PART II. TOPOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
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PART II.
TOPOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
General Aspect and Configuration of the Coast.
If we look at the Map of New Zealand, we find the Province of New Ulster 1 stretching northward into the Pacific Ocean, nearly to the parallel of the 34th degree of South latitude; and from its insular position, and great exposure to the East, North, and West, to the Pacific wave, its coast, as might be expected, is in many parts indented by deep bays, protected by jutting promontories, which have hitherto withstood the fierce assaults to which they are exposed, and these bays and promontories are most numerous on the north-east coast, the west coast presenting a greater uniformity of outline, with but few indentations forming gulfs or bays. There is in fact no bay, properly so called, extending from Cape Maria Van Diemen along the west coast as far as Cape Egmont, at the southern extremity of the Province, if we except Waingaroa, Aotea and Kawhia, which are mere inlets.
Although exhibiting appearances so various as scarcely to admit of being comprehended in a general description, the coast of New Ulster may generally be described as presenting a bold aspect, being in some parts mountainous, and at others presenting a succession of gentle eminences, which do not attain any very great height, and are mostly clothed to their summits with vegetation.
The Taranaki district, extending from Cape Egmont to the Mokau river, is an exception to this general description, the general aspect of this portion of the coast of New Ulster being described as being so level as nearly to run parallel with the water line throughout; the country being however intersected with
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deep ravines, and long narrow gullies, and the interior, with trifling exceptions, being composed of flat or gently undulating grounds, covered by a rich and fruitful soil.
From the Mokau river to the entrance of the Manukau harbour, the coast line is formed of hills of moderate elevation, alternating with patches of blown sand; and the same description of coast extends, with but trifling variation, to the Cape Maria Van Diemen.
Owing partly to the geological structure of the west coast, and to the action of the prevailing winds, but chiefly to the fact that wherever rivers disembogue into the ocean, and run with sufficient velocity to hold matter in suspension, they cause a conflicting action with the waters into which they pass, and form a deposit of sand, &c.; nearly all the rivers and harbours on this coast are impeded by bars and banks of sand, extending in places several miles seaward, and greatly obstructing the navigation into them. Thus the entrance channel of the Hokianga, the Kaipara, and the Manukau, are all more or less obstructed from this cause, the former being a bar harbour, and the two latter having large accumulations of sand, forming banks off their entrance.
From Cape Maria Van Diemen to the North Cape, the coast is bold and backed by high hills, and the same description (excepting Sandy Bay, an extensive shallow bay, extending from Parenga-renga to Knuckle Point, applies to the coast as far as the Bay of Islands, and thence to Wangarei.
Cape Tewara, or, as it is mostly called, Bream Head, at the entrance of the Bay of Wangarei, is a bold projecting headland, visible 30 miles, the southern extremity of the Bay being formed by Cape Papioutou, or Bream Tail.
Following the coast in a southerly direction, Point Rodney forms the entrance of the Gulf of Houraki, or Frith of the Thames, Cape Colville forming the north-eastern extremity of the Frith, and the distance between these two headlands is about 30 miles.
The gulf of Houraki, or as it is mostly called, the Frith of the Thames, is a deep and broad indentation of the coast, being about fifty miles in depth, by a mean width of thirty miles. It contains numerous bays, harbours, and islands, and some large rivers discharge themselves into it.
From Cape Colville to the Bay of Plenty, the line of coast is for the most part composed of bold cliffs, backed by a mountainous range extending beyond Katikati. The coast then becomes low and sandy, and this description of coast, with few exceptions, extends nearly to the East Cape.
Mountains and Valleys,
The principal mountain chain of New Ulster, forming the main water shed line, or dividing range, is found in the central part of the Island, and it attains its greatest elevation at the great mountain of Tongoriro, which is said to have an elevation of 12,000 feet, and the summit of which is always covered with snow. Connected with this central chain is a range of mountains extending to the East Coast, and in some places skirting it, of which Mount Edgecombe, in the Bay of Plenty, may be considered a detached outlier. Another secondary range, or Cordillera, extends from near the head of the river Thames, in a northwesterly direction to Cape Colville. The height of this range varies from 1,000 to 1,500 feet. A continuation of the range forms the Great Barrier Island, the highest mountain of which (Hirakimata) has an elevation of about 1,500 feet.
