D.—No. 6a.

PAPERS RELATING TO THE

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which at this point cannot be more than a mile distant. Thence the line approaches the Pakuratahi Eiver, follows down to its level without any difficulty of importance, and crosses at a favourable point for a bridge, which will be about 2 chains long. The distance from the saddle is approximately seven miles, and the fall 483 feet. I may here mention that the whole valley is full of wild cattle, and the soil generally is good. In Nelson the settlers are clearing far worse land under the Leasing Act. From the bridge site the line drops about 32 feet, to the top level of the Mangaroa Hill; but as this height was taken in the river bed, the bridge level will make the two points about equal. The Mangaroa Hill is crossed about a third of a mile to the east of the road, with a cutting of 32 feet. The ground is far better on this side of the river, with gentle slopes and fewer gullies, and chiefly gravel. The line crosses the coach road twice, the first time about a mile from the Golden Fleece Hotel, which may serve as a station for the district. There is a very fine bush flat between the line and the hotel, which will doubtless be rendered productive by its owners when the line is made. The highest point of the Mangaroa Hill is about four miles from the river crossing, and is nearly all level. From the Alangaroa Hill the line descends lin 55, crossing a valley at a white pine flat. This is the only swampy piece of ground on the line, but it has a hard bottom 2 feet down, and is only 5 chains long, and will dram easily into the creek close by. Once across this swamp, the falling gradient follows the hill side of the main valley; and about two miles from the Mangaroa Hill changes to level, to strike the Kaitoki Hill a mile and a half further on. This hill, which starts from the main range, has a low dip, through which I cross ; and then rising, continues its course quite to the gorge of the Mangaroa, ending in the bluff high cliffs and terraces on the north side of tho gorge of that river. This obstacle required me to cut the lino three times, before I could cross in a place which satisfied me that I was making the line as short as possible. No difficulty occurs from the nature of the ground. Indeed, once across the Pakuratahi Eiver, the gullies become fewer and the hill slopes more gentle, and in many places one might describe them as flats. From the Kaitoki Hill, lowered by a cutting of 30 feet, it was found necessary to change the gradient again to lin 43 for a mile and a quarter; all good easy hills, until the level land of the Alangaroa Aralley was reached; thence keeping along the foot of the hills a quarter of a mile level. A straight line two miles long, bearing S. 57° W. magnetic, leads direct to Air. Cruickshank's tunnel. A large stream with steep banks 30 feet deep is crossed in a good place for a bridge about the centre of the straight line. Throughout the whole length of this flat, the level scarcely varies, and it is remarkably uniform and unbroken by terraces. The ground is hard gravel all through. The bush looks thin, as all the timber is small except the rimu trees, which are unusually fine, and spotted over the ground at intervals of about a chain apart. Immediately before reaching the tunnel, the Alangaroa is crossed with a small bridge of about a chain in length ; thence a short cutting, 50 feet in the deepest part, leads into the Hutt Valley, from whence the level flat is reached by a gradient of 1 in 50 nearly opposite the Criterion Hotel. You will remember that, when discussing the best crossing-place of the Eange between the Mangaroa and Hutt Eivers, Mr. Cruickshank mentioned a low rer part of the hill, near the Horse Shoe Bend. This, however, on closer examination, proved to be a mistake, being only the saddle of a spur leading from the main hill, which is itself higher than at the mill; but if it were otherwise, it would be impossible to get at it, on account of the terrace aud cliffy character of the lower part of the Alangaroa Aralley. In obedience to Mr. Blackett's recent instructions, I yesterday examined the pass directly at the back of the Criterion Hotel, with a view of finding a lower part of the hill than at Mr. Cruickshank's. Already a tramway exists over it, but it would require almost exactly the same depth of cutting and much longer, and would in addition, being lower down, leave a greater fall to the level land of the Hutt by 50 feet. Other objections are a long spur striking out easterly between the two dips of the range, at the junction of the bush and swamp ; which, besides increasing the distance, would bring the Hue among hills of a softer nature, owing to their proximity to the swamp. Following down the Hutt, the best place for crossing the river appears to be about the Silver Stream —I think just above, from a marked point of the river bank. There appears to be no difficulty beyond, except supplying a station to the Taita ; this might bo met by a short road and bridge across the Hutt. The length of the line from the Criterion Hotel to Featherston will be from eight to eleven miles more than the coach road ; but it is probable that in coming down the Hutt, the line will gain a mile or two on the road. I enclose a table of approximate aneroid heights, also a section of the line drawn to a natural scale. I have, &c, John Eochfoet. I have left Mr. Lewis in charge, to superintend the clearing out the line, to facilitate the survey, marking the parts only which are open, or likely to be burnt, with the grubbing axe. He has three men. Altitudes reduced to Br. Hector's level of Mangaroa Bridge. Feet. 54 Abbott's, Featherston. 1687 Eimutaka. 1256 Eochfort's Pass (with cutting of 30 feet). 1286 Ditto (without cutting). 686 Golden Fleece Hotel. 773 Line crossing Eiver Pakuratahi (33 feet bridge).