108 Historical Notes on the 



The road from Christchurch to Porter's Pass was much enlivened by 

 a number of diggers travelling to Hokitika, as well as by many large 

 drays taking provisions, tools, powder, &c, as far as the foot of 

 Arthur's Pass. After having made a number of observations on 

 Porter's Pass, we continued our journey, and found that the road in 

 its worst places had already been much improved by the numerous 

 workmen stationed all along this line. Crossing Grolding's Saddle from 

 the Cass plains to the Upper "Waimakariri we were already able to 

 follow, for several miles, the new road, blasted along the mountain 

 side, after which we were obliged to take the dog-cart into the river- 

 bed as far as the Bealey, which gave considerable trouble, owing to the 

 large boulders and the numerous channels to be continually crossed. 

 Of the rest of the road along the mountain side, only about half the 

 distance had been finished to a breadth of three feet, by which we 

 took the other horses. Great activity reigned everywhere, the electric 

 telegraph had already been finished as far as Lake Pearson, whilst the 

 posts and wire were on the ground as far as the Bealey. The view 

 obtained from this most picturesque road along the precipitous high 

 ranges and the passage of which to the new comer seemed fraught 

 with danger, is very beautiful. Deep below the road appeared the 

 bed of the "Waimakariri, with its numerous meandering channels, here 

 and there small groves of beech trees forming a fine foreground to the 

 grand landscape. The eye followed the broad river-bed far into the 

 central chain, the alpine summits of which, covered with perpetual 

 snow, rose high into the air; while the wild rocky buttresses, 

 amongst and along which the road had to be carried, offered an 

 additional charm to the whole picture. The numerous rock cuttings 

 were particularly welcome to the geologist, as presenting a series of 

 very fine and clear sections, in which the structure of the alpine region 

 could be well studied. Before we reached the spot whence it was 

 intended that the road should intersect the "Waimakariri, we had to 

 cross two branches of the river, which here sets against rocky and 

 nearly perpendicular cliffs, along which we observed a number of men 

 busily engaged blasting out the road. On October 6th we reached 

 the newly founded township of Bealey, situated on the large shingle- 

 fan which the tributary of the same name has advanced to a consider- 

 able distance into the bed of the main river. Several houses had been 

 built, either constructed from logs, or covered with zinc or weather- 

 boards, which, together with a good array of tents, indicated that a 

 number of people had already congregated here. In fact, there were 

 more than a hundred inhabitants who intended to settle in that locality 



