REPORT ON PUBLIC WORKS BY THE ACTING ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1871 Session I, D-05

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REPORT ON PUBLIC WORKS BY THE ACTING ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF.

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BY COMMAND OF niS EXCELLENCY. WELLINGTON. 1871.

D.—No. 5.

Sir ; — Public Works Office, Wellington, 31st July, 1871. I have the honor 1o forward, for your information, a General Report on all works undertaken and executed under the Immigration and Public Works Act during the past year. I may premise that, in connection with these works, I have visited the following districts, viz.: —From Wellington overland to Mauawatu; Manawatu Valley, to Palmerston, and beyond to summit of range south of Manawatu Gorge; Rangitikei, Wangauui, to Waitotara, Patea, and thence overland to New Plymouth ; thence to Auckland and along line of Waikato Railway to Onelmnga and Tuakau, thence to Mercer. I next visited the Thames in connection with water supply; thence to Tauranga, and along portions of South Road to Taupo, and other roads in the district.

In Wellington I have inspected proposed lines of railway into Wairarapa, but have not been beyond Masterton in that district. The Districts of Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay I have not been able to visit. In the South Island I have inspected lines of railway, in progress and projected, as follows : —Christchurch to Rangiora, and beyond, across Ashley River, by two lines; Selwyn to Rakaia, in connection with Rakaia Bridge and Railway, Timaru to Temuka, Rangitata Bridge, Mocraki to Waitaki,, and Waitaki River in connection with bridge site. Dunedin to Clutha, Clutha to Mataura (partially), Mataura to Invercargill. I also inspected Invercargill Railway to Wiuton and the Bluff, and visited Dog Island Lighthouse and Nuggets Lighthouse. In Westland I have visited, along with Dr. Hector, the Grey and Grey Valley, to coal mines, and as far as Ahaura; also Hokitika, and the several districts between these places; as well as Ross and Wcstport. In Nelson I inspected, on different lines, the proposed railway to Foxhill. As I have not been able to make a second visit to the various places in which work is going on, my remarks on them must necessarily be general; but the reports from the officers in charge of the several districts will give full information as to details and costs ; and such information as I now report has been gathered from these reports and plans attached. One of my first duties was, under your instructions, to provide for the necessary supervision of all works by the appointment of competent officers in each district, who were distributed as follows, viz. : —Manawatu to Wanganui, J. T. Stewart, Esq.; Wanganui northwards to Waitotara, W. Hales, Esq., also in charge of Wangauui Bridge; thence to New Plymouth, O. Carrington, Esq. At Tauranga, A. C. Turner, Esq.; Seventy Mile Bush, C. Weber, Esq.; main road to Taupo, E. H. Bold, Esq., also employed as Telegraph Engineer. Of the above, J. T. Stewart only has been appointed as District Engineer under the Public Works Act. In the Middle Island, W. B. Bray, Esq., has been similarly appointed as District Engineer in Canterbury; W. N. Blair, Esq., as District Engineer inOtago; and C. Y. O'Connor, Esq., as District Engineer in Westland. Commencing with roads, I shall briefly sketch out what has been accomplished and what is now in progress, proceeding from Wellington along the north shore of Cook Strait.

ROADS. The importance of the Manawatu District as a place for settlement, led to a careful examination, in November, 1870, of what had been done towards opening it up by roads by the Provincial Government. I found that a dray track had been partly formed from Foxton to the Oroua River, fourteen miles, and that beyond, a road had been felled, cleared, and partly ditched to the Township of Palmerston, about ten and a half miles. These different sections of the road present very different features, the former being almost entirely through an open sandy country, the latter through stiff heavy cla}', but both alike destitute of material, at a convenient distance, for metalling or gravelling the roads after being formed. This fact led to the consideration of the best and the cheapest means of making such a road useful for heavy traffic, —it being quite useless for that purpose in its present state, —and it was felt that a substantial wooden tramroad would best meet the difficulty. I accordingly reported on this (November 28th, 1870), with comparative estimate of tramroad and metalled dray road, showing that between Foxton and the Oroua a tramroad could be made for about £362 a mile, and from thence to Palmerston for about £470 a mile, the two averaging ,€408 ; whereas the cost of metalling the already formed dray road between Oroua and Palmerston was estimated to cost £648 a mile. In this case the gravel for the road was supposed to be obtainable at Palmerston or in the neighbouring river

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beds, in either case necessitating long and difficult haulage. The reason for adopting a tramroad in this case appeared so forcible that orders were given (February 13th, 1871,) for commencing its construction from Palmerston to Ngawakarau, along the line of road described, and at a later date (March 27th, 1871), and after a full consideration of the subject, a continuation of it from Ngawakarau to Foxton. From the report of the District Engineer, J. T. Stewart, Esq., it would appear that the season has been most unfavourable for the prosecution of this work, beyond the preparation of the rails and sleepers, &c, and that it will be towards the end of November before we may see the tramway laid between Palmerston and Ngawakarau. As a further means of thoroughly opening up this district and what has been surveyed as the future main line of railway, it has been decided on forming a similar tramroad from Palmerston westward to the Oroua River, about eight miles. Authority for this was given, 21st June, 1871, at an estimated cost of £380 per mile. This line will be entirely through bush. Beyond Palmerston to the Manawatu Gorge, a distance of about ten and a half miles, the bush had been felled 1 chain wide. Contracts have since been entered into for clearing the timber, ditching, forming, and metalling the road, and up to 30th April a length of three and a quarter miles was reported as complete. The Manawatu River is crossed at a place suitable for a ferry. In the Manawatu Gorge, works have been undertaken on a line carefully explored and selected by Mr. Stewart for the formation of a dray road by side cutting on the probable future main line of railway. The country is of a difficult character, being a bush-covered steep hill, with rocky shoulders at intervals, —a distance of about four miles. The older portions of the road from Foxton through to Palmerston have all been improved by extra ditching, culverts, formations, &c, but very little of it has been metalled: for this purpose sand has been used in one place for about a mile, permitting light traffic.

Great North-western Road, Wanganui to New Plymouth.

