A TRIP TO CANTERBURY.

Inangahua Times, 12 January 1880, Page 2

A TRIP TO CANTERBURY.

"♦ • Tto the editob oj? the times.] Sie,— ln fulfilment of my promise, I take the first chance of a spare bonr to give you a little information regarding Canterbury, or at least that portion of it into which my lack has now led me, being a yery pretty place named Ohoka, about 18 miles west of Christen arch, with which place it hag connection by a single line of rail, a branch of the Amberley or great northern line, 1 upon the com« pletion of which, so very much depends the future of the West Coast. I will not attempt to describe to you the grandeur of the scenery to be. met with en route from Kumara, and will toerely remark that it would taken a more fertile pen and a liyelier imagination than tttine to do it anything* like justice. The scenery of the Otira Gorge i»v:«l9ibjrdinary, and ono is filled with wonder, on reaching thp top, to know by what means^'be- has arrived there. On emerging from;*Porter'sJPasSon the Canterbury »ide, f V;fplei»did new of the plains is iifforded^v^^Jftdefedhere and there with sta^^B^P^^rpu- pro" ceed, numerous s^^^^^|i6&{r appear, until on arriving^^p^i^fietd (where host Cassidy, late of Itokitika, is located, doing a roaring business), you find youw self in the midst of a*thriving township, with comfortable farms, highly cultiyated and bearing splendid crops for miles around, and here the traveller from the Coast meets the first section of the Amberley railway, which was to have been opened from Sheffield two days after my departure from there. The remainder of the journey into Christchurch is by rail, and in the scant time allowed for observation as you pass along, one is puzzeled to think how such a grand country for grazing and agriculture was allowed to remain so long unsettled. The crops look splendid and it is the general opinion, that with a fiae harvest, Canterbury never bad such a yield as this seasons crop will produce. The hay harvest is already in full swing, bat the general grain crop will not be under the reapifl and binder contract for another Mfl night, when there will be any qti^^H of work to be had. lam told the^^^H bined Reaper and Binder will be^^^H used, its efficiency having stood for the last two years ; it lod^^^^H simple in construction, and not oi^^^H brous ; I have not seen it wd^^^H Railways ippear to be the great u^^H this place, but as they are nowj^^H rapidly extended in every directioi^^^| Christchurch, this will soon be rem^^H I have been sounding most of tbj^^^^J with whom t entered into coni^^^^f regarding the chances of yonr extension to Grey mouth, and fid^^^^H general opinion that there is T^^^^| chanco of its being carried out^^^^H i for a long time. If carried out^^^^^f do a very large business in V^^^^^^M and timber from the Coast, j^^^^^^H articles are much needed fcere^^^^^^H you in Seefton think but little^J^H Haast or southern line, yet there are>HJß many here who favour it, and who would | stake their last dollar on its being the route selected for uniting the two coasts by rail. I would urge the Reefton men, aye, and all tlie men on the Coast, to look alive or they will find themselves outflanked by Otago and no doubt with the assistance of Canterbury. The weather since my arrival here has been fine, but not what you would call harvest weather, and the great activity which prevails among the farmers to be prepared for its arrival is astonishing. I have not seen many West Coasters since my arrival, but no doubt will meet them in crowds during the busy time of harvest. J. Barrett, late of Hokitika, has just succeeded in getting the contract for the Chrisfchurch tramway, the first sod of which was turned during the past week ; the price is stated somewhere about £23,000 ; he has also another large contract in hand for drainage of Christ* church, somewhere near £10,000, One most noticeable and agreeable feature of the overland route is the grand roads to be met with all the way from the Kumara, being fine and wide, smooth as a bowling green— you feel as though in a railway carriage all the. way. Had the Canterbury people such roads to drive on

as you poor cl^^^^^^^^^^^^^H with, the Minisn^^^^^^^^^^^^H stand very little them altered. All made about 30 feet widej^R^^^^^H play for vehicles. I have °^^^^^| seen any waggons since m^^^^^H no doubt there are a few to^^^^^^H I shall be very glad tc^^^^^H Reefton again looking up, doubt be the case when Treasure, &c., begin to a^^^^^H fayours. — I remain, yours trulyT^^^^ Junction Hotel, Ohoka, (Canterboj^H December 13, 1879. .^^H