Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 20, 19 May 1860, Page 3

To the Editor of the Marlborough Press. Sir i teg to forward to you for publication a few extracts from Colonel "Wakefield s journal, in connection with Mr. E. M. Chaffers, R.N., commander of the Tory, being the first ship sent to New Zealand under the company, in 1839, bearing on the merits of Queen Charlotte’s Sound as a port for shipping: — *• Taewaiti, August 31st, 1839.—The weather having moderated, ! determined to take advantage of the experience of our English visitors in the navigation of the Sound and Southern Channel, to run through them in the ship. We accordingly weighed anchor at ten a.m,, and, with a light wind, left Ship Cove, and stood up the : Sound. At three o’clock we entered the channel, the entrance of which is about a mile wide, The Sound previously had presented a fine expanse of water, of thirty or forty fathoms deep even close in to the shore, and was bounded on each side with bays and coves, forming a collection of as fine harbours as any in the world. One of them, West Bay, is as large as Plymouth Souud; and all .of them easy of access, and safe in all' winds. The south-eastern entrance to the Sound is about two miles from this place, and seventeen from Cloudy Bay; any sized vessel can enter it with the tide, there being no bar, and twenty to twenty-five fathoms water between the headlands. I consider the knowledge of this channel to be of great importance to vessels coming into Cook’s Strait, particularly if they are bound to Port Nicholson on the eastern coast, from the westward; for they would not only save time by passing through it, but may do so with, perfect ease and safety, when a southeast wind would prevent them running through the Strait between Cape Koemaroo and Terrawaitu. I went to-day in a boat to the south-east entrance of the Sound : it is open, and easy of access and egress. On the whole, considering the position and capabilities of Queen Charlotte’s Sound, whether with a view to its becoming s port for homeward bound vessels to take in cargo and provisions, a safe channel of communication between the western parts of the Strait and Port Nicholson and the eastern coast, or as a situation for docks and shipbuilding, it is of the first importance, and cannot be spoken of in too high terms.’’ ' , ' „ Having given a brief history of the merits ot Queen Charlotte’s Sound twenty years ago, on the highest authority, and believing the features of the country to have remained nearly.the same ever since, I beg leave to remark that it is palpable to any discerning man that quite as much non-ofiicial speculation exists in advocating Port Underwood a 3 a port of entry for Marlborough in your last issue as there is in the official and legitimate advocating of Waitohi as the best and proper port for Marlborough. In Waitohi (now Picton) there is ample space for building a large town, a great portion of which is still public property, which would bring in a large land revenue of itself, besides a large amount ot suburban and rural land that would be opened up on the line of road between the plains of Wairau and Picton. And even if Port Underwood could be made as good a port and town as Picton, the land would all require to be purchased from private hands, the province gaining nothing by the choice. Mr; Bowler says that a powerful steam-tug would be quite essential to carry on the trade in the Sound —a very expensive and useless appendage eleven months out of twelve. But I suppose any steamer on the coast of New Zealand could find plenty of trade; and a tug would be very useful occasionally in assisting to get any unfortunate vessel off the Wairau bar that might happen to get stuck there. In conclusion, I may say that the capabilities of Queen Charlotte’s Sound are known to many; but for the information of those unacquainted with it, I trust you will give publicity to this the earliest opportunity. Yours, &c., •' Fair Play. To the Editor of the Marlborough Press. Sir —The comparative merits of Queen Charlotte Sound and Port Underwood having been {>rominently brought forward in your paper of ate, I take the liberty of suggesting that the publication of an extract from “ Earp’s New Zealand” would be interesting to your readers, having been mainly taken from the report of a specially appointed to choose the site of a shipping port for the Wairau, at a time when vested interests could not bias opinion as at present, it ought to have some weight with the public. The Report of the Committee itself would be still better, if procurable. Perhaps some of the Wairau gentlemen may know how to obtain it. I am, &c., Discriminator. Picton; May 14,1860. "Port Underwood divides itself into two arms at the upper or northern part. The shores of . the main harbour, and of both of these arms, may i' be described as consisting of a succession of . coves, formed by spurs from the mountains, • descending into the harbour and its branches at nearly right angles to the direction of the latter. As the prevalent winds are nearly up and down 'the harbour, these spurs of course afford on one fide or the other shelter from each wind in turn. But thes6 coves are all of- them of small extent, ' and' no one of them could apparently afford * shelter for a considerable amount of shipping. • The inconvenience arising from vessels being