41

E.—3.

teen built, and a fordway is now being constructed. These are the principal works necessary on this, which is the worst section of the road. The swamp, 20 chains long, at Te Mata, has been drained and the road formed across it. Two small sections are still uncompleted, as the Natives ask too high a price for the work required. On the section from Upper Mangakahia to the church, Lower Mangakahia, four miles in length, the following works have been completed, viz.,-—ll6 chains of drains, IS culverts, 26 chains of clearing, and 9 chains of formations; and the works in hand are two bridges, three culverts, a few chains of side cuttings and drains, and a culvert bridge, with filling in approaches at the Kotipu Swamp. When these are finished the road will be in a state to meet the requirements of the district. The whole of this line of road from Kaikohe to Nukutawhiti Forest lies within Native land, and will, when complete, make a good bridle road, which will suffice until European settlers are introduced. Whangaroa to Black Bridge. —On this more than 70 chains of side cutting several culverts, and one bridge have been completed. The Natives are still at work, and will probably finish all the work required during the ensuing month. The continuation of this road from Te Whau to the Black Bridge has been advertised for tender: it forms part of the Great North Road, and will connect the Bay of Islands, Whangaroa, and Wanganui districts. The section between the Black Bridge and "Whangaroa is not likely to be much used for dray traffic, as good water carriage exists within ten miles of any part of it, and there is steam communication weekly between the Bay, Whangaroa, and Auckland. The road lies almost entirely within sold land of a barren and worthless character. Olcaihu and Waimate lioad. —The only works executed on this line of road have been one large culvert and approaches, and the deepening of the drains at the Kuhe-Kino Swamp. ' From Pukehemua (a mile and a half from Waimate) the road is in very good order, and is one of the best in the district; and at Okaihu the road has been cleared to the Upper Waihou Valley, which will be of great importance to the Okaihu settlement, as opening up good land in the Okaihu Blocks 1 and 2, and the best outlet for the land in the Waipapa Valleys. The line chosen, although not likely ever to make a really good dray road, is a great improvement in every way on that first proposed, and is useful as being the most direct to Hokianga. It is not improbable that these improvements will lead to the early settlement of the surrounding country, as the Canadians already settled there are anxious to bring out numbers of their friends, if the Government will deal liberally in allotting them land. Amongst the works completed are 100 chains of forest cleared, 25 chains side cutting and forming, three bridges and several culverts, and at the further end of the Okaihu settlement the road has been cleared to Toreke, and a number of bridges and culverts constructed. The worst portion of the road between Okaihu and Waitangi landing-place is at the Waimate. A section here of 140 chains in length has just been surveyed, with a view to improvements. Another section of 201 chains, commencing at the Waitangi landing-place and terminating at Waipuakakaho, is nearly completed, and includes bridges, culverts, and forming the road throughout; whilst that portion lying between Waiwhariki and Black Bridge, 180 chains, has been completed for some time, as well as that portion between the Black Bridsre and Paremata (close to Waimate) a distance of 330 chains, the total length of road formed, bridged, and completed being thus nearly nine miles. From the junction of the Waimate and Kaikohe Roads to the first angle beyond the Waipekekaka Stream, a length of 427 chains, work is in progress under contract (European), and will be completed during the summer. From the end of this contract through the Native settlement to the Ohaewae Hotel, the road work is nearly finished. All the culverts and bridges have been built of the best dry puriri timber, and the work generally has been well executed by Native labour. Between the Ohaewae Hotel and Kaikohe, the construction of the bridges has been let to Europeans, except that at Mangamutu, which will be made by Natives under contract. Much of the work in this neighbourhood has been greatly delayed by petty Native quarrels, which it may be expected will not subside for some time, and thus still further delay the work. Kaikohe to Taheke. —Thirteen miles. On this line of road two bridges have been built, one 53 feet, truss, over the Mantratoa, and one 14 feet plain. The full length of road of which the above is the last or westernmost section, from, the AVaitangi landing-place to the Taheke (one of the navigable arms of the Hokianga), is thirty-two miles, of which the whole is used for dray traffic, and of which, when the present contracts are completed, one-half will be formed and bridged. Although Kaikohe is three or four miles nearer to Taheke than Waitangi, the traffic from it flows to the latter, and is even occasionally carried right through from the former place to Waitangi, at which end of the road it is probable that a few miles will require metalling in consequence of it being used more than the other parts of the road. From Taheke a rough line has been opened to the Heads at Hokianga, mostly, it would appear for the purpose of connecting the different Native settlements, as it is not laid out where a dray road, if ever needed, would be made. In this district the completion of the following roads and parts of roads must be looked forward to, viz., —One section of the Waimate and Waitangi and Okaihu Road at Waiinate; two sections from Ohaewae to Kaikohe, and thence to Taheke; also the remaining sections between Kaikohe and Mangakahia. Mangeee Bridge. This bridge is being constructed for general traffic between Onehunga and Mangere. It will consist of twenty spans of 40 feet each, connected to the main land at Onehunga and Mangere by embankments of earth, protected with a thick facing of rock. These are respectively 540 feet and 1,340 feet long, and 20 feet wide on the top. The former includes an overbridge, to allow for the passage of the railway below. The time for completion expires about the end of September next, but the work, it is feared, will be delayed some considerable time, on account of the loss, in October last, of the vessel employed to