Before commencing work on the southern end of this road, it was necessary to decide on the route which should be chosen immediately north of Wanganui, the choice lying between the road near the sea, in ordinary use, and another situated some distance inland, originally made by the military forces, but since disused and abandoned. On the seaward road it may be said that no work had been done, the natural surface being sufficiently even to allow of ordinary traffic, but the soil being extremely light was easily worked up into deep mud, rendering it almost impossible to use the road, in wet weather, for more than very light traffic. On the inland line a considerable amount of work had been expended—the bush felled, side cuttings graded, and a number of small culverts put in; and on this line one great advantage was apparent —that gravel could be got in the cuttings, or near at hand, to put on the road, while on the seaward line none could be procured at a convenient distance. The inland line, therefore, was chosen, between a point about four miles north of Wanganui and Taurangaika, where it again joined the other road, a distance of about fourteen miles, the remaining portion to Waitotara, about two and a half miles, being already formed, but capable in some places of being improved, especially in the descent to the Waitotara. The work necessary to reopen this line of road, which had become almost covered with light bush in many parts, was, commencing from the Kai Iwi northward, the clearing away of that bush, clearing the cuttings, and putting in necessary culverts and bridges. Of the culverts, the largest were required at the Pukctotara and Ototoko; and of the bridges, the principal were the Kai Iwi with spans of 08 feet and 18 feet, and the Okehu with spans of 23 feet and 12 feet 9 inches. The work on this road, comprising upwards of ten miles, is not yet completed, but it, as well as the bridges—which have been delayed through unforeseen circumstances—will be completely finished about the latter end of September. A large quantity of metalling is included in the contracts now in hand.

Between Waitotara and Waingongoro sundry works have been executed, —long cuttings to the banks of these rivers, as well as to those of the Patea and Whenuakura, besides numerous contracts for embanking and forming, cutting bush, scrub, fern, and side cuttings. The descent to the Patea has also been gravelled for 50 chains. Three important bridges occur on this section, viz., the Manawapou, one span 50 feet, and two side spans of 10 feet each; the Tongahoe, one span 60 feet, and two side spans of 12 feet each; the Waingougoro, one span 70 feet and two piers of 5 feet each, —the main span in each of these being suspended on trussed girders. These are now in process of construction, and from their design and the material employed will, it is expected, be substantial and permanent structures. On this section (see detailed report by Mr. O. Carrington) there yet remains about thirty miles on which road formation will be required, with light through cuttings, culverts, drains, &c., besides cuttings into two deep gullies. The general character of the country is undulating table land, intersected by gullies, and between Waingongoro and Umuroa, generally open country, with fern and flax, and a considerable amount of swampy ground. Several contracts have been let on this section, but the weather has been very unfavourable, and this, combined witli the swampy nature of the ground, has made the progress of the work slow, and the amount of it inconsiderable. Mr. Carrington reports, in this section, fourteen streams as requiring bridges, at an estimated cost of £4,000; and that a further sum of like amount, or about £140 per mile, will

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be required to complete the formation of the road. This does not include gravelling, the cost of ■which Mr. Carrington puts down at about £300 a mile. Northward of Umuroa as far as Waiweranui, a distance of about twenty-three miles, the country consists of open fern and flax, a considerable amount of swamp, but no large rivers. In this length nothing has yet been done towards the road, nor has the road line yet been surveyed, and the coach travels along the beach, or near it, along the old tracks. Thence to Hangatahua, or Stoncy River, about four and a half miles, a considerable amount of work has been let, such as clearing, ditching, cuttings, and culverts, through a level fern country, but swampy in many places. About one-half of the work has been executed. A substantial trussed girder bridge has been erected over the Hangatahua, whence the road to New Plymouth is in good order, and all the rivers excepting the Kaihihi are now bridged. Beyond New Plymouth northwards, for about thirty miles, a considerable amount of work has been done in detached portions, the first ten miles of it to Waitara being now an excellent road. This river is now being bridged by the Provincial Government. The principal works now required to make a road available for safe and regular traffic from Wanganui to New Plymouth, besides the formation of those places yet untouched, will be the erection of bridges, besides those already enumerated, over all the important streams, and the gravelling of the softer parts of the road. The bridges enumerated by Mr. Carrington as amongst those he would recommend to be built, are the Whenuakura and Waitotara, both rivers subject to heavy floods, rising quickly in the former, and in both to a height of 20 feet. In reference to the fourteen bridges said to be required between the Waingongoro and Umuroa, it is suggested that the timber necessary for their construction should be imported, and landed at Opunake, to avoid the difficulty of dealing with the Natives in whose hands the bush now is. This is well worthy of consideration, and by adopting something like uniformity in the design of the bridges, the difficulty of ordering exactly what might be necessary would be considerably reduced. I feel great satisfaction in noticing that Mr. Carrington reports that several good gravel pits may be found between Waitotara and Waingongoro, and that between Waingongoro and Stoney River it may be found at intervals nearly the whole of the way. A cursory inspection of the country would not lead any one to think that gravel was easily obtainable, and this report is therefore all the more satisfactory, as it is obvious that unless the road is covered with good metal or gravel, however carefully formed and drained, it must of necessity, from the light nature of the soil, be little better than a summer road. It is true that the coach yet runs regularly between New Plymouth and Wanganui, but many parts of the road are excessively heavy and cut up to a great depth even with the small amount of traffic at present existing. Our attention must therefore be directed, during the next summer, to the thorough and careful metalling of all those parts of this road which may require it.

Bay of Plenty, Tauranga.

This important district has many claims for consideration. Tauranga itself, besides possessing an excellent harbour and commodious town site, is surrounded by a large extent of country well calculated for settlement, and is, besides, the key, naturally, to communication with the interior from the North. It has therefore received a due share of attention. The most important road work undertaken in this district is on a line drawn nearly due south to Kotorua, and thence on to Taupo. The first section of this road, now being executed in a serviceable way for dray traffic, lies through open undulating country, chiefly covered with fern, for a distance of about eight miles. This section has been completed by contract for about .£1,300. Portions of the old road between the Waioroi Stream (the commencement of the above contract) and the town, have been improved by cutting and forming, &c.; the work being let out in small contracts, to suit the circumstances of those in the district in want of work. Beyond this lies a stretch of about seventeen miles of dense forest, through which the road has been carefully laid off, and let by contract, in two sections of nearly equal length, at an average rate of £200 per mile, including bush felling 1 chain wide, and formation of the road 18 feet, with necessary side and other cuttings, culverts, &c. The bridging through this length of road in the forest amounts to 360 lineal feet, which has been let by contract at a gross sum of £1,430. The first of these sections is now well advanced and the second is in progress, terminating at Puhirua, near Lake E-otorua. From here to Niho ote Kiore the road has been surveyed, and some contracts are in hand. This part is in open country. The line from Niho otc Kiore to Lake Taupo will be described in connection with the East Coast. Before this line of road was decided on, a question arose as to whether, instead of making a nearly straight line southwards, it would not have been better to have adopted a line more to the westward, so as to strike the Upper Waikato country, and crossing the forest at a point where it Mas very much narrower, and thus have secured a road in which there would have been less bush to deal with, and of generally easier execution as regards work. Had this question been raised at an earlier period, and had we been free to explore for and to choose the really best line as regards natural features, it is possible that the line of road chosen might not have corresponded exactly with the one now in progress; but as it happened, the really best line for a 2

