is only separated from the ocean by a narrow shingle spit, and its month is generally banked up by the force of the sea, its waters partially escaping by filtration through the gravel : but at times when the lake is full, the natives occasionally scrape an outlet, which is enlarged by the rush of water, and permits the ebb and flow of the tide until the breach is closed again. Their object in doing this, is to catch the eels in its muddy bottom. The lake is very shallow, at any rate, near the margin, where a considerable extent of land becomes available for grazing, when the waters are out: if kept full, it would afford the inhabitants of its banks the means of boating timber from the woods near lake Forsyth.

Lake Coleridge is in the valley of the Oholmondeley, but about 300 feet above the bed of that river, and enclosed among lofty precipitous mountains. It has lately been visited by a party of explorers, who compare it_ to some of the Scotch lakes.

Timber is scarce in the Canterbury district—or rather, unequally distributed over the country, for at least one twentieth of the whole is wooded. There are four small groves in the agricultural portion of the plain, and one of about 500 acres tht.tis included in the native reserve. The timber in them is chiefly Kaikatea, (white pine), Mahi, (blankpine), Remu, (red "pine), Pokaka, Kowai, and Totara. They are just sufficient to furnish the settlers with timber for immediate use, but for tW eventual supply they must have recourse to.(^'forests of Banks's whence they <\viS obtain it by water communication, or to the Harewood and Alford forests, which are very accessible from their adjoining districts. The timber on Banks's Promontory is generally of good quality, and particularly so in the spots where it is ino&*, accessible. That in the other forests is principally tawai, (black birch), the best timber for boat and ship building, but sometimes unsound : there are in them, however, some sections of mixed timber, containing kaikatea, main, and reran of the best quality. The open parts of the Promontory, and the grazing hills jabove mentioned, are sufficiently sujoplied by scattered.patches of wood, and the settlers on some of the river banks might obtain a good supply of timber for fuel, besides drift wood, by chopping down trees that overhang the banks high up their course, and trusting to their being washed down by floods. Considering the facility with which the plains can be traversed, no part of the coiuitry can be said to be cut off from this most necessary article, which will not, after all, be more expensive here than in many other parts of New Zealand, where it is now fetched 15 and 20 miles by land carriage, and even further by water. The want of timber immediately at hand, "is more felt in the first days of settlement, than it will be when each settler can send bis own team for it occasionally. It is also well to remember that a country is better for a deficiency of timber than for a surplus ; indeed, that to this deficiency the importance of the Canterbury plains is chiefly due. Owing to the striking absence of timber in this settlement, it is not imju'obable that the inhabitants may be induced to plant, and so in the long run have an advantage over the others.

There is a less variety of pretty shrubs in the woods here than is usual in New Zealand —but there are a few—the gnais, koromiko, kowai, &c., that bear transplantation, and have succeeded well in the other settlements. The gnais grows very rapidly and has been found most useful for shelter and ornament. The kowai has a flower resembling the Laburnum, and the koromiko is a veronica. There are some beautiful creepers, particularly in the woods of Kiapoi.

The most important of the natural productions in this district are the grasses, which, owing to the extensive fires that have been made on these plains by the natives for a long series of years, have taken the place of the rougher kinds of vegetation that formerly occupied the ground. The whole country was doubtless covered with large timber or scrub, which, according to the quality of the soil, and likewise to the position, was succeeded by a growth of fern and tutu, flax and toi-toi, the bulrush and other swamp plants, or grass. Accident in some measure determined which of these should occupy the ground; and in some cases, present roughness of growth can be easily accounted for, by the fact, that where such exists, there are natural causes, such as wetness of position, stoppage of communication by rivers, &c, which have prevented the speed of conflagrations.

