PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF THE PROPOSED NELSON, GORDEN, AND WESTPORT RAILWAY.

Colonist, Volume XI, Issue 785, 6 December 1867, Page 10

PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF THE PROPOSED NELSON, GORDEN, AND WESTPORT RAILWAY.

(From The Westport Evening Star, November 23.) The surveying party for carrying out this project, organised under the direction of the Provincial Government"by Mr. Henry Wrigsr, C.E., consisting of five men and twd'pack-horses; started from Neisou -.■during, the'first:-week in October ia9t, proceeding through the Motueka Valley, past M'Farlane's Long Valley, and into the Big Bush as iiir »s the junction of the road to the Top House and Lakes, where ah nit was made for a few days to enable them to procure a further supply of provisions, on obtaining which they again resumed their journey. Sighted from the top of a hill the lakes in which the buller takes its rise. They then made the Davil's Grip. It is at this point that the real difficulties for constructing a line of railroad commence, for here the country is so full of deep gorges, the rocks, so steep, and the windings of tho Buller so tortuous that the expenses of carrying out this work must necessarily be very heavy. On camping at* the Owen it ruined very hard during the night, when they wore very much astonished in the morning to find the rivers up and impassible. Here they had to yield to inexorable fate for five days, when the rivers again permitted them to resume their journey. The state of the road there was quite impassable through mud and water; this continues for thirty miles, when the track becomes better. On'reaching the Lyell, they found great danger attached to crossing their'horses at that point of the river where it enters the Buller. There they fell in with Mr. George Winter, who had received instructions from the Superintendent to attend upon them with the Government oanoe, and render them any assistance they might stand in need of. A fortnight elapsed before an opportunity presented itself for crossing the horses, during which time the Bnller rose forty-one feet nine incites. At List on Saturday tha attempt Was successfully made ; these being the first horses that have ever crossed the Buller at this point. They camped for t}ie night close to Jacklin's ■store, resuming their journey on Sunday morning. On arriving at the Inangahua they took to the Government cap.oe, arriving in. Westport the same evening.

We may mention that several of Mr. Wrigg's party liaye expressed themselves of tho opinion that the Buller River will have to be turned at a pirticularly awkward turn near the Devil's Grip This is considered one of the main difficulties*which will have to be overcome, bat it is not considered insurmountable.