INVERCARGILL
The Otago Witness, 28 Nov 1857

The promising little settlement of Invercargill is
progressing satisfactorily. Twelve months ago it 
could only boast of two houses, besides a few tents;
but after the 20th March last, on which day the 
first sale of Town Lands took place, it began to 
show itself, and now we have a village of some 
fourteen houses, with a population of between 80 and
40 souls, which is increased by frequent visitors. 
There are two decent inns and three stores.  The 
firm of Messrs. Young & Co. has just opened a house
here, under the able management of Mr. White, and 
has two roomy storehouses.

The Town is built on-a pleasant flat on the eastern 
bank of a tidal estuary of the New River. It is 
bounded on the north and south by bush, which 
affords excellent timber for building purposes and 
firing.  On the east side, which is the Punny Plain,
are laid out the rural sections, and through the 
centre of the Plain runs the high road to Dunedin,
which is about 155 miles distant. The first five 
miles of this road is at present in a disgraceful 
condition, but we hope, as it is now declared a road
district, that something will be done, otherwise we 
shall lose most of our best customers, the 
stockowners. Within Block I. there are seven 
residents, which add about twenty persons to the 
population. Beyond this block there are eight 
families, amounting to about twenty-five souls.

The country, which at a distance has the appearance 
of a plain, is undulating, drained by innumerable 
boggy creeks, generally impassable, leading either 
to the Punny or Waiopai streams, both of which 
meander through a fine alluvial country, and are 
confined within deep and well-defined banks, on 
which grow the most luxuriant flax. Both these 
streams flow into the estuary, the former through 
the town, and may be made very serviceable for
boating. People coming from Dunedin' are generally 
"agreeably disappointed" with the appearance of the
country, which is very picturesque, being studded 
with clumps of bush. The soil, too, is pleasing to 
the eye of the agriculturist, though when first 
turned up it proves too sour for white crops without
a winter's fallow; but potatoes answer well the 
first season. -- Communicated.
  Invercargill, 4th November, 1857.



Transcribed by Corey Woodw@rd