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road was not thoroughly known or surveyed, but only suggested, and we were not free to make the necessary explorations, which, could they have been undertaken at the time in question (the end of January), would have occupied so much time that a whole season, or year, would certainly have been lost; whereas, on the other hand, we were prepared at once to commence work on the direct road. The line on which we are now at work lies through land belonging to friendly Natives, and can be carried out and completed in perfect safety; and it is quite possible that, even now, the road line adopted may be the best for opening up the country thoroughly, as, if a line could be made to branch from it nearly due west, about half-way between Tauranga and Rotorua, into the Upper Waikato country, the latter could then still be reached from cither the Taupo and Roturua country, or from Taurauga, while we shall retain the advantage of a much shorter main line between Tauranga and Kotorua, passing, as I said before, through a friendly country. Communication has been secured with the land lying to the south and west of Tauranga, by the formation of what is called the Judea Road and Bridge, at a cost of about £1,700. This has been rather an expensive piece of work, but it involved some very heavy cuttings, and formations through a wide deep swamp, the Kopurcrerua, and the erection of a bridge, consisting of two 24 feet spans, over the stream of the same name flowing from the swamp. I consider this as an important work, as the country beyond has now secured to it safe and easy access to the Town of Tauranga, from which it was formerly practically cut off on account of the swamp and stream. From Tauranga —eastward along the coast—towards Maketu, work has been done, commencing at east side of harbour at the site of the ferry, over a distance of about three and threequarter miles, at a cost of rather more than £400, in forming a road 18 feet wide over a level but swampy piece of country. From Maketu, which is about twenty miles east from Tauranga, a dray road had been made inland to Rotorua, nearly due south. On this road the sum of £454 15s. has been spent in improving it, by forming, embanking, side cutting, culverts, and small bridges. On one stream, the Taheke, there is at present a ferry, but the usefulness and importance of the road would be much enhanced if a bridge were constructed across this stream. Orders were given for its erection at an estimated cost of £300, but difficulties were thrown in the way of its erection by the Natives resident on the spot, which have retarded its completion. Had all circumstances been favourable in this respect, and had Maketu been as good a harbour as Tauranga, this road might have been chosen as the one to construct, in a thoroughly substantial and permanent way, as a means of access to the interior; but these reasons, coupled with the fact of it being yet in the hands of the Natives, has led to the adoption of the Tauranga inland road as preferable. From Maketu eastward along the coast about sixty miles is Opotiki, where work has been done on several roads. One of these lies due south from Opotiki in the Valley of the Waiowcka, and a distance of about two and a quarter miles has been formed for dray traffic, to a width of 16 feet, at a cost of £187 13s. The country is covered with fern, grass, tutu, and other scrub. Another road of the same character has been formed from Opotiki, for a distance of about five miles in a south-east direction, up the Valley of the Otara, about one-half being through fern, grass, and swamp, and the rest through forest. These give access to land set apart for military settlement, and will, one or both, eventually be a portion of a system of communication with the district around Lake Waikare-Moana, which lies nearly due south about twenty-five miles. From Whakatane to Kawakawa pa, 51 chains of road have been made, 0 to 10 feet in width, over level ground, fern, and swamp, there being 30 chains of the latter. Cost, £100. Between Whakatane and Ohiwa, small repairs have been executed. Passing still further eastward along the coast line, a horse road of about three and threequarter miles in length has been formed between Opape and Torere, through forest, fern, and scrub, by side cutting nearly the whole way, 6 feet wide, the bush being cleared 8 feet wide. Instructions were given to Mr. Turner to have careful explorations made from the neighbourhood of Torere to the East Coast and also to Poverty Bay, in order that road communication might some day be effected between this coast and Waiapu, Tokomaru, Tolago Bay, and Poverty Bay; also, for an east and west road along the foot of the ranges joining the districts of Opotiki and Ohiwa. The latter, I believe, has been reported as very rough and broken, and with the results of the other exploration I have not yet been made acquainted. For roads in the Waikato District, which I have not visited, I must beg to refer to a memorandum by Lieut.-Colonel St. John, who has described very carefully the state of the roads in that district up to Bth March, 1871.

East Coast. Following out the important object of connecting the East and West Coasts of the North Island by a main line of road, such a line has been laid off from Napier to the Manawatu Gorge, ■where it joins the line of road before described as in progress up the Manawatu Valley, under Mr. Stewart. From the gorge northwards through the Manawatu Bush towards Napier is a distance of about forty-two miles, the country between the edge of the bush and Napier being open land. Of these forty-two miles about twenty-nine and a half are in bush, and this

