WAIAU.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6436, 13 October 1881, Page 6

WAIAU.

fraoH oxm own cobbsspokdknt.J Oct. 7.

Two years ago an attempt was made by Mr John Tinline to introduce trout into the northern tributaries of the Waiau, and several hundred were obtained from the Acclimatisation Society, and liberated in the Dog Creek, a little shore Lyndon Station. Nothing however has since been seen or heard of them, owing partly to the largo number of shags and other natural enemies of the fish, but chiefly no doubt to the fact that when liberated 'they were too small and weak to contend against the force of the current when in 1 flood- Sir Tinline consequently determined this year to make another attempt, and in order to giro the fish a better chance, he decided to protect them artificially until they were large enough to taka care of themselves. Accordingly he some time ago constructed a shallow pond 40ft by 10ft, and into this conducted a small race from the Bog Creek, thus providing a conetant supply of running water, the points of ingress and egress being carefully protected by an arrangement of perforated zinc to prevent the escape of the fish- Provision was made against accidental flushing of the pond by any flood water that might come down the race, and the whole was covered in with wire netting. On Friday Isst Mr B, Corbett, manager of Highfleld, brought op the first instalment of the young trout, 259 in number, and was fortunate enough to do so without the loss of a fingtw {bh. After more than twelve hour#’ confinement in the can, and a journey of 78 milee by rail, coach and buggy, over roads none of the smoothest, they were afl liberated into the pond in as lively condition as on starting. The day, it is true, was favourable, and a frequent supply of fresh water vAfl obtainable, but Mf Oorbfltt if inclined to think his success was mainly due to the care token to prevent jolting and •baking by keeping the can suspended wherever the road was more than usually rough, thus reducing the lost of water by splashing, Mid at the time lessening the chance of injury to the fish from concussion. He thinks that by some simple contrivance the cans could bo suspended from strong springs in snob a way as to entirely prevent spiralling and concussion, and thus enable the fish to be taken longer journey* than at present. He also adnsee the use of a syphon to draw oft the stole water, and a emril rose, watering potto add the'fresh, the same being held at a good height above the can so as to allow of thorough aeration. I, this rnormog, aocomwanted Messrs Tinline and Corbett to the of topeeOsK thp flsb, Sr.d found them lively and healthy, with no signs of a death, and apparently quite comfortable in their new home. The water i a about one foot in depth, cool and dear, arm shaded over in places by flax leave* sortterodon the wire netting, and the shingly bottom is mostly covered over with, ▼•none forms of green vegetation. Mr .TSnlhie, who intends to piece another 1000 In the pond, has every reason to be hopeful ao to the result of bis experiment. . . . There miss at last to be some prospect of obtaining the much-needed Mid long-Wk©d-of bridge over the Waiau. No on® Uvmg in a part of the country where roads and bridges Slow of tree communication in any direction can realise what an inconvenience a deep and dangerous river can be. All engagement*, whether for business or social intercourse, have to be made with a proviso thatth® “river be fordable," and as for one-fourth of the year this is not the ease, It is easy to see how much annoyance, difsoom* §ort?Ld indeed actual loss must ensue- The position is aggravated in oar case tar ttofert ofthe rivermtmecting on this side the centrafraoges. Mid w forming an effectual burner cither north or south. The Waiau, together with its numerous tributaries, drains an unusually largo area of mountainous country, the central "backbone hero widening out, and •ending numerous spats and secondary ranges out toward too coast, sod to join fcheJEaikoaras. Riling dose to the Spencer, SnStouthwardand jwraM to thecontra! raste for overdOmilos, draining it as itgtw, SdtiMSi smites with it© IwfMt tributary, tb© toast of spurs, steep mountain sides, and

