CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 60, 16 May 1877, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

[Our correspondence column being open no responsibility can be accepted m respect to opinions expressed by correspondents.]

XO THE EDITOR. . Sis,— The settlers and travellers on the West Coast are indebted to the public press for recalling; public attention from *'tinie to time to the requirements of- the district, and ! one of the most- important at the- present juncture appears to me to be the safe conduct of travellers at the estuary of the Ohau river. During the prevalence of North westerly gales with great increase of ti-aflic and transit of merchandise this district remains m its normal condition, and men and horses are drowned and others narrowly escape, but the dangers still continue. Accompanied by a stranger I arrived towards dusk on the evening of the 10th May on the banks of the Waikanae river, which was then greatly flooded, although it wanted two or three hours of high water. The stranger who was with me was disposed to attempt the crossing at points indicated by poles, but I dissuaded him from the attempt, arid we afterwards learned that he would have gone into deep water where cattle have from time to time been drowned. Under my guidance we groped our way to Mr Bevan's, who kindly sheltered us for the night. When Mr Halcombe was Secretary to the Provincial Council he at once saw the necessity of bridges, and had the sites surveyed and native permission obtained with the view of these rirers being bridged. Since then no steps have been taken. I would most respectfully suggest the biidging of the Waikanae (which would enable travellers to reach the Ferryhouse m safety, where assistance could be obtained with the aid of a punt to cross the Ohau), as it is impossible to expect any one ferryman to attend to both rivers.— l am, &c, Chakles Hewson, M.D. Otaki, 12th May, 1877.