The northern extremity of the Province forms a narrow peninsula, which is traversed by various ranges of hills, seldom attaining a greater elevation than 1,000 feet.
These ranges of mountains and hills divide the country into a number of valleys, which are traversed by a corresponding number of rivers and streams, few of which, however, are navigable to any considerable extent; these principal, or main valleys, form the channels for others of a secondary character; whilst these in their turn perform the same functions for others of a still smaller class, and so on, in the descending order of progression from those large basins which receive the accumulated waters of the more considerable rivers, to the scarcely distinguishable current of the most trifling stream.
A similar order of progression will be found to prevail with respect to the high grounds, in descending by successive degrees, from those lofty chains which separate valleys of the first order, to the spurs, which, proceeding from their sides, divide the secondary valleys, and throw out, in their turn, others of an inferior order.
A few of the more important of the river-vales of New Ulster may be here enumerated:
The valley of the Waikato and Waipa rivers may be regarded as the principal river-vale in the Province. It extends inland to the great Lake of Taupo, and is bounded on the east by the dividing range separating it from the valley of the Thames; on the west by a chain of hills skirting the coast, and extending as far as the Mokau river, and contains upwards of one million acres of alluvial land of unrivalled fertility.
The valley of the Thames and Piako rivers may be regarded as the next in importance to the valley of the Waikato. It extends inland towards the Lake of Roturoa for a distance of nearly sixty miles, with an average width of three to four miles, but contracting its width at its upper part. The rivers Thames, or Waiho, the Ohonemuka,
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or Sacred river, the Hekatia, or Hobson's river, and the river Piako, all flow through this flat alluvial tract, and their united waters all disembogue into the head of the estuary of the Thames.
The valley of the Wairoa, on the west coast offers also another example of one of the largest rivers of New Ulster, which flows through an alluvial plain. In some parts however, of its course, the hills stretch down to the river bank, and the width of the valley of the Wairoa is at no part very considerable. The river Kaihu is a branch of the Wairoa, and the valley through which it flows is celebrated for the richness of its soil, and the beauty of its scenery.
Topography of the Gulf of Houraki, or Frith of the Thames.
The Gulf of Houraki, or as it is most frequently called, the Frith of the Thames, is for the greater part of it an open roadstead, being open to the north, and north-west; it contains however several excellent harbours, of which Coromandel harbour, on the eastern shore, and Mahurangi or Kiaho, on the western side of the Frith, are perhaps the two best, if we except the river Waitemata, an extensive inlet situated at the south-western extremity of the Frith.
The north-western extremity of this gulf is formed by Point Rodney, in Lat. 36.15 south; the north-eastern headland being Cape Colville, in Lat. 36.28 south; and the width of the gulf at these points is about 30 miles. Cape Colville is the extremity of a long and narrow promontory, forming a mountainous range extending from the Cape to the head of the river Thames, a distance of about 100 miles; and the inlet which forms the harbour of Waihou or Coromandel is situate at the distance of 20 miles from Cape Colville, and 25 miles from the mouth of the river Thames, the intervening coast line presenting a bold and mountainous aspect, and no shelter for vessels of any size.
The harbour of Coromandel is better adapted for small than for large vessels, owing to the shallowness of the water, particularly near its head. The entrance channel has a width of about 1 1/4 mile, and is free from danger, but owing in all probability to a foul or rocky bottom, a heavy swell sets in at the mouth of the harbour with a strong westerly wind. The harbour is nearly surrounded by hills, which to the eastward rise to the height of about 1000 feet, and are covered with timber, amongst which the kauri is abundantly found. On its western side the harbour is protected by an island, but the northern channel leading into it is of very little width, and has not more than 2 fathoms depth of water in it at high water.