w»» ftumeMilft TAUivjß lying to (lift couth of th« upper Claronoc, o country which, once seen, c&u never be forgotten; aade* th« whole of thift is delated with rain daring nori-west Wftftthw, it results *tfaa( thft normal state of the Waiau iitobft more or lots to flood. In tho springtime toother element corns* into ptoji rift., tho melting mow, tod then not only nor’-west we&thtir but toy ordinarily hot «ftj imioftft to hep the rim up. In fact, in too spring of 1876 the coach only managed to cross on two occasions daring roar month*, and daring the put two month! of the pro* uni ftftftfton, it has only crossed once. It it no exaggeration to say that—dividing the year into lour periods of three months aftoh, during the one period the rim is impassable or onto to be crossedby boat) during the second it is only to he crossed on certain powerful home, kept at the ferry tor the purpose | during the third period it it suffldently deep to be unpleasant, while during the last quarter only is it possible to ride over with a certainty of dry feet. Surely this is a pretty state of things to exist on the main roads of a district which hae for years paid iis thousands and tens of thousand* to the form of taxes, without receiving a farthing back to the shape of public works. County Oouncilmen, J.P.'s, and members of the Hood Board frequently find, like the immortal Police Sergeant, that when duty's to he done their lot is anything but enviable. I remember on the last occasion on which the late Sir Oraoroft Wilson attended a moating of tho County Council, he was kept paddling about to the river-bed for nearly two houre, to and out of the boat which bad stuck fast on a spit in midstream, it being dark at the time. Even this, however, did not quite drown his sense of humour, tor on reaching shore, and being asked if he were not wet about the ankles, ho raised a hearty laugh by the irresistible dryness of his reply : 11 Wot up to the ankles! Wet up to the middle.'* But crossing the river to flood is not always a laughing matter. Three deaths have occurred in less than throe yean, while there have been many most narrow escapes. Some time ago a member of the Boad Board — "a slave to duty”—stuck fast in midstream with a buggy and pair, and being obliged to get out in deep water, was immediately carried completely under the buggy between the wheels. Just lately, at the upper ferry, Mr Clark, of St Helens, very nearly lost ms life, aa likewise, on another occasion, did one of the Amberlsy waggonera. Without doubt, the river should nave been bridged long ago, as it would possibly have been, but for a moat erroneous opinion which prevails to the centres of population, that the Amur! is a desolate, forsaken kind of place—a regular Barooo, in fact—all up among the enow and mountains, and that its roads lead to nowhere. This reminds me, by-the-bye, of a little story I hoard lately in town, to the effect that, some years ago, one of the oldest and best-known of the settlers in these parts went into the shop now occupied by Mr Piercy, and gave a krgo order, after booking which, the gentleman who attended on nim said : “ 1 know you very well, Mr , but have no idea of the name of your station, or in what part of the back country you are settled." “I! why I live in Ho Man's Land,” was the reply, and as Scotchmen are not given to joking, the name was duly entered at the head of the order, and accordingly all the packages bore the address, “ No Man’s Land ” in staring characters, somewhat, I believe, to the owner's disgust. The real case is, however, that no finer country exists anywhere; witness, 70 bushels to the acre at Long's farm, on the Oolverden estate, and almost as much on part of the Bighfield ran, and elsewhere; witness the well-known quality of the Leslie Hills, Lyndon and Mendip flocks, and the large quantity of last year’s clip from this district which fetched Is 2d per lb. It. is true that some of the back stations have hard times daring the winter; but the fact that in spite of the past inclement season, in addition to those boiled down, more than IS,OOO surplus sheep are expected- to go South over the Wniau from the country between that river and the Conway, speaks for itself. This same crossing of sheep is often a most troublesome business. Last year, for instance, a mob of 4000 from Hawkeswood and Farnsssus were driven 23 miles and kept huddled up near the township for two days in the vain hope of the river falling, and finally had to be driven all the way back again. On another occasion over 200 were drowned in crossing a mob of 2000. Such little accidents as these take the gilt off the gingerbread, and make owners fthy of selling unless compelled. So, on the whole, the residents in this hitherto neglected district have cause to congratulate themselves that £IO,OOO has been placed on the Estimates for the purpose of constructing a bridge, and that a Government engineer is expected up next week to report on the best site for the same. The formation of the country is such that eventually there must of necessity be a bridge on each of the three main roads—viz., at the TT*nmay Plains, the Waiau township, and on the road north of Cheviot. This latter, however, will not bo required for many years, and may be left out of consideration at present. Each of the two former sites have very strong claims —so argent, indeed, that it would be invidious to set one off against the other, and the district accordingly hopes to obtain both. That at the Hanmer Plains will serve a large traffic in wool and other merchandise, which, however, will not increase, bat possibly diminish, owing to the opening up of the road down the Awatere to Blenheim; and being on the direct road to Nelson, will benefit a considerable number of passengers daring the summer months, as also those to the projected sanatorium at the hot springs. That at the Waiau township will serve a less, though constantly increasing amount of heavy traffic, but will immediately benefit a very much larger population, ana will cany a much greater number of passengers. There is besides no doubt whatever that with the railway to Hurunui, as it shortly will - bo, a daily coach and mail service will be at once started through the Waiau to Eaikonra. £4OOO is on the Estimates for constructing the road between these two places, and there is no reason whatever why a passenger should not, in the course of a year or two, be stole to Christchurch tor an early train in the morning and reach Ksikoura by mail-coach in the evening, at all events in summer time.

So strongly do the residents in tbs Waiau township, and its immediate neighbourhood, feel on this subject that they promised subscriptions to the amount of £2500, if the Government would find the rest of the money required} and one land-owner assured me lately that he would gladly give £26 a-year, or ©ven more, towards a subsidy for a daily coach service to Kaikoura. It is, of course, needless to say that the fhole of the Eaikoora district is strongly in favour of both tike bridge and coach • road. The cheapest site for the bridge is undoubtedly at the island opposite Leslie Bills, about 16 miles above the township, but this is quite out of the question as far as utility is concerned, for not only would' the distance between Christchurch and Kaikonra belentbened by 10 miles, but the township and adjacent country would %e benefited hardly at all } and, in fact, the bridge would be so far out of (he way as to be never used at all, save in oases of necessity in flood time, It may be imagined that under the circumstances the' approaching visit of the Government Engineer is looked forward to with considerable interest and even anxiety.