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distance has been divided into contracts each about two miles long, and let out to Natives, at various prices per chain, and, including about 12 chains of metalling, at an approximate total of £7,066 16s. Bd. Of this distance, Mr. Weber, who is in charge of the work, reports, June 2nd, the whole length as surveyed, and about twenty-eight and a quarter miles as being under contract, with a prospect of the work being entirely completed by the end of June. The site for a bridge in the Manawatu Gorge was selected, as well as the line of road, jointly by Messrs. Stewart and Weber, under instructions to that effect; the road being laid off so as to answer also as the line over which the proposed railway shall pass. The road through the bush has been laid off with the same end in view. The country over which the road passes is described as being generally level, with a fall of about 700 feet from the north edge of the bush to the Manawatu Gorge, or about 17 feet per mile ; apparently very favourable either for road or railway construction. The district of Poverty Bay has been connected with Hawkc's Bay at Mahia by the formation of a horse track along the coast. The distance is about twenty-five miles, and the cost was £450. There is a good deal of bush cutting on this road. From Wairoa, in Hawke's Bay, a horse road has been made inland to Tekapu, a distance of about three and a quarter miles, at a cost of .£513. This forms part of a line of communication with the Waikare-Moana Lake District, distant about twenty-five miles. Napier to Taupo : about 90 Miles. —The dray road now being formed on this line by way of Kaiwaka, Pohui, Titiokura, Mohaka, Te Haroto, Wainone, Tarawera, and Runanga, embraces, up to the latter point, about twenty-four miles of contract work now in progress, the several sections being in different stages of forwardness, and including a variety of work —bush clearing, forming, draining, culverts, bridges, and side cuttings. Beyond Runanga to Taupo, at Tapuaeharuru, a distance of about 40 miles, has been passable for cart traffic for some time. This is being improved in several contracts, and is reported as likely to be an excellent line of road, but I have not yet been informed of all the works being completed. North of Taupo. From Lake Taupo northwards (as part of the main trunk line already described from Tauranga) two contracts are completed of twelve and eight miles respectively, viz., from Tapuaeharuru to Tuparahaki and from thence to Niho o te Kiore, near where the Upper Waikato is crossed. It is reported that a good site for a bridge presents itself here. From this point a road might be made to branch to Cambridge, and thence join present road communication to Newcastle. The road in question is formed as a dray road 16 feet wide; on the first section, over undulating pumice formation; on the second section, through about a quarter of a mile of bush; and towards the Waikato end, requiring some deep side and rock cuttings. The total length of dray road now open for traffic between Napier and Niho ote Kiore is about fifty-four miles, and the road may be expected to be open from Napier to Taupo in February next. An unfavourable season has delayed the work considerably. From Niho o te Kiore to Lake Rotorua the distance is about twenty-eight miles, and contracts are in progress over this section. The country is generally level, and presents no unusual difficulties. The foregoing sketch of the road work undertaken and executed in the North Island during the last year is necessarily imperfect, as the whole of the yearly returns have not yet come in, and I have purposely omitted many details; but full information on these will be found in the District Reports. In the Waikato, which I am not able to speak of personally, certain parts of the existing roads arc being repaired by Armed Constabulary, of which we have report and plans. The latter, however, want connection, and the district will need some general supervision, should works to any great extent be necessary, as may be probable, for the future peace and security of the district. Pull returns of the expenditure on all roads up to end of June are now in preparation, which will show the nature of the work, the number of contracts and the different headings under which the expenditure has taken place.

RAILWAYS. First Schedule. Auckland to Tuakau, with a Branch to Onehunya. A portion of this line, viz., Auckland to Drury, with a branch to Onehunga, had been laid off for a 4ft. B£in. guage, and the works had been partly executed under the Provincial Government of Auckland. It became necessary, however, under the provisions of " The Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870," to modify the details of the line, and to alter the intended gauge to bring it within the sum per mile fixed as the maximum rate of construction, viz., .€4,000. This rate was arrived at by a survey and estimate by J. Stewart, Esq., C.E., Auckland. I found, on inquiry, and after a careful examination of the proposed line, that, with a view to bring the line within the estimated cost, certain detached portions of surveys had since been made by the Provincial Government, differing, however, but very little, if any, from the original

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line by Mr. Stewart, and that the conduct of the surveys was under no particular or responsible head. It became necessary, therefore, to institute a new and complete survey throughout, and a contract was entered into with Henry Wrigg, Esq., C.E., to make a working or contract survey, and prepare working plans and specifications, so that the construction of the line might be proceeded with as soon as they should be ready. This survey is not yet complete, delays having arisen from several causes. A very careful examination of that portion of the old Auckland and Drury Railway which passes through the Domain, and in which a tunnel was proposed as part of the works, and partly executed, led me to the conviction that some other line should be sought, by which tunnelling might be avoided, and more particularly the loose ground at each end of the tunnel, which it was evident had given the contractors very much trouble, and would still involve a very large expenditure were it attempted to carry out the original plan. I therefore abandoned the idea entirely, and sought for some other way of joining Auckland with Newmarket. Two lines offered themselves, one leaving the present line at Newmarket, and taking a more easterly course, winding round into Hobson's Bay, and so along the harbour and under the cliffs to the proposed terminus near the Queen's Wharf; the other passing, like the first line, through the Domain, but by a contour line westward of the tunnel line, to Mechanic's Bay, thence along the margin of the harbour to the same point. The last described line would be the shortest, and the steepest gradient on it would be lin 40. It presents, I think, altogether the most favourable features ; but the Trustees of the Domain appear to be opposed to the plan of making a second line through it; and the feeling of the public will, without doubt, be strongly opposed to a line passing through the Domain. Should it be adopted, the first, or tunnel line, will of course be given up and again made part of the Domain, and the railway itself may be made to present ornamental features, if need be. Should, however, it be necessary to abandon this line, the other, though longer, will present sufficiently favourable features for adoption, the gradients being the same; but the line will be about a mile longer by reason of the detour round the coast line, where, however, it will be perfectly level. In reference to the other terminus of this railway, the survey was commenced with the intention of making it at Tuakau, in accordance with the terms expressed in No. 1 Schedule. Tuakau was originally fixed on as that point on the Waikato which could be most easily reached from Auckland. That it is so, there can be no doubt. As the survey went on, however, the feeling amongst those interested in the railway, and the country through which it would pass, grew stronger that the terminus should be at Mercer, about ten miles higher up the river, and explorations were made for the purpose of determining whether a practicable line could be found in this direction. Mr. Wrigg has reported fully on this, showing that the lines respectively from a common point, Drury, would represent the lengths and costs as follows, viz. : — £ Drury to Tuakau, 15| miles, at £4,000 .. .. .. 02,000 Drury to Mercer by Pokeno Hill, 17| miles, at £5,000 .. 87,500 Drury to Mercer via Tuakau, 211 miles, at £4,300 .. .. 92,450 The latter diverges from the original line about four miles from the river at Tuakau. Mr. Wrigg recommends the latter line for adoption, " as being the cheapest, mile for mile ; the most easily worked ; the least costly in its maintenance ; and as affording the largest amount of accommodation to the country; " and all of these are reasons in which I cannot but concur, although the cost per mile would slightly exceed the amount stated in the Schedule; but by this line we shall penetrate further into the country, and establish a communication with a district already furnished with roads, and having an increasing population beyond in the valley of the Waikato. A correct section and plan of this extension to Mercer is now being prepared. The terminus at Onehunga has been decided on, in concurrence with the wishes of the Superintendent and Provincial Council of Auckland, and the line will reach the wharf to and from which all the large steamers ply. This line of railway, being in First Schedule, is one of those proposed to be constructed under a guarantee of interest. A very considerable portion of the line could be prepared for contract at a short notice. The question as to the terminus will delay the other portions for a while. Dunedin to Clutha. — Fifty-one miles. This line of railway was originally intended to be of the ordinary 4 feet 85 inches gauge, and complete plans and sections of it were prepared by the late T. Paterson, Esq., C.E. Under " The Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870," however, it was necessary to reduce the proposed cost per mile, and a comparative estimate was prepared by W. N. Blair, Esq., C.E., showing in what way the original plan could be modified for a 3^ feet gauge, to come within the desired sum of £5,000 per mile. It having been shown by the estimate that the line, by being modified in many of its details, could be constructed within the required amount, an amended survey was commenced, and a portion of the line prepared for contract, the first section out of Dunedin, about one and three-quarter miles, being let by contract in the beginning of March, 1871, for the sum of £4,325 15s. This included formation only.