After passing Coromandel harbour, there are two inlets forming harbours, at the Kouma, and at Mania, both of which afford secure anchorage and deep water.
From hence to the mouth of the river Thames, at Kaweronga, there are only a few inconsiderable creeks, without any good anchorage; and the same remark applies to the line of coast from Coromandel to Cape Colville.
At its mouth, the river Thames is much obstructed by shoal-banks, which stretch across the head of the Frith, leaving only a narrow and winding deep water channel available for the purpose of navigation. This channel has a mean depth at low water of 8 or 9 feet, and by this channel vessels of from 40 to 50 tons can ascend the river. At the distance of 5 or 6 miles from the mouth, there are shoals with very little water at low water, but after passing these, the depth increases to about 1 1/2 fathoms, and this depth is maintained for a considerable distance.
An abundance of fertile land is to be found on the banks of the Thames, stretching some distance inland, and the river banks are for the most part thickly timbered with the kahikatea and totara pines, the rata and other forest trees. The greater part of this land is flat, or nearly so, but is capable of drainage, and much of the low swampy land at the mouth of the river might be reclaimed, and although subject to inundation, it might be rendered available for pasturage. The valley of the Thames and Piako may be estimated at about 60 miles in extreme length, by an average width of about 3 miles, and would therefore contain 180 square miles, or about 115,000 acres. So large an extent of good land, coupled with the advantage of navigable rivers flowing through its whole length, would seem to point out the banks of this river as an eligible site for an European settlement, and this appears to have been the opinion of Captain Cook, who, so far back as the year 1773, in speaking of the settlement of New Zealand by Europeans, says:-- "If the settling of this country should ever be thought an object worthy the attention of Great Britain, the best place for establishing a colony would be either on the banks of the Thames, or in the country bordering on the Bay of Islands."
In the event of an European settlement being formed here, perhaps the best site for a township or village would be at Kaweronga, near the mouth of the river, formerly the site of a large native settlement, and now the Church Missionary station of Houraki.
The river Piako has its source in the same tract of flat alluvial land which forms the valley of the Thames, through which it flows, in a nearly parallel line with the Thames, the two rivers being little more than three to four miles apart. Extensive shoals and mud-banks obstruct the entrance
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to this river, and render it difficult of access, except for the smallest description of coasting-vessels. The channel is inconsiderable, both as regards width and depth, at the mouth, which has little more than four or five feet of water at low water; but at the distance of a few miles the channel deepens to an average of seven to eight feet, and preserves this depth for a distance of fifteen or twenty miles, with an average width between the banks of 60 feet.
At the distance of twenty miles from its mouth, the Piako is no longer navigable, except for boats, and at this distance the tide ceases to be perceptible. Some good land is to be found in the upper part of this river, but the whole of the lower part is subject to inundation, the water in the river during the summer months, being little more than five or six feet below the general level of the land.
The Piako river offers a remarkable example of the extreme sinuosities to be met with in rivers flowing through flat alluvial plains; these windings are so great, that in many parts of its course, the Piako returns in a direction nearly contrary to its main course.
As a site for a settlement of Europeans, the Piako certainly does not present many attractions; large quantities of flax grow in the vicinity of the river, the low swampy soil of which seems favorable to the growth of this plant, and probably the best use to which a large portion of the land bordering on the river could be put to, would be the cultivation of the finer description of the Flax-plant (Tihori.) This article, although growing luxuriantly in almost every swamp and valley, is at present nearly unattended to, although it can be demonstrated that no crop would afford the grower a better return. It has been estimated that a root or stool of flax, when at maturity, occupies two square yards of land, so that upon a single acre, 2,420 plants may be grown. In eighteen months, or at furthest two years after the plants are put into the ground, they will be ready for cutting; and from each of these plants, from five to seven pounds of clean fibre will be obtained, or about seven tons to the acre; which at £18 per ton, (the ordinary price for fine flax,) would give £126 as the gross return per acre!