There are four common species of grass, besides the many varieties that would come under the notice of the botanist; viz., the tufted grass, and three resembling the crested dog's tail, jointed fox tail, and downy oat grass of England respectively. Of these the most conspicuous is the tufted grass, which is of a strong wiry character, and principally useful as a shelter to the more tender herbage that grows among it, being only eaten by stock when newly springing up after burning. The others are very abundant in the best parts of the grazing hills and level country, and in places where they have been fed down, are gradually forming a sward. Specimens of all the grasses occupy the inferior parts of the plains, but they are thin and stunted there. The estimates given by different persons of ffte quantity of average grazing land in its natural state that is required for the yearly support of an ox or a sheep in this district, are very conflicting, and no experiments have been made. I am only giving a conjecture therefore, in estimating the proportion at two acres to a sheep, and sixteen to each head of horned cattle.

There are several plants here besides grasses, greedily eaten by stock, of which the most abundant are the anise, geranium, and sow-thistle. \V ;

Manuka scrub, of which there is a patch of froTJfc 20,000 to 30,000 acres on the north bank of the Courtenay, can be turned to good account by the residents in its neighbourhood for fencing purposes and fuel. Its leaves are a tolerable substitute for tea, and it possesses considerable astringent properties.

The fern, the bulrush, and other rushes, are so similar to the plants of the same name in England,

as not to merit any particular notice here. But it may ba mentioned that the impenetrable jungles of fern which are read of in most accounts of New Zealand, as covering the open country, do not exist here, nor indeed, generally speaking, on the east coast of the Middle Island.

The Phoj'mium Tenax, or New Zealand Flax, is very abundant, and well scattered through the country, but principally flourishes in the low-lying districts, or those with a retentive subsoil. It is valuable npvyin its rough state, for all the purposes io wHch cord and packthread are applied elsewhere ; aiyl^vould the manufacture of it be brought to a state (>f perfection that would warrant its cultivation for. export, the agricultural portion of this district will afford an extensive field naturally adapted for the. purpose. It is a handsome plant, varying in height from 3 to 7 feet, with a tall bending stem, which bears a cluster of rich dull crimson flowers, that contain ready-made honey in large quantities. The Ti Palm is an ornamental and even graceful object in the absence of any other relief to the monotony of an extensive level, being found principally in groves, but scattered generally through the good parts of the district. It varies from sto 25 feet in height, and the natives extract from the stems of the young plants a considerable quantity of saccharine matter, so that it may be worthy of scientific examination.

Toi-toi is like grass on a large scale, with sawedged leaves, and a reed-like stem, bearing a graceful feathery flower. It grows chiefly with the flax, and indicates a good soil. This plant,is commonly used for thatching, and is much eaten by horses, — indeed, it forms an excellent substitute for hay when chopped up small.

The tutu is a shrub pretty abundant in the rich dry soils, and has a number of strong roots that compensate for the trouble of extraction by the fuel they afford. Its leaf is greedily eaten by newlylanded sheep and cattle, and even by acclimatized ones, when the herbage is deficient. The leaves generate a large quantity of gas in the animal's stomach, and fatal results ensue, unless tapping, or some other remedy is speedily applied. Great care should be taken with valuable imported stock that they are made accustomed to this food by degrees, which is then not so liable to have a bad effect' on them. The tutu bears a very handsomg^ purple cluster of berries, from which the natives express an intoxicating liquor. In the tutu-gathering season, they present a most comic appearance with their hands and faces stained by its juice; and it has a holyday effect on them, somewhat similar to that of Harvest home in England. In eating its berries, which are very palatable, people should carefully reject the seeds, which have been known to poison children when partaken of to excess.

There are two plants, the karo (prickly thorn) and taramea (spear grass), which are well worthy of their names, but are almost exclusively confined, that is, the larger varieties, to the hilly regions. There generally grows near these a plant called the tikuma, from the leaf of which the natives make mats and leggings, which are impervious to the sharp points of the former.

At first sight > there appears to be a striking deficiency in the flora of this country : but a close inspection will convince the inquirer of the existence of a considerable variety, and particularly near the mountains, where there are also several species of butterflies not met with on the plains.

The climate of the Canterbury Settlement is, considering the latitude, much like that of the rest of New Zealand, and therefore familiar to every one; but there are some peculiarities here that deserve especial mention.

(To he continued.)