The Traveller.

Otago Witness, Issue 1420, 8 February 1879, Page 6

The Traveller.

NORTH OTAGO AND SOUTH CAN. TERBURY. NOTES BY A TRAVELLER. Having occasion to travel through a portion of the North Otago and South Canterbury districts, I propose to give a short description of the country through which I tra" veiled. After leaving Oamaru 1 proceeded north as far as Pukeuri Point, and then turned to the left along the Awamoko road, leaving the Papakaio Plains on the right. Standing on the hill over the Point, I was abie to obtain a good view of those magnificent plains. The whole of this country, with the exception of a few miles in width on the banks of the Waitaki, the property of the Hon. Mr M'Lean, is tinder cultivation. For miles around, from the sea as far as the eye could reach in a porth- westerly direction, the principal feature which attracted my attention waa the large waving paddocks of grain, principally wheat and oats, which at the time of my visit were on the point of becoming ripe. I waa informed by seveial of the settlers that although a very good harvest is expected, the yield iv most cases will fall a good way shore of thab of last year. This is attributed to the long drought, only a few showers having fallen in this district during the past few months, and also to the Bevere nor'westers whiuh occurred during the eirly portion of the month of November. Yet, despita these drawbacks, tho crops, in my estimation, were looking remarkably well, and an average harvest is anticipated. As I went farther on. in the direction of Duntroon, the crops appeared to bs somewhat lighter, and the grass paddocks presented a barer appearance. I noticed on my way some very tine paddocks of oits about Awamoko. The land in this district is principally held by small farmers— when I say small, I mean men holding from 100 to 500 acreB — and they appear to be among the moßt prospe rous and well to -do people in the provincial district of Chago. There is a very good echool at Awamoko, which, I was informed, was very well attended. About 10 miles from Awamoko Junction a township has been laid cut on private property, called Georgetown, upon which a store and several houses have been already erected. A few miles past Georgetown I oame upon Messrs Borton and M'Master's run, and saw no more cultivation till I came to Duntroon. Here some land is under cultivation, but of no great extent, the country being possessed mostly by large landholders. Since the opening of the railway to this place from Oamaru the township nas made rapid progress. The fact of its being the present terminus of the line has no doubt contri buted chiefly to its present prosperity. I intended to have crossed the Waitaki at a point about 14 miles from Duntroon, but having ascertained that tbe punt, which was damaged by the late floods, was not in working order, and that consequently I could not cross, I decided on visiting Livingstone and Ngapara. I have since learned the punt is now iv thorough repair, and passengers and vehicles can cross and recross at pleasure. I was also informed that the contractors for the bridge across the Upper Waitaki were progressing very favourably with tbe work, and I noticed, while at Duntroon, several waggon loads of timbor and other material for the construction of the bridge en route for the works.

The country from Duntroon to LivingBtone — better known as the Maerewhenua diggings— is almost exclusively the property of Meesrs Borton and M 'Master, the property of th 3 firm being, however, divided, in consequence of a dissolution of partnership which recently 'cook place. Mr M'Master has a Urge portion of his share of the property under crop, and he also let a considerable area for cropping last year. It is understood at Luingstone that Mr M'Master intends shortly to cut up a considerable portion of the run into farms, compiisiDg from 50 to 500 acres. Ido not know that thia information is cor/eot", I simply give it as I heard it. The residents of Livingstone are very eager to have tie advantage of railway communication. As far as I could understand, there are two lines proposed — one an extension of the Ngapara branch, and another to Btart from the main trunk line near Maheno. The people there are indifferent as to the route adopted, so long as tbey get railway comßuun'catiou. They ara eager to have about 16,000 aaree of Crown land thrown open for settlement, but propose that the mintrs should have the right to reserve such blocks as will preserve the water-races. I was informed that there are at least 16,000 acres of splendid agricultural land in this district wnich is &dcnirably adopted for settlement. In the claims at these diggings a new system of driving is coming into operation where the lead is deep. The principal drawback to raining in this district is want of water. Where water is available, ths claims are paying well. Two new claims have been opened about three miles ahead of the old workings. Ono opened about four months ago is paying well, and in the other the prospects are very good. The pollution of the Maerewhenua is still a bone of contention 'between the landholders and the miners.

Leaving Livingstone, I passed through Mr M'Master's land, and on to Mr Menlove's property, in the direction of Ngapara. On Buccleugh Station, the property of Mr MenJove, I notic( d two paddocks of oats, containing 900 acres, tho bt sb I have met with in my travels. The crops on the levels are much better than those on the plains below. Tbis is attributed to the nature of the soil, which is better adapted for holding water; besides, this district did not suffer much from the severe cor'- wester which did bo much harm to the crops last November. Ngapara is the present terminus of the branch line of that name from Oamaru. It is a pleasant and well-to do little township, ia nicely situated, and haß a prosperous and go-ahead appearance. A kw years ago there was only a blacksmith's shop and a few houees where the township now stands. At tho present time I am sure the place must contain at least 300 or 400 inhabitants, together with two very fine hotels, two ptores, and a few minpr shops. From Nga-

para I returned to Awamoke, the country lying between those two places being mostly in the hands of small settlers, and made for the Waitaki Bridge. Having crossed the bridge I found myself still on the Hon. Mr M' Lean's property, •who owns a considerable area of country on the Canterbury as well as on the Otago side of the river. There are a few settlers scattered here and there over the Waiho Plains, who either settled there before Mr M'Lean purchased the whole of tho property, or have since re purchased from him, but they are few and far between. Up the river Mr Mellish, R.M. of Christchurch, has a very neat farm of about 1200 acres, and I was informed by his manager that his wheat crop this season will be as good as, if not superior to, that of last year. The reason he assigns for this is that he put the seed in tho ground early last spring, and before the drought and nor'westers came on, the crop had so far ad vanced that it suffered very little from them. The Hon. Mr M'Lsau has a considerable area of hia land under cultivation. The greater part, I was told, w»s let for cropping. I learned that settlement is progressing very rapidly in the Hakateramea country A number of people have taken up land there, and are preparing to settle on it. I may mention en passant that I heard that 20,000 a jres of one of the runs in that district have passed into the hands of a certain Dunedin speculator, who intends shortly to cut the land up for settlement. After come further travelling I reached Waimate, and was struck with the marked alteration in the appearance of that township caused by the late bush fires. Still, I was informed that the fires did not cause nearly so much injury as it was at first anticipated they would. The town seemsd as busy and as stirring as of yore. All the mills that were injured by the fire are fast getting into working order, and a new one i 3 now being erected. It is said that the moot valuable timber was untouched by the fire. Several fine new buildings have been erected in the town since my last visit. Conspicuous among them are the new County Council Chambers, and MrSherwin's new hotel, which stands on the site of the old Royal. The hotel is built oa the newest and most approved principles, and, besides the ordinary bedrooms, contains three splendid suites of rooms for families. The arrangements and accommodation are excel lent, and it is not too much to say that the hotel is unsurpassed by any in South Canterbury. The crops about Waimate were on the whole looking very well, though the grass- paddocks had a somewhat parched appearance. In some paddocks there, the oats will not yield more than about 20 bushels to the acre. The wheat crop had a much better appearance, and a good yield is anticipated. On the Hook Flat, the crops looked much better than those near the township. As I proceeded farther north, I noticed they suffered more and more from the want of rain. Some paddocks of oats will hardly be worth cutting. I visited the Pareora, or that portion of it which was lately cut up for settlement. Several of the purchasers are already making preparations for the ensuing spring. I also noticed three gangs of men— about 20 in each gang—engaged in making roads through the purchased property,