It may be said that this is a large return to be made from an acre of land, but it is in fact less than is made in Europe from an acre cultivated with European Flax; --the clear return from which has in some seasons in Ireland, amounted to £100 per acre, and the same could no doubt be done in New Zealand.
Of all the staple productions of New Zealand, the native Flax plant is perhaps the most valuable, and is one which will form a permanent article of export when its value is better understood, and when its cultivation and preparation in the Colony are more attended to than at present. There are thousands of acres on the banks of all the principal rivers and streams in New Ulster, which might be made to afford remunerative employment for the industrious classes, and a large return to the owner, by the cultivation of this useful plant. 2
Description of the Port of Auckland, with suggestions for its improvement
The northern headland of the harbour or river of Waitemata, is composed of a high conical hill, rounded on the summit, and about 200 feet high. The other hill at a little distance from it, has on its summit a Flag-staff, and signal station. The navigable entrance of the Waitemata is contracted to a little over three-quarters of a mile in width, being narrowed by a sand-spit which runs out from the North Shore, and the outermost point of which is marked by a white buoy. The only other danger consists of a reef marked by a black buoy and beacon about three-quarters of a mile to the East of Takapuna. The south head of the harbour is formed by a curious bastion-shaped rock, which stands detached from the main land.
Within the heads, the channel widens to an average breadth of one mile, and it maintains this width for a distance of about five miles; with a depth of water in mid-channel of from seven to nine fathoms, decreasing to two and a half and two fathoms on the south shore, on which the town of Auckland has been laid out, at a distance of two and-a-half miles from the south head.
The latitude of the flag-staff in the barracks of Point Britomart, is 30° 51' 27" south. Its longitude is 174° 45' 30" east. The variation of the compass is about 14° easterly. The usual rise and fall of the tides at Auckland is ten feet, but they are influenced by easterly winds, which sometimes raise a spring tide to the height of twelve or thirteen feet. The time of high water at full and change is 6h. 15m. The tide runs at the rate of about two and-a-half knots.
With regard to the eligibility of the site selected for the capital of New Ulster, it may be said that although it cannot be considered in every respect advantageous for a maritime city, the shallowness of the water
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in the bays in this locality, rendering the construction of piers or jetties very necessary for the accommodation of the shipping frequenting the port, yet, upon the whole it may be doubted whether a much better site could have been obtained in the immediate vicinity. The only other more eligible site perhaps, would have been at the native settlement of Okahau, about two miles below Auckland. Here there is bolder water, and a dry beach, whilst the land at the back rises gently in the form of an amphitheatre around the bay, and a tidal creek running at the back, would have afforded accommodation and security to coasting vessels.
The natural drawbacks of the site of Auckland consist in the shallowness of the water off the town, and the extreme irregularity of the surface of the ground, rendering it a difficult matter to lay out good level roads and streets.
The south shore of the Waitemata is characterized by a number of small bays, which are dry at low water: these bays are, to a certain extent, convenient for the smaller description of coasting vessels, as they can lie on the soft bottom and discharge or take in their cargoes there, in fine weather, but with a strong north-east, or north-west wind, a heavy swell sets into these bays, which renders such a proceeding impracticable; and during the prevalence of these winds, the coasters generally seek the shelter of the North Shore.
It is in such cases as these, that the benefit arising from the formation of a wet dock at Auckland, would be felt. Protection would be thereby afforded to the numerous fleet of coasting vessels that frequent the port of Auckland, the whole of which might be sheltered by a properly constructed mole or covering-pier, projected from Point Britomart, into deep water, and with an elbow or cant, in the inner angle of which a dry dock, or repairing slip might be formed.
That the harbour, or Port of Auckland, is capable of much improvement is an undeniable fact; and it is much to be regretted that no well-digested or defined plan for the improvement of the port and accommodation of the shipping should not have been proposed and carried out by properly qualified engineers, in the place of the present badly-contrived and badly-constructed wooden wharf, a work which appears to have been designed without the slightest consideration of, or reference to, the first principles of engineering, and which, from its general imperfections, is sure to entail a heavy expenditure in simply keeping it in proper repair.
