The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JULY 1, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 151, 1 July 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JULY 1, 1867.

We regret to state that, owing to the late heavy fall of snow on the Mount Arthur range, the hopes which had been entertained of the completion of the Loadstone track to the 3£aramea before the winter set . in, must necessarily be abaudoued. The work has consequently been stopped, and the men employed upon it have been discharged. We understand that Mr Dutton, who reached town on Ifriday last, waited . to see what effect five days' fine weather : with a hot sun might have in rendering further operations practicable ; but the men were compelled to admit that they could see no probability of completing the track • this winter. We may however state that there is every reason to believe that it may be recommenced in the latter part of September, and a month from that time will probably be sufficient to enable three men to finish the work. This unexpected delay is, perhaps, not altogether to be regretted, inasmuch as it will deter miners intending to try their fortune in this region from attempting to prospect the western portion, of this district during the winter months. We. understand that Mr. Dutton found much difficulty in disssuading several who had already started with that object from carrying out their intentions. We lose no time in making this announcement public, in the hope that the knowledge that the track cannot be completed until the spring, will induce parties intending to start for the Karamea to wait, rather than expose themselves to all the perils attendant upon being shut in by the snow. We believe that Mr Dutton has arrived at the conclusion, that neither of the two expeditions last sent out by the Government ever reached the real bend of the Karamea, which he describes as being singularly marked in character, the bend beiDg almost rectangular, and flanked by lofty bluffs of unmistakably peculiar formation. This impression was still further corroborated by an interview which Mr. Dutton had on Saturday last, at the reques^ of his Honor the Superintendent, with Mr Groom, "when the last-named gentleman expressed himself satisfied, from Mr Button's description of the bend, that it never had been reached on either occasion, The farthest point at which they arrived was, it is surmised, four miles from the bend, and consequently fourteen miles distaut from the Crow. Mr Hough's drop into the Karamea would therefore be so many miles farther south than was imagined. Mr Dutton has arrived at the conviction that the Leslie is a river quite distinct from the Peel, and separated irom it, and therefore also from the bend — by a long reach of &teep and rocky bluffs, and that the difficulties which exist in the way of making a bridle-track- — for a dray-road seems to be quite out of the question — by either Mr Hough's or Mr Groom's routes are far more serious than were at first anticipated. Mr Dutton considers that it would be expedient to convert the present walking-track as far as the Loadstone saddle, into a bridle-track, as beiug the preferable route for this description of road, whilst a walkingrtrack might be made from the Baton to the mouth of the Leslie, or by Mr Hough's route, whichever may be deepaed best*