OTAGO AND THE WEST COAST.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 54, 4 November 1863, Page 3

OTAGO AND THE WEST COAST.

It is pleasant to witness the speculations of our Dunedm friends, as they rack their brains to discover farther means of aggrandisement. No matter at whose expense, these Old Identity vampires are always on the qui vive to suck the blood of whoever may be enticed to their treacherous embrace. The West Coast is attracting their eyes now, and their only endeavour is to have the first squeeze at this promising lemon. The Daily Times, in an article devoted to this question, seems to take it for gtanted that Otago will clutch it, and enumerates the benefits that will accue therefrom with a watering mouth, something after the style of a dog viewing a savoury morsel that he is expecting to devour. "Without the land route," says this journal, " separation must have taken place so soon as a settlement was formed:

" But all is changed now. A practicable route is discovered from coast to coast, from ocean to ocean, everv step of which lies over Otago ground. What pretence now will there be to dismember the Province ? The settlement that will struggle into life on the West Coast will gladly look forward for support and countenance to the resources of the longer settled portions of the Province. And between the two there will be that grand connecting link, the Lake Wakatip district, through the heart of which the route to the West Coast runs. To that district itself the discovery is infinitely important. It opens to it an accessible seaport within a few hours distance. It requires no prophet to foresee a grand future for the Wakatip. East, west, and south will alike be fighting for its embraces, will alike be contending as to which can most promote its convenience, can offer it the greatest advantages. Was ever district more favoured? Its only danger is that, Tarpeia-like, it may be crushed by the weight of the costly gifts that will be showered on it Instead of suing for favors, the Wakatip will, at no distant date, be dictating terms; whilst on the shores of the magnificent Lake cities will grow up scarcely second to the capital town, Dunedin.

" The circumstances connected with the discovery combine to render it more valuable. Dr. Hector has not alone found a practicable route, but he has connected it with a country on the west shores suitable for settlement. A navigable river leading from an available seaport into a magnificent lake skirted by land that invites settlement—such are the splendid features of the West Coast terminus to the route. The river is subject to tidal influences, and consequently as easily navigable up as down—and all the year round retains its depth of water. The port with which the river connects, is the nearest point of all New Zealand to Australia, and Otayo will thus be brought into quicker communication not only with that continent, but with England. To give full effect to the value of the discovery, a railway is obviously demanded—the iron horse must connect the East aud West Coasts. From

what we can learn the difficulties would not be greut, nor the expense excessive. We are afraid to picture the gorgeous results that would follow on the realisation of such a project. Duncdin would be brought within so easy a distance of Melbourne as to secure the course of Post by the Overland Mail. The traffic of the East and West Coast of the Middle Island would pass through Otago, which would become the great highway, the Suez or Darien of the Island. Its inland waters would resound to the busy hum of population; unnumbered industries would spring up; a wilderness be converted into a garden." We must admit our inability to follow our contemporary's reasoning. Let us see. If l)r. Hector's exploration had resulted in nothing, the separation from Otago of a waste of barren mountains would have been necessary; but every thing tending to prove that the requisites for forming a powerful and wealthy community exists, why, separation is out of the question, and would undoubtedly be injurious to the embryo Province ! Was there ever a sublimer non sequitur f We are obliged to the Daily Times for its prophecy as to the glorious future of the Wakatip; but we do not consider that that future will be so conducive to the Identity interests as he fondly imagines. Diuiedin and Otago are apparently the only two strings possessed by the editorial fiddle, and we are sick of hearing the petty variations on these two tunes that we have been so long favored with. While fully agreeing with the Times, that our prospects are brilliant, we believe we express the sentiments of the district when we say that the West Coast is looked forward to as the means of emancipating ourselves from the hateful clutch of oui present masters; and it is only in that hope thnt an appeal to the General Government for annexation to Southland has not been made this session. Should a settlement be formed, Dunediti may regard the Wakatip as gone for ever.

THE WEST COAST.

The following letter, published in the Daily Times, gives us some further information respecting the West Coast: — Dunedin, 19th August. 18G3.

Mr. Danul Alabaster, about. 11 years engaged in the coasting trade of South New Zealand, and long time mate of the Star, has called upon mo and reported that he entered a river called the Wakatipu, about four miles south of the Awarau on the West Coast, and the following is his information :—We entered on June 12th last, on board the Aquila. Found 12 feet on the bar at high water; rise and fall 5 or G feet. There

| was not a heavy surf, but there aro three rocks in the channel: but a craft of 40 or 50 tons can • • • I easily avoid these by keeping close to the spit. Went up the river six or seven miles by the bends, and entered a lake about fifteen miles in , length and anchored at the head of the same.

The surrounding land is not mountainous till some distance from margin of the Lake. Ground is covered with forest. Level land very fertile. Abundance of pigs.

An island at the head of the Lake is full of pigs. There is also a Maori burying ground. Four natives live there; they are friendly. There is cleared land to the east of the dividing range. We ascended the dividing range, and from whence we saw Earnslaw, a very high mountain at the head of the Wakatip, and which appeared quite close ; also, Mount Aspiring and Black Peak.

We had the Government maps of the province with us, so could easily identify the positions; besides, I am a mariner accustomed to take bearings. If wo had had food we could have easily fetched through. We cut our way up through the bush. The pass was not high, quite easily ascended, but we had to go back for want of provisions. We came upon the waters running to the eastward. We saw another lake to the north which we discovered from the mountains, and we took up our boat to the head of it. This lake is ten miles long, surrounded by bush with level land round the margin; we got traces of gold at the north end of this lake, also pieces of copper. I have got no specimens except of the stones, my Melbourne mates having taken tHein to Australian I have no doubt the specimens were copper, as our mate —a Frenchman —said he had worked at copper mines. A shipload of greenstone could be loaded here. We saw nothing of the moa> but lots of green birds and emus (qy. kiwis). The lower lake has a fine site for a township, far superior to anything I saw in the sounds, all of which I visited. The pass, had we gone on, would have brought us out at the Wakatip Lake, at ten miles from its head on the western shore.

We visited Milford Sound, but could not penetrate through the mountains, these being very precipitous. I nearly lost myself here. The precipices are dreadful. A steamer could easily go into the Wakatip river and to the head of the lake, and I think this is the best place to make a road from the Wakatip Lake to the West Coast. (Signed) D. As Mr. Daniel Alabaster is a gentleman well known to me, I have every confidence in the trustworthiness of his account, which is a most intelligent one, and of great geographical importance. I have no hesitation in forwarding it to Government.

(Signed) J. F. Thomson, Chief Surveyor, Survey Office, 19th August, 1863.