THE WEST COAST ROADS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1485, 14 September 1865, Page 10 (Supplement)

THE WEST COAST ROADS.

Accounts from Mr. Edwin Blake state that the journey from the Waimea to Hokitika is now done in a day by foot-passengers. Horses have come through, but the road is not recommended. At the Taipo river arrangements have been made to establish an accommodation house, stockyards, &c.,the licensees engaging to erect tents, to be used temporarily, until suitable buildings are put together. At Hokitika, buildings for the purpose of the Supreme Court, and for a hospital, are in progress, and it will, it is expected, be completed in six weeks time. 1 Whitcombe's Pass.—Mr. Edward Griffith's arrived in Hokitika on the 19th inst., and reportst he line as perfectly impracticable. Browning's Pass.—Mr. Browning writes under date 20th August, from the camp at the Rakaia, that the snow had caused him some detention, being five feet deep on the saddle, but frozen hard enough lo travel upon ; but that he intended crossing the range on the 19th inst., with five hands. -He proposed cutting, if practicable, a line round, the spur leading to the saddle, quite wide enough to travel with swags, so as to mark nearly the line the road will take. He expected to reach the saddle in three days, and thence would proceed direct to Hokitika. Mr. Parke was about returning. + THE SOUTH RAKAIA PASS. The following report of Mr. Griffith, on Whitcomb's Pass to the West Coast, has been handed to us for publication :— Hokitika, Aug. 20, 1865. Sir, —I have the honor to inform you that I arrived here yesterday, from Christchurch, by the South Rakaia (Whitcombe's) Pass, and to report to you on the route. From Christchurch to thejunction of the Rakaia, and the stream running from the pass (the Louper) there is no difficulty in taking a dray. The top of the pass is four miles from the mouth of the Louper ; and I believe the height of it to be 3360 feet above the level of the sea. The gradient from the mouth of the Louper to the saddle is easy throughout, as also is the slope of the hills to the river. On the western side also there is no I great difficulty to the making of a horse track for a distance of three miles from the top of the pass. From this point the d.fficulties of the road commence. The river-bed travelling is rendered impracticable by the immense size of the rocks and boulders, and it was necessary to cut through the bush on the hill-side on the north bank of the river. The slope of the hills-to the river becomes much steeper, and the ground on which the cutting is made is a mass of angular broken rocks heaped loosely together, with deep holes between them, which renders the travelling not only fatiguing but dangerous. With the exception of three miles of good walking, on scrub fliits and river bed, distributed in places, this continues for upwards of 12 miles. Up to this point (15 miles from this saddle) the north side is alone practicable, the south bank being either quite or nearly perpendicular for most of the distance. After this the road improves for about four miles, when the north bank becomes perpendicular to a great height for ft quarter of a mile. The bush i cutting which we could make would improve . this. We therefore crossed the river (with some difficulty) to the south side, where the rocks i were an immense size. A track has been cut through the bush up to this point wherever j necessary, but the road continuing difficult, we have abandoned the route.

I consider the track perfectly useless for any purpose, not excepting for foot passengers, who cannot use it without risking broken limbs.

The whole' distance by this route from the Rakiiia to tiokitika is about 50 miles, *20 of which, commencing from this pass bears (on the average) N.N.E., thus running parallel to and in the midst of the main range. I hnvfi the honour to be, sir, Your most obedient servant, Edward Griffith. To G. S. Sale, Esq., Commissioner, Hokitika.