The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1865.

Timaru Herald, Volume II, Issue 65, 12 August 1865, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1865.

For the past six or eight weeks, since the gold diggings on the West Coast of this Province have assumed an appearance of permanency, attention has been turned to the discovery of a pass, which is thought to exist, through the Mackenzie Country j and thus connect this part of the province with a good market for stock. The fresh rushes on the West Coast are gradually working towards Mount Cook ; and it is believed by some sanguine settlers that ! Tim.*ru rill not only b« able to compete i

, with Christchurch m supplying goods, but also with the sea for all trade. The news

which we publish elsewhere m reference to the stopping up of the Hokitika, and the number of wrecks which have recently been chronicled, combined with the heavy

rates of insurance upon vessels carrying goods there, greatly favour a competition by land, especially with a level country to travel over.

The existence of a practicable pass m the Mackenzie Country is doubted by scarcely any one who has visited that part of the Province ; and an almost unanimous opinion is expressed that it will be found at the head of the streams which feed the Oho lake, south of Mount Cook, and the dividing river between Canterbury and Otago. Mr. Fraser has a station at the head of the lako above-named, and Mr. Hodgkinson one a few miles further up the branches which feed the lake, but we believe that neither of the above gentlemen have been within twenty or twenty-five miles of the gorge. We have spoken to several settlers residing m the Mackenzie Country on the matter, and they all agree m describing a complete break m the Alps up the gorge of the Oho, and the general opinion expressed is that a good practicable pass will be found there ; not only for stock but for dray traffic. A distance of about twenty miles can be seen up the gorge, beyond the point farthest reached for mustering sheep; but no one is able to throw any light upon the formation of the country beyond this point. It is quite certain that there is a distinct break m the Alps up the gorge ; and the probability is that here a pass will be found which was formerly used by the Maoris. It will be remembered that Captain Gibson, m one of his reports, mentioned that smoke had been seen, m the direction of the Mackenzie Country, by Maoris residing on the West Coast south of the diggings. From this appearance it is inferred that when the runholders near the gorge have been burning, the smoke has blown down the gorge and appeared on the West Coast. We have further, the testimony of Mr. Stubbs, the oldest settler m these parts, that the Maoris, m the early days frequently spoke of a pass through the Mackenzie Country to the West Coast, and told him that they had travelled over it.

The distance from Timaru to the Oho is about eighty or eighty-five miles, but no estimate can be formed of the distance of the unexplored portion before reaching the coast. This unexplored portion is the only part of the road which would prove at all troublesome.

If the pass traversed by the Maoris does not exist up the Oho gorge, where is it likely to be found ? It is not very likely to be found up the Takapo ar Pukake gorges ; for they have been tolerably well explored by settlers. The probability of a pass just at the break (the Oho gorge) of the Alps, south of Mount Cook, is much greater than that of finding 1 one round or near the mountain where there appears to be nothing- but a continuous range of snowcapped mountains, and tlu*e only reached by crossing a lower range. Messrs. Darke have a run close to Mount Cook and have even burned to the base of that mountain. Their run is situate a little to the north of that occupied by Mr. Hodgkinson on the Oho, and is divided from it

by a spur running from the main range almost due east and west, but the spur has not been crossed, (although there is no difficulty m doing so), because the greater part of it is rock and «hinyle, and the

shepherds m mustering have no occasion to climb it. The Messrs. Darke think there is no probability of finding* a pass up the Pukake, and several settlers state they have been up the gorge of the Takapo. Dr. Haast was at the base of Mount Cook and also for some distance up the gorges of the last two mentioned rivers, but he did not travel up the gorge of the Oho. We really think that some movement should be taken m the matter by the mercantile community here ; and we believe they would not have much difficulty m obtaining the co-operation of Oamaru and Dunedin — for the opening up a road to the West Coast m the direction mentioned would materially add to the wealth of those places. The Canterbury Government ought to place funds at the disposal of the Timaru Road Board for the purpose of assisting to fit out an expedition. We have a precedent m the matter; for a party of gentlemen m Christchurch, more desirous of seeing the country than rendering it a service, were supplied with funds to assist m paying lor their pic-nic. If a subscription-list was opened, a good sum, we believe, would be subscribed, and with an addition from the Government, a party could be fitted out, or a reward offered for the discovery of a pass.