To suppose that a double row of piling driven perpendicularly into the soft mud, which chiefly forms the bottom of the harbour, and held together by a very weak and inefficient system of ties and braces--planked on the outside, and filled in with earth-- should be capable of withstanding, for any length of time, the combined influences of heavy seas propelled against it during gales, and of the inward pressure exerted against it by the mass of enclosed earth, to, say nothing of the process of decay which has already commenced; --to suppose that such a structure should form a permanent work of public utility, is to suppose an utter impossibility; and it seems difficult to conceive what could have led to the adoption of so ill-contrived as well as expensive plan.
By a more judicious outlay and plan, the bay in which the chief portion of the town of Auckland is situated, might have been embanked nearly across from point to point, by running out two moles or breakwaters, faced with stone on the outside, into deep water, and with cants or elbows inwards, and the filling-in around the dock which would have been thus formed, might then have proceeded with regularity and despatch.
The construction of a dry dock, or repairing slip, might also have formed a portion of the plan, a public work which is much required at Auckland, and the want of which accommodation is a great drawback to the Port.
Even the adoption of a portion of the above plan would confer a great benefit on the port, by running out a rough embankment or covering pier for a distance of 450 or 500 yards from Point Britomart, in a north-westerly direction, and with an elbow or cant, forming an angle of about 125 degrees with the main line of breakwater, and extending inwards for a distance of about 150 yards. This work would effectually protect and cover the greater part of the area included in Commercial Bay, and afford protection and security to the coasting trade, besides enabling vessels to discharge or take in their cargoes at all times of the tide.
With regard to the construction, there is an abundance of material (sandstone) in thick beds lying close to the site of the proposed pier or breakwater, easily wrought and obtained, and which would afford an abundance of very heavy and large material for the filling in or core of the breakwater. It is proposed simply to lay down a quantity of blocks of this sandstone of all shapes and sizes, and then to permit the sea for some time to shape down the slopes of the sea-face of the mole to the angles of inclination which the momentum of that element would assign to such materials; and after this has taken place, to pave the sea-face with large blocks of a harder kind of stone, such as scoria blocks. And for the purposes of landing and shipping of goods, it is proposed to construct a wharf or quay within the pier, about 18 feet in width, and faced up on the inside with squared masonry, and
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protected on the outside by a parapet or storm-pavement. The whole of this mole or pier need not to be raised more than from five to six feet above high-water mark, and even the construction of 500 or 600 feet in length would enable small coasting vessels to discharge and take in their cargoes alongside, so that an immediate benefit would be conferred upon the coasting trade by the completion of only a small portion of the proposed work.
But the most important public work in connection with this plan remains to be described--namely, the formation of a dock or slip for raising and repairing large vessels when damage or decay renders such an operation necessary, and of the necessity for which there is now a striking example in the Port.
The want of proper accommodation for vessels of large tonnage requiring repair is much felt by the shipping frequenting the Australian Colonies; but this want will be shortly remedied in Sydney by the construction of the dry dock now in process of formation at Cockatoo Island, in the Parramatta river.
The construction of an efficient dry or graving dock is, under any circumstances, an operation involving a large outlay, and is only adapted for localities in which the rise of tide is considerable. The inconvenience and expense attending its use in situations where the rise of tide is small are very great, owing to the large body of water to be lifted and pumped out every time a vessel is docked for repairs. For these reasons, and the difficulty and expense of construction, the formation of a dry dock at Auckland, can hardly be recommended, as although the Port of Auckland, from its greater rise and fall of tide is, undoubtedly better adapted than the Port of Sydney for such a work, yet as the dry dock constructing there will, when completed, be capable of taking in a fifty-gun frigate, or a steam ship of 1,000, to 1,500 tons, it would appear that a less expensive method would answer the purpose for the Port of Auckland.
