RURAL RAMBLES. ROUND ABOUT NELSON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 59

RURAL RAMBLES. ROUND ABOUT NELSON.

By Bristol Jack,

What kind of a place is Nel'ou? Well, just wait a short time, and you shall all know the chief charaoteriotica of the placethat hag generally been assigned the distinction of pos-^es.-.ing the best climate, tho prettiest girls, and the nnost coal in New Zealand. Yes, it is mountainous. The highest peak, Mount Franklin, 10,000 ft high, is called after the famous but unfortunate Sir John Franklin, who uas geographically engaged about this province, and subsequently lo.=t h:s life, paitly owing to fraudulently tinned and tainted meat, whilst icebound in the intent-© cold of the Arctic Seas. Explorers now patronise New Zealand pioduce. Along the various beaches and larger river basins is most of the flat and fertile land; Cbpecialiy in the west the hills and the gullies of the mountainous country aa - e the source of considerable mineral wealth; large quantities of coal, which is now supposed to excel the> famous Newcastle, and alluvial and quartz gold aie largely extracted. Copper and many other metal? in unknown quantities remain to be uneaithed.

For the time being we must pass them by. As time rolls on probably many miners' live^ v. ill bo unprofitably spent in their pursuit, ond fortunes mado by lucky bat now slumbering speculators.

The rugged nature of the provi'ic© practically prevents a continuous railway service joining tha eastern and western shores, which is, indeed, an alpine difficulty from Capo Farewell to Wind cor Point. In the east the railway extends from Hurunui to Culverden. Were the Picton- Seddon line, which passes through Blenheim, connected with Culverden, as may ere long be done, the- two ports — Picton in the north and the Bluff in the soxith — will bo connected by the longest New Zealand railway. Sir J. G. Ward vs 111 then put on a through express, and the trip from the Bluff to Wellington will occupy little more tbau half the present time. From Blenheim to Nelson, there is a regular coach service; tbo fata' drowning accident during tho May floods all will romcirbsr. From NeKou 31 miles south, pa.- b ing ma.iy little townships in tho ie<ri*!.e Wounea, i-s the central railway, reaching to Motupiko: hence to Reeftoa in tho S.W. transit i"» by coach. From Reepton the railway exLends 46 milc^ to- Gr&ymouth; thence to the Brunner, about eight miles off. But the principal communication is by the \ratery way. Gore Bay and the mouih of the river Amuri are entered by small craft catering for the farmers' wants along the East Coast. On the west the Rivers Grey, Mohikinui, and Karamea, and West Whanganui Inlet aro accessible to fair-sized steamers. The broad bays and calm inlets of the north are the haunts of steamers that continuously ply the stormy strait. Directly across are the ports of Wanganui and Foxton, arid Taranaki's useful, b.alffinisbed port. New Plymouth.

Leaving- Wellington in the Union Company's good old Penguin, with its two captains and one cook, in 45 minutes we are passing through the narrow entrance close by"Scaines Island Lighthouse and entering the turbulent strait. The narrowest part of Cook Stirait is 15 miles, Foveaux being wider — 15 miles at its narrowest points. Anyhow; to bang on the nearest racks is no navigation. From jetty to jetty is about five hours' sailing. Marlborough's rocky coast is reached under two hours, and with water as calm as a mill pond we pass through Tory Channel, the eastern entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound, and for another hour or more glide along its placid waters, with its many oil or steam launches in evidence, and stop at a township with a few fine hotels, a railway station, post office, and dairy factory, and with but little eke. This is Picton which somewhat resembles Kingston, on Lake Wakatipu. Leaving the sound again by the direct northern entrance, wo sail westward round Cape Jackson, and are escorted by the famous Pelorus Jack for a few miles. As we pass Francis Head v j know we are off the Nelson coast, and with a now fair wind we pass through the narrow but deep French Pass into the broad Tasman Bay. The long peculiar boulder mole, along which we steer southwards fo^ miles, resembles an artificial training wall, round the end of which we turn abruptly to the left about, and in a few miuutes are alongside the jetty in the good but not very spacious Nelson Harbour. Now for about a mile we journey in an open-sided palace car along a fine read, wihh the sea alongside to the left, and hills, with here and there an array of cosy-looking houses on our right, and in a few minutes enter a silent, reposeful town, with a population of 70Q0, enjoying a blue sky and serene atmosphere. This is Nelson City. It is practically in the same latitude iv the south cs^Rome enjoys in the north, having the extensive Tasman Bay fringing on the west, but otherwise surrounded by hilU : occupying a flat area with the brows of the hills utilised for dwellings. At a very nice rise at the end of Trafalgar street stands the prominent, well-situated English Cathedral, its elevated spire iv keeping with its elevated purpose, always pointing significantly into eternal space. Here, friends, at tliis reverently-crowned terrace^ with its walks and customary Nelsonian shrubberies, above tho busy but orderly crowds passing" and repassing in their various vocations, in o. contemplative' and reflectivx; presence, risrht in the presence of the pjood and the noble, for the present we nm?t leave you. At a of the Arbitratisn Court at Gisborne. Judge Chanman remarked that everywhere the complaint w,n rraclo that in this or b u -it looih v the cost of hying was greater than •el-e-\vh>e:<?. The Roy. Dr CliftWd. tlio weil-known Bnpti^t miniilei, his dooidxl, in ront'pction with li is social work in Kpn-tl Town. London, to orecc a tompcra;ie a pxibhc'iouse. \\hirh v. 01 iiH'l'ide a "bar" fo>- the 'alo of cooked focd and i.on-into\'C2tin(r dunk, a i>'ll'u.id room and oM^pr r^oiroatson room', f'ubiooin^ fo' m.en a'ad women, and oiher faci'itiOi for hirifiloss i - ee;eation. Smokeroom-. will !>■"> provided, but no gambling >",ll ix> i '"i in 't'^c! iiut'or any c-Ircnui-tances 'Phf p-rouie who live in tl-.-e npi^hbourhooil aie all of the nooior working cla 5 ;-,. A limited liability company has bcou formed to cairy through the new scheme. So far the idea has met with a eonsideiabk' amount of support, and with care fail manasement ii- will be of imnvrn «? benefit to tb<3 neopLe o- the neighbour!' ood. Locally it has been facetiously named ''Clifford's Inn.'"