On 16th August commenced the survey of the town of LYTTELTON. On 28th September finished it, or rather that part of it which Thomas required to be done. On 2nd October I commenced the survey of a Township at Sumner. This work occupied me until nearly the end of November 1849. It was afterwards abandoned as a Township of the Association and thrown open for selection as rural land. I then went to Lyttelton and was employed and was employed in making plans and doing what engineering work was required in forming the principle streets in Lyttelton. I had also to lay off the gradient of the Sumner road over the Port Hills by Evans Pass ready for the work to be commenced by two or three hundred Maoris who were brought from Wellington to make this road.
At the end of the year I was sent by Thomas to the plains to confer with Scroggs upon the survey of the proposed capital of the Settlement to be called the CITY OF CHRISTCHURCH. Scroggs and I had been fellow cadets at Wellington. He had joined Thomas when surveyors were wanted and had been sent to survey the country where Christchurch would be laid out. After talking matters over Scroggs expressed his intention of going to England which he did. He eventually went into the church and had a curacy under a brother of Sir T. Acland and then another near Windsor. Thomas requested me to take his place.
The survey of Christchurch was pleasant, easy work. I lived in Scrogg's grass house at the 'Bricks' and the six men who were with us occupied a weather-boarded house of one room about 40 yards off. I worked very hard all day and in the evening went eel fishing or pig hunting or quail or duck shooting in the neighbourhood.
I soon had my proposed plan of the town ready for Thomas' inspection. He approved of it except for one or two parts in which I had indulged in a little ornamentation, such as crescents etc... which Thomas pronounced 'gingerbread'. I was not too sorry to change this for something more practical, but he made one change which I have always regretted. I proposed that some of the streets could be wider than a chain for two reasons, one being that they might be planted with trees, and the other that in case of fire breaking out it might be the means of limiting it to one block. He, however, would not agree to it at the time, but afterwards when the survey was nearly completed he gave me leave to widen one or two of the principal streets if it could be done without delaying the completion of the survey, but this was impossible. I had, however, managed to leave two good wide streets on each side of the Avon, which would act as lungs to the city, and also prevent private drainage from being run into the river.
On the 18th March I finished the map of Christchurch and it was sent home to the Association, and on the 26th March I completed the survey.
The names of the streets of the three towns I surveyed were taken from bishopricks, and the way in which it was done was this: as soon as I completed the map, I took it to Thomas who, putting on his gold spectacles and opening his peerage would read out a bishop's name to hear if it sounded well, and if I agreed with that it did, I put the name to one of the streets requiring baptism. Lyttelton being the first born town, got the best names for it's streets. Sumner being the next got the next best, and Christchurch being the youngest had to be content with chiefly Irish and Colonial bishopricks, as names for it's streets. This account for what, to anyone not knowing the circumstances, appears strange, viz., that many of the best English Bishopricks are not represented - while Irish and Colonial ones are. Sumner in fact died to late for the names there to be again employed in Christchurch.
...About the beginning of August, I left the service of the Association with other surveyors I received notice that our salaries would be considerably lowered. This I could not stand, especially as I considered myself underpaid as it was, and I thought I might do better by sheep farming. I had bought 150 sheep this year when Mr Hunter Brown bought a flock with which to commence a run at Double Corner, and he took mine for three years on thirds.
On Oct 10th I left Lyttelton in the barque Lady Nugent. Arrived Nelson on 16th and took up my quarters at Thackwood.