The contrivance known under the name of Morton's patent-slip, or marine railway, on the well known principle of the Inclined Plane, on which vessels are drawn ashore by means of a combination of machinery, worked by manual power, is also open to several objections; the chief of which is, that a large heavy ship is liable to be strained by it, because the weight bears upon the cradle at an angle, particularly when the ship is entering or leaving the slip, as in those cases, the stern is afloat whilst the stem is on the cradle.
Another objection is that the axles of the wheels are liable to twist, owing to the great strain upon them, and thus arrest the progress of the vessel. To these may be added the difficulty and expense of laying the ways, particularly in deep water, and the number of hands required to work the machinery, where manual labour is employed.
From all these objections, the method proposed, which is derived from the hydrostatic application and mechanical employment of water, on the well known principle of Hydro-mechanics, by which a small quantity or pressure of water, may be made to counterbalance a weight, however large, through the medium of proper machinery, and which it is proposed therefore to call the Hydro-mechanical, or Hydrostatic Dock, is entirely free, as the weight is distributed over a great many points, the vessel is always kept upon an even keel, and the hydrostatic pressure being, of necessity, every where the same, the motion thereby produced is perfectly simultaneous.
By the proposed method, the apparatus consists of a strong wooden platform or cradle, which is sunk to the depth of about six feet at low water in a dock or slip, of about 200 feet in length, by a clear width of forty-eight feet; these dimensions being sufficient to accommodate a vessel of 1,000 tons, or more. The vessel is floated on to this platform at high water, and properly secured in an upright position by shores and chocks, and this platform being connected by certain machinery with two powerful Hydrostatic engines, when the rams of these are moved by the injection of water into the cylinders, the motion is communicated to the platform bearing the vessel, which is thus slowly raised to the surface of the water, where she remains, permitting free access all around, and when the repairs are completed, the platform or cradle with the vessel is lowered again slowly into the water, by simply opening a valve, and permitting the water to escape, and the whole of the machinery is so simple, that the attendance of four or five men, is all that is required to raise a vessel of 1,000 tons burthen.
The details of construction require explanatory drawings to elucidate them, but it may be asserted that there are no mechanical or engineering difficulties, which cannot easily be surmounted in this method of raising vessels by a perpendicular lift, a method similar to this in principle (though not in details) having been made use of by Sir Robert Stephenson in raising the Great Britannia Tubular Iron Bridge across the Menai Straits (one of the greatest engineering works of modern times.) In this case, one large Hydrostatic engine only was used, the ram of which was twenty inches in diameter, and the engine was proved with a dead weight, or pressure of 1,144 tons!
In the event of a line of Pacific steam ships of large dimensions being placed on the proposed route from Panama to Sydney,
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touching at a port in New Zealand, an event which every day renders a matter of greater certainty, 3 it is evident that some method for docking of such vessels will become indispensable at Auckland.
Even our French neighbours at Tahiti, have during the short period that they have occupied that island, already constructed a powerful patent slip there, on which large vessels can be hauled up for repairs, whilst we, who profess to be a maritime people, have done nothing whatever either to remedy the natural deficiencies of the port of Auckland, or to invite to it the commerce and ships of other nations.
Description of Manukau Harbour.
The entrance to this harbour, like that of all the harbours and rivers on the west coast of New Ulster, is much obstructed with shoal-banks, which extend some distance seawards, and apparently form a bar right across the entrance, as at Hokianga. This, however, is not the case at Manukau, there being a deep water outer channel, with from 4 to 7 fathoms of water, at low water, and another one closer in shore, with from 3 1/2 to 6 fathoms.
The entrance channel of Manukau has been surveyed, but the position of the outer shoals is very imperfectly indicated on the Chart published by the Hydrographical Office in 1845, although it is stated that there are heavy "breakers on these shoal-banks, extending to Pararahi," a distance of nearly five miles. As the position and extent of these outer shoals are of the first importance in a marine survey, it is to be hoped that they will be correctly laid down in any future chart or plan.
