512 
struction, or the hardships manfully endured by those engaged on the under- 
taking, it is in every way a work reflecting credit, not only on the Canter- 
bury province, but on all New Zealand. 
Up to the commencement of the year 1865, there was no road from 
the Canterbury plains to the West Coast, except a very rough and dangerous 
path, cut across the Hurunui saddle by Mr. Charlton Howitt, in 1862, by 
means of which, at considerable risk, horses could be taken as far as Lake 
Brunner. Mr. Howitt was engaged at the time of its death, in 1863, in cut- 
ting a track from Lake Brunner to the mouth of the Greenstone Creek, but 
it was not practicable for horses. Up to the date last mentioned, but little 
attention had been paid to the fact that, notwithstanding the inaccessible 
nature of the country, a very large number of diggers had found their way 
into Westland, and were pursuing their vocation with considerable success. 
About the beginning of 1865, however, the reports' sent by the miners to 
their friends were of such a .favourable character, that a violent rush set 
in from Eastland to the new El Dorado, and the attention of the Govern- 
ment was directed to the best method of opening up a communication with 
the goldfields. To this end Messrs. Edwin and Walter Blake were sent to 
improve Ilowitt’s track by the Hurunui and Teramakau to Lake Brunner, 
and to explore for a line of road in continuation across the country between 
the Teramakau and Hokitika. At the same time, Mr. George Dobson and 
the Provincial Eugineer were charged with the examination of the Waima- 
kariri and its tributaries, to ascertain whether there were any passes which 
might afford greater facilities for constructing a road across the Alps than 
that by the Hurunui saddle. The results of these explorations were pub- 
lished in a report from the Provincial Engineer, dated May 15, 1865, amply 
illustrated with maps and sections. 
In accordance with the recommendations of this report the Government 
at once took steeps for the construction of a bridle road over Arthurs Pass, 
descending into the Teramakau by the gorge of the Otira. It was at first 
intended to construct a mere bridle track, but the importance of the new 
goldfields developed itself so rapidly, that within a few weeks of the com- 
mencement of the works it was decided to construct a coach road through- 
out. From the date of this decision the works along the whole line of road 
from the plains to the sea beach were put in hand as rapidly as possible, 
and pushed forward with such energy, that by the 20 th of March, 1866, the 
road was open for traffic from end to end, and has been regularly travel- 
led ever since by four -horse coaches running twice weekly each way; 
the distance of 150 miles between Christchurch and Hokitika, being completed 
in 36 hours, including a night stoppage of 12 hours at the halfway station. 