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Tlic working survey was now proceeded with, and after I had personally inspected the line with Mr. Blair as far as Green Island, and arranged for certain alterations and modifications of the original line, a further portion of the railway was prepared for contract in two sections, viz., the Caversham contract, including a tunnel of 902 yards long, and the Kaikorai contract, to a point about six miles from Duuedin. These sections were contracted for, June 4th, 1871, for a total sum of .€21,000. The completion of these sections will open up an important mineral district, coal being found in abundance at Green Island; and will also place the extensive Meat Preserving Works, lately erected, in direct communication with Dunediu. As a means of furthering the works on this line, it was next decided to commence at the Clutha end, and accordingly orders were given to prepare a length of ten miles north of the Clutha River for contract. This was after I had carefully examined, along with the District Engineer, Mr. Blair, the neighbourhood of Balclutha, the proposed terminus, decided on the best crossing place on the river, and generally determined the direction of the line and nature of the works. This contract is now advertised, and tenders will be received until 7th August. The work, as in the former contracts, will include formation only. The works on this line will be generally of a favourable character. There is a fair proportion of level easy country, although portions of it are liable to be flooded. The worst difficulties arc to be found at the two extremities of the line, particularly at that next Dunedin, where, besides the tunnel already mentioned, will be another of about 500 yards in length, through a rock (felspathic schist) more difficult to deal with than that at Caversham, which is a close fine-grained sandstone, and will not require to be lined; whereas the shorter tunnel in all probability will. The worst gradients laid off in connection with these works is lin 50 and lin 60, and the sharpest curve is of 12 chains radius. Judging from the prices at which the first three sections have been let, I am in sanguine hopes that the whole line will cost much less than the sum prescribed in the Schedule. Plant and rolling stock for the first six miles of this line have been ordered from England, and another order for the ten miles at the Clutha end is now being prepared. After a careful consideration of the best examples of light and narrow gauge railways, and of the requirements of this particular line, it was determined that the ordinary Vignoles, or flat-footed rails, should be used, of the weight of 40 lbs. to the lineal yard, the ends to be securely joined by fish-plates and bolts, and the rails secured to the sleepers at the ends and middle by faug-bolts and nuts, and intermediately by dog-spikes in each sleeper. The engines are to weigh about seventeen tons when ready for work, being rather less than three tons weight on each wheel; the number of wheels six, three feet diameter, all coupled; no tenders to be used; the engines to carry coal and water sufficient for a moderate journey, the weight of these being thus utilized to give the engines more adhesive power on the rails. These engines may be expected to draw a load of 100 tons over such gradients as are described above, and will ordinarily have a speed of twenty to twenty-five miles an hour, if required. All the carriages and waggons to have four wheels, and to be made as light as possible, compatible with necessary strength. The passenger carriages to be composite, first and second class, and to hold thirty-two persons, who will be seated crosswise ; length about 21 feet by 7 feet wide outside, fitted with central buffers and draw-gear. The above form of carriage has been adopted, seeing that the line presents no difficulties for working in the way of sharp curves; and the carriages have been purposely made of a comparatively small size, in view of a probably small average passenger traffic. The use of very long carriages, mounted on a four-wheeled bogie at each end, would seem to be adapted more for railways where a large passenger traffic existed, and where the number and sharpness of the curves rendered some special provision necessary. The break-vans will be about the same size as the carriages. The goods waggons, covered and open, will be about 15 feet long by 6^ feet wide, of wood ; and the mineral waggons about the same length, but with iron bodies 2^ feet high. Blenheim to Picton. — Twenty miles. This line has been the subject of correspondence between the General and Provincial Governments, but beyond this no steps have been taken towards commencing its actual construction.

Second Schedule. Canterbury Province. — Great Northern Railway, Addington to Rangiora. About nineteen miles. Of this line a length of about thirteen miles is in course of construction, and the rails and other plant have been ordered for the whole distance. The gauge is the same as that of the Lyttelton and Christchurch Railway, and the same style and weight of rail, double-headed, 72 lbs to the yard, has been ordered for the Rangiora line. A further supply of goods waggons has also been ordered. 3

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Great Southern Railway. — Sehvyn to the Rakaia. On this line no work has yet been commenced, bnt a length of five miles is being prepared for contract, and the rails have been ordered from England. It became a question, in framing this order, whether to adopt the same weight and shape of rail already laid from Christchurch to the Sehvyn, viz., the flat-footed or Yignoles pattern, 72 lbs. to the yard, but in view of the great desirability of keeping down the cost of all railway work, it was decided to use a lighter rail of the same shape, but only 56 lbs. to the yard. Also, that when the extension of the line was completed as far as the Rakaia, it would be desirable to use a lighter type of engine on it than on the northern line, for which alone the heavier engines would be reserved and used. In connection with this railway, a wooden bridge is now under construction by the Provincial Government, across the Rakaia River, sufficiently strong to carry railway traffic, but to be made in the first instance for ordinary traffic as regards the roadway. The bridge was first designed to have spans of 40 feet, 112 in number, but in view of adapting it for railway traffic, and making it a part of the Great Southern Railway, the spans were reduced to 20 feet each, and the superstructure strengthened and altered to suit the new conditions. The full length of the bridge is 4,480 feet, stretching over a flat shingly river bed, with numerous channels, which are constantly shifting their positions. The whole of the piles in the piers, according to the first plan, have been driven, and the contractor, Mr. White, has erected on them, and on intermediate staging, a platform, on which passengers and goods may be conveyed across the river. A wooden tramway is laid on this platform, on which a truck is worked. On a proposed branch of the Great Southern Railway, viz., from Rolleston to Southbridge, plans and sections of the River Selwyn were prepared, and a design made for a railway bridge, to be first used for ordinary traffic. The design was approved, and authority given for the construction of the bridge as part of the future branch railway. Southern Trtmk Railway. — Timaru and Temuka. Of this line, about twelve miles long, the portion between the Towns of Timaru and the Washdyke was surveyed and prepared for contract, the necessary land acquired, and specifications and plans of the work are now ready for advertising. The work will include formation only.