The time of high water at Manukau at full and change, is set down at 9h. 30m., being about 3 hours later than in the Waitemata; and the rise of a spring-tide is stated to be 12 feet. The soundings, between the heads, vary from 4 to 24 fathoms, and there appear to be great and sudden inequalities in the depths, a sounding of 22 and 24 fathoms being, in some places, immediately followed by one of 13 or 14 fathoms.
Tho South Head of Manukau is formed by a remarkably steep hill of white shifting sand, the North Head consisting of a mass of black conglomerate, arranged in the form of three hillocks. Close to the North Head there is a remarkable rock, called the "nine pin" rock, situated near a shoal-bank.
In taking this harbour by the South channel, it is necessary to keep well to the South, until a remarkable eminence, with a flat or table land at the top, and called the "Beacon Bluff," bears East by North, about 5 miles. At this distance, a vessel will be about mid-channel between the outer shoals, and should then steer North by compass, until the nine-pin rock, before mentioned, and the small islet called "Paratutai," close to the North Head, are in one, ---then haul into the North shore, and run up the harbour on a north-east course.
At a distance of about 4 miles from the heads, a headland projects out from the North shore with deep water close in shore, and the best anchorage for a large vessel is round this headland, in from 5 to 7 fathoms, within 2 to 3 cables' length of the shore, being well sheltered from all winds.
The Beacon Bluff before mentioned is about 4 miles from the South Head, and its bearings should be correctly observed in taking the outer passage between the shoals.
The inlet called Manukau Harbour forms a capacious basin, being about 12 miles in width, by about the same in depth, but all the upper part of the Harbour is obstructed with shoals and flats, which are mostly dry at low water. There are, however, some deep channels by which vessels of no considerable tonnage can ascend nearly to the head of the Harbour.
A great number of small creeks and streams empty themselves into the Manukau, chiefly on its southern shores, and one of these branches extends to within a mile of the river Awaroa, which falls into the Waikato river; and it is said that the natives of the Waikato are in the habit of dragging their canoes from the one to the other.
It appears from the level nature of the intervening country, that a deep water channel might easily be made to connect the river Awaroa with the waters of the Manukau, and by this means Manukau, and through it Auckland, would become the outlet for the produce of the extensive and fertile district of the Waikato, a tract of country including some of the richest land in the Province.
It has also been suggested that a channel of communication might be formed, at no very great expense, to connect the waters of the Manukau with the Waitemata or Tamaki rivers, the portage between the head of the Manukau and the Tamaki being not more than three quarters of a mile in width, whilst that between the head waters of the Waitemata and the Manukau very little exceeds one mile. The shallowness of the water in each of these localities is, however,
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a serious objection to such a project, as a passage or canal cut through at either of these points, in order to be of service for the purposes of navigation, would require to be extended through the shoal portions of the harbour, and it is to be feared that it would be soon liable to be filled up by accumulations of mud and sand, unless the channel could be kept clear by a head of water in the canal, to act as a back-water. As the difference in the time of high water between Manukau and the Waitemata is not less than three hours, this might be accomplished, by the canal having i lock at each end to confine the water at high tide, and for the convenience of vessels passing from one harbour to the other.
A canal constructed at either of these localities, and suitable for vessels of 60 to 70 tons, would undoubtedly be a work of great utility, and one which might be constructed at no very great outlay.
In the event of steam communication taking place between Australia and New Zealand, an event which an increasing commerce will soon render necessary as well as advantageous to both colonies, the port of Manukau, from its proximity to the port and capital of Auckland, would offer many advantages, as a steam vessel proceeding from Sydney to Manukau would thereby save a long navigation round the North Cape; --the distance from Sydney to Manukau very little exceeding 1,100 miles, in a straight course, which distance could easily be traversed by a sea-going steamer of proper power in five days, whereas the passage by sailing vessels between Sydney and Auckland cannot be estimated on an average at less than fourteen days.
