The Invercargill Times FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1863.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 69, 3 July 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times FRIDAY, JULY 3, 1863.

In the Provincial Government Gazette, of the 24th instant, we notice sailing directions for various ports in Australia. In former Gazettes we find similar i directions for other ports in other pro- j vinces and colonies. If any change takes place in the channel of any harbor, j anything new discovered, whether facilitating its entrance, or rendering it more dangerous, notice is immediately advertised, every publicity given to a matter of such vital importance to the commerce of the place affected. We have long looked in vain for any complete sailing directions for the port o! New River, a correct description of its channel, depth of water, facility or J otherwise of entrance or egress — a description, the result of a ca-eful survey. The only authority on the subject is the " New Zealand Pilot," which veracious J authority declares that ''the Nev River I is accessible in moderate at water, for vessels drawing from 13 feet water." " A Bar with 9 or ! low, and 16 feet at high, springs." This is the Stokes, but he never uestiouable whether in order to the depth of j sounded, j ,

after a careful inspection by a man residing months on the spot; the other by a passing visitor, careless as to the correctness of his statement ; careful only that, by giving a depth considerably under the mark, h« would at any rate be safe. Why has not his official statement been officially contradicted ? Let us Jook at the practical result, as regards ourselves, arising from such gross neglect. The railway plant has beeu sent for from home, to be landed at the Bluff and New River; an underwriter would immediately look up the "New Zealand Pilot," and would see that in the New River, at high water, there is only sixteen feet on the Bar ; at low, ten feet. Of course, he declines insuring a large vessel to such a port, and goes in for the Bluff: thus virtually the entire railway plant will be landed there. To bring it round to the New River will cost at the least LI O,OOO ; for let it be remembered that the Government is distinctly pledged to commence the Invercargill and Mokomoko portion of the line first ; is pledged j also to take a vote of the Council before the other portion of the line is continued — it may never be, should the next Council determine against it, and we are by no n cans sure that it will not — so we shall be put to the extra cost of re-shipp : ng to the Mokomoko, at freight at least half of that ou^ from home, and this simply because no pains has been taken to contradict the erroneous statement in the " New Zea land Pilot ; " for we have little doubt that were the truth made known at home, we should find plenty of vessels chartered fcr the New River. Who is to blame in this matter ? Mr. Heales the Chief Surveyor, in his examination before the Committee of the Provincial Council on the Bluff and Invercargill Railway Bill, is distinctly cf opinion " that the great bulk of the Invercargill commerce will always come into the Now River." " Vessels of 1,000 tons may and will hereafter find plenty of accommodation in this harbor." Further on, he states that the Sir George Pollock could certainly come in without any difficulty. To the question as to the size of vessels which could come into the New Rivur, he answers — " Up to eighteen feet draught with e.-.se, and lie at all times afloat." Captain Elles, the Collector of Customs, a gentleman of considerable experience in nautical matters, one who has lived for years at the Bluff and Invercargil', and is practically acquainted with both, in his evidence btfore the same committee regarding tie comparative merits of the Bluff ani New Rivt r Harbors, states — " I havf- all along for the lost five or six yeivs entertained an opinion, which evi-'y day strengrhei s, tint the New Rivei is the hotter hnibor. There is better holding ground, three times the anclorage room, and this advantage — if you moot with all accident you drive on soft mud, whereas in the Bluff you drive on rocks. 1 think the New Rive; infinitely preferable as a harbor to the Bluff." Further on, he states that %l Twenty- five years apo, Newcastle wa- spoken of iv much the same terms as the New River is here." Here we havi the evidence of two raeu, the nic^t capable of giving an opinion on tie subject, decidedly in favor of the '.\ T ew Hiver. Wo will not enter into th: comparative merits of the two harbors ; all we want to know is, why, wit! this mass of evidence before it, — wih tlie reports of Mr Bray, nay, with the daily evidence of a largely increasing Slipping ; an increase which has not reiulted in any accidents, — why, with i'l this, has the government neglected to make known in the home country tin 'true facts of the case, — taken ever; care that the truth should be dissem nated, where it is of vast important it should be received, amongst tie underwriters, and called, by every means in their power, the attention of the Admiralty to the errors contained in the "New Zealand Pilot," errors which are likely to inflict such severe loss to ourselves. Our own correspondent, writing from Glasgow, in his letter of 18th April last, published iry our issue of 26th inst., touches cp this point : — " I may refer to the e?/:eeding paucity of the information which reaches us regarding the geographical features of your antipodean Eden.'' A little before, be writes, "The sad fate of the Orpheus is, howeveir, lilely to scare away adventurous me/h o) war from your coasts, until so/me reliable survey of your harbors has bfeen completed." The survey of New (River Harbor made by MrJ.T. Thomson, (eq)ied in the Admiralty chart, is exceedingly good, and though some small changes have taken place in the contour of the shoals near the Heads, no inconvenience has occurred from defect of survey. The evils under which the harbour- has labored (apart from the slightness of pilot accommodation,) have been two — Ist. The absolute falsity of the account of the port in the " New Zealand Pilot," which has so ; strangely been suffered to continue for I so many years the Oily official or authenticated description, although notoriously untrue and contiadicted not only by the uniform experience of every pilot, harbor master, or shore master frequenting the port, but even by the ■^-t itself. 2ndly. The want of fixed serve as guides or the navimeans to etable persons to ascertain quickly post ion on the with very it of

of distinctive colors and forms, a clart shewing acccurately their positions, and their bearings with reference to the channels and sboals. If we mistake not, these identical Manuka poles, we may well call them time honored, was one of the grievances complained of when separation from Otago was sought, then they were paraded aa evidence of gross neglect on the part of the Otago authorities. We understand that plans of buoys for the New River were made out at the same time as those for the Bluff and Riverton ; the Bluff ones were put down immediately, Riverton has got hers, New River still waits, how is this ? In intimate connection with the entrance of vessels of large tonnage, and particularly of steamers, into the New River, is the speedy construction of the pier and wharf at the Horse-shoe channel, Mokomoko ; we learn that the plans and specifications for this work were ready two months before tenders were called for ; beinjr a work of considerable magnitude, the completion of which will take time, one would have thought that no moment would have been lost iv commbiicing it. No time, however, is lost in calling for tenders for the construction of the pier at Campbelltown, a work which, it' at all necessary at pre« sent, is of by no means commensurate importance. It is time, too, that the jetty at the south-west-end of the tow« was commenced ; being of great length, it will take a long while to complete, to judge from the time occupi- d in making the recent additions to the old jetty, the sooner therefore it is begun the better, if we are to have a rush in spring, surely we ought to prepare better jetty accommodation to meet it. All this speaks of neglect on the part of the government, or at any rate apathy as to the welfare and interests of this harbour. Where does the blame lie ? We have heard it said that his Honor the Superintendent is prejudiced in favor of the Bluff harbor, that it is a pet hobby of his that the Bluff is the port of Invercargitl, and that to see the railway from Invercargill to the Blaff direct without stopping at the New River, would realize his utmost ambition. We hope, however, that Dr. Menzies will not allow aHy predilection of his own to act prejudicially to the public welfare; and call upon him to prove by energetic action in this matter, that though he may be temporarily forgetful, he is not utterly aud determinedly oblivious to the best interests of the community.