Third Schedule. Invercargill to the Mat aura. — Length forty and a half miles. A parliamentary survey of this line lias been made by W. Brunton, Esq., C.E., and plans, sections, report, and estimate have been furnished by him. The country is singularly favourable for the construction of a railway, both as regards natural features and the supply of necessary material for its construction. It passes through very level country. The steepest gradient is 1 in 71, and the sharpest curve 12 chains radius. Mr. Brunton has made his calculations for a line of the cheapest form of construction, compatible with durability and permanence, and estimates that it may be completed for the sum of .€2,500 a mile, including rolling-stock and stations and purchase of land. The weight of rails estimated for is 36 lbs. per yard, but assuming that rails of 40 lbs. per yard shall be used, as on the Dunedin and Clutha line, and for the sake of uniformity of calculation, the price with this correction would only be raised to j£2,540 per mile. The rest of the prices taken by Mr. Brunton seem to be fair and reasonable, so that we may expect the estimate to be a trustworthy one. Moeraki to Waitaki, — Forty miles in length. The survey of this line has been entrusted to J. Millar, Esq., C.E.. The plans and report, &c., have not yet been received. I can anticipate, however, that the result of the survey will be favourable, and show that the line may be constructed with favourable gradients and curves, at a moderate cost. In my examination of the line, in conjunction with Mr. Millar, which I made with some care, and in the inspection of the plans as far as they were then advanced, I felt assured that we should nowhere have a worse gradient to contend with than lin 50, which occurs immediately on leaving the Town of Oamaru southwards. It was surmised that great difficulty would be encountered in taking a low level line (that is, corresponding with the approach from the north, which is almost perfectly level,) towards the south, without very heavy works and heavy gradients. This difficulty, however, has been surmounted in the way described. The next difficult portion of the line was evidently through the broken and irregular country at Otepopo. Through this, however, also, a good practicable line has been discovered, without involving the necessity for works of much more than ordinary character. The approach to the shipping place at Moeraki will necessitate the adoption of some works of more than usual cost, to avoid the treacherous ground on the hills surrounding the harbour. The extent of these, however, which will probably require to be a substantial low bridging or viaduct, will not be great.

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Wellington to Seventy Mile Bush, thence to Napier. 1. The survey of this line has been completed as far as Masterton in the Wairarapa, but the plans and estimates have not yet been received. 2. Between Masterton and the Manawatu Gorge a line has also been carefully explored, cut, and surveyed through the forest, which will answer in the first place as the basis for the line of road, and will ultimately serve for the railway line. The country generally is of a favourable character, and but one summit of any importance will be crossed, at an elevation probably of not more than 150 feet above the country immediately adjacent, and about 250 above sea level. The length of this section is about sixty-five miles. 3. From the Manawatu Gorge northwards to Napier the line through the bush, forty-two miles, already described as that on which a road was being felled and cleared, will also answer, with a few modifications, as the railway line; the country in the bush, as well as that beyond to Napier, being generally of a level character and favourable to railway construction. The plans and estimates of this latter section have not yet been received. In the first of the three sections above described, the prominent difficulty will be the crossing of the lliniutaka Kange. An easy solution of this difficulty appeared to be by piercing the hill with a tunnel; but an examination of the country which a tunnel line would necessarily traverse, led me to think that the problem would be more easily solved by crossing the range on the surface by a contour line, than by piercing the hill. The approaches to the tunnel would not be favourably situated, the country being very rough and irregular; while it was obvious that, to secure a line with a workable gradient, the level of the tunnel should be kept low, which would, of course, add to its length and costliness. These considerations led to instructions being given to prosecute the exploration and survey of a contour line, which was intrusted to John Rochfort, Esq.; the information then in our possession leading to the belief that a line having a gradient varying from 1 in 40 to 1 in 50 might be secured. The survey justified these expectations; as, after some exploration, a saddle was found some 400 feet lower than the one over which the road passes, and a trial line cut down each side of the range, with gradients corresponding with those mentioned. The ground generally is of a more favourable character than that seen from the coach road; but the hill sides, as usual in New Zealand ranges, are cut up with a number of gullies, and rendered still more irregular by several narrow projecting spurs. In many places these will necessitate the use of curves of not more than 3 chains radius, and in consequence the use also of engines fitted with special adaptations for passing round them. It is, however, practicable to work a line with such curves and on such a gradient, by adapting to it engines constructed for that particular kind of work. On the subject of the tunnel, an ad interim report from Mr. Rochfort has already been received, but at the time it was made we had not sufficient information to make a fair comparative statement of the advantages of either line. Another report, on fuller information, ■will be prepared and laid before you, in order that a just comparison maybe made as to the value of the two routes, and in order that the really best line may be chosen. The other portions of this section of the line require no special description. The Hutt Valley, from its peculiar character and its great liability to frequent and heavy floods, will demand very careful consideration in the laying off and actual execution of the works. The site selected for crossing the Hutt, that is, close under the hills, and about seven miles above the present bridge, is one not liable to change, and a bridge may there be erected with perfect confidence as to its permanence. The few miles between Pipitea Point, where the survey commences, and Petoni, or the entrance to the Hutt Valley, will require to be constructed entirely outside of the present road, and nearly on a level with it. In some places only will it be necessary to build a sea-wall, to protect the works from the action of the water in the harbour. The material of which the filling will consist will be of a stony or rocky character, obtained from different spurs along the road, and the slopes may be formed of the larger fragments, so as to be perfectly safe and permanent.

From New Plymouth to Wanganui, and thence to the Wellington and Napier line. Only portions of this survey have been executed, and none of the plans have yet been received. This line will form a junction with the Wellington and Napier line by way of the Manawatu Gorge, through which, as has been before explained, a line has been explored and surveyed for that purpose by Messrs. Stewart and Weber. The country from the Manawatu Gorge towards Wanganui and New Plymouth may be described as generally of a level character, but broken through at intervals by gullies and river beds of every imaginable form, depth, and character. There will be many long stretches of almost level land, over which a railway line may be constructed at a very moderate cost; but the numerous bridges and viaducts that will be required, some of them of a costly character, will bring up the average cost per mile very considerably, and possibly quite as high as any of the amounts authorized in the Schedules of the Public Works Act, viz., £5,000 per mile. I state this without having any plans or sections as a guide, but from a personal inspection of the country and of its general character.

