WEST COAST SURVEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 28, 15 June 1868, Page 3

WEST COAST SURVEY.

(From lhe West Co|f* Timta, June 8.) Tho Colonial Government survey steamer St Kilda, Capt, Fox, arrived in the roadstead on Saturday morning, from tho southward, whore alio has been ajjsont surveying tho coast since tho 7th ult. The St Kilda's return was hardly oxpccfcd at so early a date, but was rondcrcd imperative on account of tho survey party havlngwun short of certain Indispensable storos, &c| Tho survey of tho West Coast has not conmioncod auspiciously, the heavy gales of thai past month having restricted the St Kllda'i operations to harbour work, ns taking foundings along the coast lino, or landing |>n any part of the beach could not have bwn attempted, except at groat risk to tho vossffli and crow. According to Captain Fox, the weather up south has beon Ycry much sevflrer than that exporlencod hero, Ho report* that, from the day the Ht Kilda entered Jackson's Ilay (Oth ult), until sho loft it, on tho, sth instant, a rnpid succession of heavy westerly galea took place, creating an awful surf upon the coast, and thus tho original intcjHloii of the survey party to commonoo ojherattons at Cascade Point was frustrated, jiowovor, no timo was wasted, as tho following roport, supplied us by Captnln Eox will fllipw, Tho St Kilda left Hokitika on tho 7th, at 10,39 a.m., and steamed leisurely along tho coast, rcconnoltering for land-marks, j&a, and at 5.30 p.m., camo to an anchor for [tho night in Okarlta roadstead. JStartcd noxt morning at daylight, her noxt stopping plaice being tho ITaast River, off which eho Camo-to nt 5 p.m., and next morning proceeded to sound in the vicinity of Open Bay Islands. Hero n most important discovery of a dangerous sunken rook was made, and also of a vory dangerous rocky ridge which ox. tends from tho islaijds to tho main land, and, ns described by; Captain Vox, should on no account bo vcrosscd by any but light draught vcsscls.Vund then only under favourable circumstances of weather, The sunken rook, which if awash at low water, lies between tho centra of tho islands nnd Mussel reef, the latter being a little north of thoOkurl rivor. Having ilxcd the position of this rock, tho St Kilda continued her courso (•outh, hut when oil Jftckson's Bay at 2 p.m., It camo on to blow hoj-vlly from S.W. with every Indication of a dirty night, so sho was kept away for tlio bay, kind thero anchored at dusk on Saturday tho Oth ult, Ao there was no appcaranco of a favograblo change in the wcathor next morning, it was decided after consultation to fix tho aosition of Jaokson's ITead, and to that end Mr Knight, assistant surveyor, nnd a party df mon wero sent on shore to try and And a jtraclc to the summit, . which attains an clovatl^n of nearly 1000 feet ' abovo sea level, the ascent in many places ! boing at an anglo of Uorty-flvo degrees. . Whilst Mr Knight was so employed, Captains Fox and Turnbull, took boat nnd proceeded 1 to oxamlno the ontrunco to tho Arawata, or Jackson's river, with the view of getting the St Kilda liiftldc. The examination reaulted lv the abandonment of tho idea, tho river boing too much exposed to'.tho swoop of the surf. This was tho only objection, there being plenty of water on the bar (six foot at lowtldo). Roth parties returned on board that evening, Mr Knight with v favourable report no far ns the possibility of getting material to tho summit of Jaokson's Head was conccrnod, Monday, ]the lUh Inat, came In with tremendous weather, barometers low and falling, aud as there was not the slightest j prospect of an early change nppnrcnt, another consultation was held, aud resulted in Lieut Woods deciding to remain; at the Bay to fix tho position of Jackson'rt fllcad, and also to erect a trig station ou the summit. The work ! was at once commenced, and proved arduous [ In tho extreme, as a spaco of nearly forty acres was cleared of tlmbor by tlio steamer's 1 orow, whilst', excepting the bare poles used In tho construction of the station, the planking nnd othor material had ti) be carried up tho i fiteop sides of the hill by tho Bailors, who, however, worked splendidly under the activo superintendence oj! thoir oflicers, aud afc last put the finishing touch to tbo first land mark erected on that part of the coast. As described by Captain Fox, it is simply a triangla, forty feet high, built of heavy saplings, and well-stayed and secured, and surmounted with a mirror and reflectors. It stands upon the verge of itho cliff, and can bo seen from every point ofitho compass. Meanwhile Lloutcnant Wood, and a party were engaged in verifying tho position of Jackson's Head, which as laid down on the charts in use, was found to bo vory much out as regards longitude— twelve miles or more. By this timo, tho 2nd inst, the survey party had run short of many necessary articles, and as tho provisions wanted ronewing, It was resolved to send tho St Kilda baok to Hokitika, Lieut. Woods and party to remain nt Jackson's Bay to finish tho survey in hand, Tho steamer's departuro was, however, delayed by on untoward accident to thf- newly erected trig station, A strong westerly galo had been blowing all day (2nd Js inst.), increasing in squalls, which, as the |night made, became Intensely sovorc. Shortly after midnight the crow of tho stcumor jSnre startled, by au awful roar, followed bj^tho crashing of forest trees, as the squall, or rather tornado, forced Its way through thorn, ' When daylight camo it was ascertained that tho trig station had disappeared, having been bbwn down by the tremendous blast that also levelled hundreds of trees with tho ground^ Its rc-erectlon was not finished until tbo, Sth, and then tho St Kilda left for Hokitika, cased steam off Titltira Head, to see if It was possiblo to land a party for the purpose of oreetlng another trig station thero, but the sea being too high, she was kept on her course again, and camo to nn anchor off tho j Parlnga rivor in the courso of tho afternoon, Started again at 8 pm, nnd arrived at JJokUika as above, her entry Into the river boing assisted by the tug Challenge. Tlie St Kilda leaves again for tho south at noon to-day.