NOTES BY THE WAY.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1020, 8 November 1872, Page 2

NOTES BY THE WAY.

(To Vie Editor of the Westport Times) No. 2. Along the road from the Totara to the Junction there is a great deal of land under cultivation, iu fact, all through the Groy Valley it seems to me every available piece of ground is taken up. At the Junction I saw, just completed, a fine built American waggon, quite as good as I have seen turned out in Melbourne, and it looked more suitablo for these roads than the generality of tho waggons that are now in use, every thing looked good about it, showing that such can be built in the bush better than sending to Melbourne for them. Thence I proceeded on, passing small homesteads here and there, and now and then wading through the river and also through a considerable amount of mud until I arrived at a place called Square town. Here I found I could have avoided beiug up to my knees iu mud, and travelled by a shorter road if I had known it or found a friendly finger post to tell me the way. I do not know why this is called Square town, there was nothing Bquare in appearance about it, except sundry empty bottles of J.D.K.Z. sticking in the mud If they had called it slough town it would have been better named. From this place tho metal road goes over the saddle to Eeefton, and in fine weather is passably good. Eeefton is very dull, everybody complaining ; no money stirring, plenty of men walking about wanting work, and a great many leaving, but I suppose when the reefs are in full swing things will have a better appearance. I started from Eeefton and took the new line of road for Christys'. All along this new line of road as far as the landing, blocks of land have been taken up for farming purposes, and the busy axe is at work everywhere clearing the bush for more profitable cultivation. Mr Pell is putting up a good house at Larry's Creek, and has taken up a large block of land there. Mr Williams at the Fern flat is fencing in a large piece of land, he has also erected a large water wheel for chaff cutting, in fact there are several of these now erecting through the country, so that I think that the next summer and autumn, horse feed (which has been the cause of high price in the carriage of goods) will be fully supplied by the settlers in the district, and that most useful of esculents the potato, 1 hear will be planted in abundance, and I notice a great many cows are going up, so that very soon we shall see Eeefton and outlying diggings supplied with fresh butter and eggs as cheap as at Westport. At the landing, Inangahu', there are several buildings, some finished, and some going up. This point is at present the furthest point to which drays can go. From tho crossing at the Landing the m tal road is finished, as far as the blutf', hut this bluff, which is of very soft stone, stands in the way of further wheel traffic, It could be easily cut away for a few chains. The traveller has now to walk along the rough boulders of the river bed till he gets to the other side, theu he is on the metal road again as far as Christy's. It is said there is no money left to finish the work at this bluff,"but how was it tha-- this could not have been foreseen and provided for, as also the unfinished end of the Eeefton road, leading into ! the town. As things now are between the Landing and Christy's, five miles of road remain useless to the public through the non-removal of about 18 chains of soft sandstone. On both sides of the bluff the road is only useful as a place for cattle to lay down on, to the bewilderment and danger of foot travellers after dusk. Mr Christy has a large piece of ground fenced, which will produce a considerable quantity of potatoes and other vegetables.

I crossed at Christy's ferry and went on to the Lyell. I must say this is the only place in my travels that people seem confident in, as a place that will go ahead. I saw some of the best specimens of quartz there I have seen in New Zealand. All through the Grey Valley there was constant talk about the Lyell reefs, but tho closer you get to them the less is said about them, shareholdei'3 there seem content to know and not to talk of their good fortune. The claims really are very rich but I think they are like the large nuggets that used to be found, which got larger the farther the news travelled.

Coming back again I crossed the Inangahua and came down the Buller river. The road between Christy's and Hughes Accomodation house is in a fearful state, there is no get out of it, you must go through mud and slush and mire. If the money which was spent wastefully on trying to find a new track, and cutting tho same, had been spent on this part of the road it would have been better laid out, fori have it from persons who have travelled on the new track that they would rather go through the mud than face the fearful climbing and struggling to be met with on tho new one. I have heard that men have often got benighted and lost their way on this so called short cut. Old Traveller.