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The surveys of the different portions of the line have been under the superintendence of J. T. Stewart, Esq., from the Gorge to Wangamri; W. Hales, Esq., in the neighbourhood of Wanganui and Waitotara; and from thence to New Plymouth under O. Carrington, Esq. Of this latter section, there are portions where, on account of Native difficulties, a survey could not be executed either for road or railway. Waitaki Bridge. The construction of this bridge is authorized under clause 7 of " The Railways Act, 1870; " and clause 8 provides that the expense of construction (estimated at £35,000) shall be borne equally by the Provinces of Otago and Canterbury. Under the former clause the Governor is authorized to cause a site to be selected, and a Commission of Engineers was duly appointed for this purpose, consisting of Messrs. Bray, Tancrcd, and Millar. The several sites available were inspected, cross sections of the river were taken, and other necessary information obtained, enabling the Commissioners to arrive at the conclusion, in which I concurred, that, of the three sites proposed, the one lowest down the river was the best. This is about two and a half miles from the coast, and corresponds very nearly with the line of telegraph. The length of bridging required on the different sites was, on the upper, 4,276 feet; middle, 0,930 feet; lower, 3,630 feet. The latter, besides being so much shorter than the others, possesses features much more favourable for the erection of a bridge, and is on the direct and shortest line that can well be laid off for the railway. A full report and estimate of the cost of railway and bridges on the different sites was furnished by the Commissioners, who, in concluding their report, recommended that after every information had been obtained as to the site chosen, plans of it should be sent to England, for the purpose of obtaining a correct plan and estimate for an iron bridge. This plan of action, it was thought, after due consideration, would lead to much delay, and that it would be better, if possible, to order the necessary ironwork at once. The Commissioners were therefore invited to state their opinion as to the shortest spans that could safely be used on this river, with the view of adapting to it the same style of bridge theu being erected on the Great Northern Railway to Rangiora, viz., that of strong, plain wrought-iron girders, resting on piers consisting of a scries of hard-wood piles; these being situated at a constant distance of thirty-three feet apart. The opinion being found to be unanimous that such a bridge might be built over the Waitaki, plans were accordingly prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Act, viz., that this bridge should be built to suit both ordinary and railway traffic. For this purpose the design included three lines of iron girders,—two of them placed tolerably close together to carry the railway, and the third, with one of the former, to carry the ordinary traffic. The design being approved, orders were prepared and sent to England for girders sufficient to carry the ordinary traffic in the first instance. This required 220 girders, of 33 feet each, sufficient for 110 spans, or a total of 3,630 feet. Plans and specifications arc now being prepared for the supply of the necessary timber and the erection of the piers and bridge, anticipatory of the arrival of the gh'ders from England. Borings have been made on the proposed site, with a favourable result, to depths varying from seventeen and a half to twenty-eight feet. I may explain here that Mr. Millar, in connection with the survey of the Mocraki and Waitaki line of railway, found it necessary, after frequent and careful observation of the river and its banks, to modify slightly the line originally proposed by the Commissioners; and he has reported on his reasons for so doing. These have been laid before the other Commissioners for their consideration and approval.

SUEVEYS. Besides the surveys of the lines enumerated in the different schedules and above described, there have been others executed under the provisions of clause 7 of the Public Works Act, and some are still in progress, as follows, viz. :— Otago. Winton to At hoi. This line is a continuation of the Invercargill and Wiuton Railway towards Lake Wakatipu. It follows up the Valley of the Oreti, through country generally very level, and presenting few difficulties. The distance is about forty miles. Mr. Blair will supply plans, sections, report, and estimate of cost. Athol to Kingston, on Lake Wakatipu. This is a continuation of the last-described line. The survey is in the hands of Mr. Brunton, ■who reports that it will very shortly be completed. The distance is about fifteen miles, and the country, though not so favourable as that between Vi inton and Athol, is yet sufficiently so to allow of the use of very fair gradients and easy curves at a moderate cost.

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Mataura to Clutha. — Fifty miles. This survey is complete, and plans, sections, report, and estimate Lave been furnished by W. Bruuton, Esq., C.E., by whom it was conducted. The country between these points is of a much more difficult character to deal with than that between Invercargill and Mataura; but Mr. Brunton, by very careful exploration and selection, has succeeded in laying off a most excellent line of railway. His report shows that the steepest gradient is 1 in 92 and the sharpest curve 10 chains radius, and that the cost per mile, including the erection of a long bridge across the Molyneux, will not exceed £3,211 per mile, including rolling stock and stations. Applying to this estimate the same correction for heavier rails (40 lbs. for .36 lbs.) as in the Invercargill and Mataura estimate, the cost will only thus reach £3,500. This line passes through open country the whole of the way. To/comairiro to Tuapeka. The survey of this branch line is now in progress, under Mr. Blair's directions, but no report or plan has yet been received. Canterbury. Waitaki to Timaru. — Thirty-seven and a half miles. Portions of this line are now being re-surveyed in order to connect the old survey line with the proposed new crossing of the Waitaki, near the telegraph line. The entrance into Timaru from the south will also be modified. Mr. Tancred will furnish plan and estimate, &c. Two lines have been surveyed crossing the llangitata River, the upper to join the bridge now in course of erection, and the lower in a more direct line, to avoid a long detour of eight miles by the bridge, which detour involves also a rise of about 350 feet, while the lower line will be practically level. The length of the former or longer survey is about thirty-five and three-quarter miles ; the latter, about three miles. Tiniaru and Temuka. — Twelve miles. As before described, part of this line will shortly be under construction. Surveys and sections of that portion of the line crossing the Temuka River have been made. On and near the Railway Reserve they show that a very large amount of bridging will be required ; but another crossing of the river some distance balow has been suggested as much more practicable, and where the amount of bridging would be reduced to eight chains in place of thirty-eight. From the Temuka northwards such portions of the main trunk line as required it have been surveyed, in order to complete the whole line through to the Rakaia, —about eighteen miles of new survey and fifty-four of old survey revised. Rollcston to Malvern Hills Coal Field. — Three lines, about fifty-four and a half miles in all. From this station on the Great Northern Railway three lines of survey have been undertaken, in order to ascertain which will best open up the coal field, and will connect it most economically with the main line of railway. The plans, &c, are now in course of preparation, and will be shortly completed. Oxford Tramway. — Two lines, about forty-one miles. For the purpose of determining the best line to connect the district of Oxford with the Great Northern Railway, two lines have been surveyed, of which plans and sections will be furnished. The upper will be connected in a nearly direct line with Rangiora; the other, having a more southerly direction, would join the railway at Kaiapoi, but not in a direct line. From such reports as have yet been received, it would appear that the northern line is shorter, and more advantageous generally, and that the country over which it passes is also more favourable for the construction of a railway. Rangiora to Sefton. — Two lines, about nineteen mites. From Rangiora northwards to Sefton two lines of railway have been surveyed, more particularly to determine at which point the Ashley River should be crossed. From these surveys careful estimates were made of the cost of the two lines. On these surveys and estimates I prepared and forwarded a special report, showing that the lower line, crossing the river at a point rather more than a mile above the present bridge, where a good site is to be found, could be constructed at a very much less expense than the upper line, which would cross at Ashley township. I personally examined the district very carefully before reporting on this subject. Northern Line extension to Waipara. — Twelve miles. This survey is also in progress, and plans, &c., will be prepared and forwarded. This is the limit of the surveys northwards in the Canterbury Province. Mr. Bray will furnish the required reports and estimates of the Canterbury lines not otherwise reported on 4

