LAKE COUNTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1489, 29 May 1880, Page 13

LAKE COUNTY.

(ffitOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) May 20th. Settlement, in spite of many drawbacks, is extending in portions of (.his district which have hitherto been regarded as the " Ultima Thule " of civilised life, and which by not a few have been looked upon as all but incapable of sustaining human existence. All the land in the neighbourhood of the first goldfield camps which is fib for cultivation has been occupied, and to a great extent farmed or otherwise turned to account, so that those desirous of forming homes for themselves are compelled to seek them in the remoter corners of the county.

During the last year or two the country about Lakes Wanaka and Hawea has, in the direction of settlement, made the moat progress, although some of the best land there is still held by squatters inlarge— very large— blocks, and until a system a little less inimical to settlement has been introduced, no material improvement can be expected, at least not to any very great extent. If any portion of Otago is entitled to be designated a paradise, it is the neighbourhood of these Jakes and the valley of the Clutha, which connects it with the rest of what once was the Province of Otago. Nature has provided here everything in lavish provision, whioh goes to m&ke a district great and prosperous. The condition of the soil is of a class to equal the best in Otago (though of course there are tracts of country of an inferior description) ; timber of all kinds abounds on nearly all the larger streams empty ing into the Lakes j water of the purest description is to be obtained everywhere, and the climate cannot be rivalled in any part of the world. Hero winter is scarcely felt, and snow but very rarely lies longer than 24 hours upon the flats and lower levels, while the heat during summer is tempered by the expansive sheets of water presented by the Lakes. No wonder that such a spot should have attracted notice even in the dark as;os of the Province of Otago, and although it belongs to one of the earliest inland settlements of tho Province, not a death from natural causes has occurred here, and not one of the children born during fifteon or sixteen years has died ! These facts speak for themselves, To these attractions must bo added tho loveliness of the surrounding acenery, which is surpassed by nj other of the Southern Alps. That of Lake Waka(ip may be more vaiied, owing to that lake occumug afc the junction of two different geological formations— -the paleozoic aud the nieiamorphic achiet— bub the

scenery of Lakes Wanaka and Hawea stands uneqalled for loveliness and grandeur. And this is the country the late Railway Commission declined to go and see ! However, the County Council are about to devote a portion of their attention to this part of the district under their charge. The public works committee have made a tour of inspection through it lately, and the matter of cutting roads to open up the long neglected portion of Otago will engage the consideration of the Council at their next meeting.

Of the four settlements at these lakes, Pembroke takes the lead. A substantial and commodious school-house has just been completed by Mr E. Foord, of Arrowtown, in his best style ; a post- office and a telegraph and police stations is to follow shortly, aud herewith the first requirements of civilisation being met, the progress of Pembroke is assured, and will become au accomplished fact so soon as the powers that be will do their duty, viz, to open the land under the easiest form of settlement, namely the agricultural lease system, and by the formation of such roads as will put the settlers upon on equal footing in the grain market of the world with their competitors in more accessible portions of this land. The Lake County Councillors are still hankering after a County Hall aud Chambers. # They have got so far as to buy two vacant _ sections in Queenßtown in a commanding position, and have got plans prepared for an imposing structure to cost about £1000. So far everything went all right, but as common sense haa its representatives in the Council, diplomancy will have a tough battle to fight against it. The County Hall question formed the bone of con tention at the last meeting, whiob broke up without accomplishing anything. Mr Finn, M.H.R., addressed his constituents in the different centres of population in his dia triot during the past week. His utterances were merely posfc- sessional. He did not touca upon any of the questions likely to come before the House, nor on the policy of his party (the Grey Macandrew), but stated that ho intended to [adhere to it. Generally speaking, Mr Finn was well received, though, as was to be supposed, he met with some opposition and disapproval in Queenstown. There was nothing in Mr Finn' a speeches that is worthy of particular notice. The Volunteers of Lake and Vincent Counties had a very pleasant reunion at Arrowtown the other week, when meeting to fire for Capt. S. N. Brown's (Cromwell Volunteers) medal. The following are the scores :—

After the firing the scorers and a large number of volunteers and their friends sat down to a sumptuous repast at the New Orleans Hotel, where Mine Host Sooles had prepared a feast on his well-known choice and liberal scale. We are informed that after tbe 31st inst. the present daily train from Invercargill will be reduced to a triweekly one. The news is received here with anything but satisfaction. The weather for the past fortnight has been rather of a mixed character. Eain, snow and sleet, hurricanes and fro3ts, well shaken up by earthquakes, resulted in weather that richly deserves the Americanism of " mean," and very mean weather it was too. The storm on Sunday before last did even some slight damage to roofs, chimneys, and, worse than all, to young trees, and up to the present there are no signs of cessation, of what has been almo it a continuous downpour.

200 yds. 400 yd*. tergt. Waldeman 4334334 4433324 3ergC. Aldred .. 333*343 2344443 301.-sergt. 80/ne [3324333 4H23434 70l Wilmott . . 3333143 3342233 Jergt Bodkin .. 3433434 4133343 600 yds Tl 4324304—67 44334 iO— 6C 3332332—63 2233240 -6E 2040022 - 5S SIS ChOMWKLIi. Pol. Aitken .. 4343314 4144*44 Jergt. Graham .. 242344 1 ! 34*H44 Jergt. Story .. 3333324 0333333 [iteut Jolly .. 4432333 3433343 Jorpl. MeLzies .. 2343433 423432 i 3400343- 7 C 0 04443-61 444J343— 6 1 ? 3302400—57 0004320-5; 30£ Arrow. 3ergt. Perrelle .. 4244333 4333334 Djrpl. Gibson .. 334 343 3333344 3apt Jenkins .. 4233433 3234433 <orgt. Brown .. 0232 i 33 34<032i [iieut. Healey .. 3343344 6422243 2323334 -6fl 3233234— 6fi 023032 1— 5g 4204324-5; 0022243—55 294