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Nelson. Nelson to Foxhill. — Twenty-two miles. A portion of this line of railway had formerly been surveyed for a gauge of 4 feet 8^ inches, as far as the Wairoa, twelve miles. An amended survey, with considerable modifications, is now in hand by Mr. A. D. Austin, and will soon be completed. The whole distance will be about twentytwo miles, and will form part of the projected line of railway from Nelson to Cobden and Westport. Westland. In clause 11 of the Public Works Act it is provided that "the term ' Railways ' shall include such road works in the County of Westland as the Governor in Council may from time to time prescribe." On the roads already constructed, and on those proposed to be constructed, a long and exhaustive report has been furnished by the Auditor-General, accompanied by explanatory plans, which will give all details of information required. It became necessary, however, before commencing work on any roads, to determine which should be considered as main trunk roads ; and, under instructions, along with Dr. Hector, I visited Westland for the purpose of making the necessary inquiries and observations. The result of this inquiry was, that we recommended the trunk line to be as follows, viz.: —Greymouth, by Omutumutu, to Marsden; thence to Nemona, Hohonu, Greenstone, Goldsborough, Staffordtown, Arahura, Hokitika, Kanicri, Ross; being an inland line the whole of the way, and connecting all the principal sites of population. Also, that this line should be connected with the overland road to Canterbury, joining it about the seventeenth mile, from a point on the inland line just described, about three miles from Goldsborough. This would give Greymouth, as well as Hokitika, direct communication with Canterbury. The junction line will be about five miles long. This line is the only one we thought necessary to add to the list of roads described by the Auditor-General, which list we, however, considered incomplete without it. The parts of this trunk road already formed for dray traffic are, Greenstone to Goldsborough, eleven miles ; thence to Stafford Town, two and a half miles; Arahura to Hokitika, four and a half miles. Tramways are made and at work between the following places : —Greymouth to Marsden, nine miles (not on the route described above, but by the Coast) ; Stafford Town to Arahura, three and a half miles; Hokitika to Kanieri, two miles. A gap in this inland line occurs between Marsden and Greenstone, of about seven miles, one and a half miles of it being made as a horse road only. The necessary surveys have been authorized of the following portions of the line, in order that estimates may be prepared and furnished as speedily as possible : —Greymouth and Marsden, by Omutumutu; Marsden to Greenstone; Stafford Town to Arahura; Kanieri to Ross, line cut, section only required. Of that portion between Ilokitika and Kanieri, the plans and specifications were already prepared, and the work has been advertised for public tender. The immediate object of the visit of Dr. Hector and myself to Westland was to report upon the best means of connecting the coal mines on the Grey River with a port. This report has been prepared, illustrated with maps and plans, and the result of our inquiries is, that we consider, viewing the questiou according to the terms of our instructions, that a line of railway on the south side of the Grey will best serve the public interest at large. Detailed estimates of cost, &c, are furnished with the report. These were prepared by the Provincial and County Engineers, on a basis agreed upon, so that a just comparison might be made of the proposed lines of communication. Water Races, Westland. Three schemes for water supply on a large scale have been proposed for Westland, viz., for the Mikonui, Kanieri, and Waimca, or Arahura Districts. Of these, the surveys of the two former have been made and plans prepared, which, however, yet need a few more details to make them complete. These can be furnished at a small cost. The plans were originally made for private companies, but have been obtained for the use of the General Government. The survey of the latter, the Waimea, has been authorized, and is now in progress. A report on each will be furnished by the County Engineer. Water Supply, Thames. On this subject I had the honor to forward a special report, on receipt of which a survey was authorized. This was placed in the hands of J. J. O'Neill, Esq., for execution. It was intended to include the survey of two lines of supply, viz., one on a high level and one on a low level. Native opposition prevented the prosecution of the latter: the former is yet in progress, but I expect it will soon be completed. No late report has been received. The foregoing report is intended as a sketch only of such works as have had attention during the last year. I have made it as brief as possible, and on all subjects of more than ordinary

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interest have referred to special reports, a reference to which will make the particular subject fully understood; and a reference to the reports of the district officers in charge will show all details of work and the progress made on each road. In order to make these as clear as possible I have caused to be attached to those of importance copies of plans illustrative of the subjects to which they refer. The present report will also be accompanied by an explanatory map. A great improvement has been effected in the manner in which road work is executed, not only in its actual execution, but in the substitution, in all cases where practicable, of contract work for day work. This remark will apply to Natives as well as Europeans. When Natives arc employed, the price is fixed by the Engineer, after a careful estimate of the quantities in the contract has been made. Much of the work undertaken is, as has been described, still incomplete, but a great deal has been accomplished nevertheless. In a few months we shall have finished a large number of bridges, some of them of considerable size, and across rivers which have always proved a serious bar to travelling, and were always a fruitful source of danger. These have been designed with care, and, being constructed of good material, may be expected to prove substantial and, with care, permanent structures. More, it is true, might have been done had the Department of Public Works been organized throiighout when the works were commenced; but it necessarily took some time to select and appoint the officers and complete the organization. In those districts where this has been accomplished the best results have followed, and in another year we may expect that progress in road and bridge making will be much more rapid and satisfactory than during the past. I may be permitted, in conclusion, to express to you my satisfaction with the manner in which the district officers have carried out their instructions, and how, one and all, they appear to be actuated by a zealous desire to have everything under their charge done quickly and thoroughly well. I have, &c., John Blackktt, The Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Acting Engincer-in-Chief.