E.—Ba

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source at Barefell's Pass. The saddle at this Pass is very high, requiring either a tunnel or steep grades on either side, until it reaches the junction of another line, as shown upon the sketch map. This alternative line is condemned owing to the reasons just mentioned. Beverting to the junction of the Acheron with the Guide Biver, the more preferable line continues up the valley of the Acheron, with a branch or connecting line, through Traveller's Valley, to Tarndale (which will be again alluded to), and another alternative Hue over Saxton's Pass. The route over Ward's Pass has been preferred, the saddle being somewhat lower and the route two miles shorter than tho other by way of Saxton's Pass. The line, leaving Ward's Pass, now traverses the valley of the Awatere Biver as far as a point opposite to Dashwood's Pass, over which it passes with a tolerable grade, and sweeping round the base or! a cluster of hills to the Town of Blenheim. An alternative line was examined over Taylor's Pass, but was condemned owing to the steepness of the grades on either side of the saddle, and the rugged nature of the ground on the northern side. Another alternative line is shown upon the sketch map. Leaving the valley of the Awatere Biver, and following the upward course of the Grey Biver to its source at the Avon Pass; thence down the valley of the Avon Biver to its junction wiih the Waiopai Biver ; thence along the downward course of this river to Blenheim. This line has been condemned in consequence of the rough nature of the ground along the Grey Biver, and the extreme height of the Avon Pass, through which a tunnel would be indispensable and of considerable length, to ease the grades on either side. Beverting again to the main line, the general course and character of which was preferred to that of No. 1, by reason of its passing through a better country in every respect, and particularly as containing a considerable acreage of land that could be brought under cultivation, more especially in the lower part of the valley of the Awatere Biver. However, it is far too rough, generally speaking, and unproductive for a line of railway ever to be constructed along this route ; nor was it viewed in anything like a favourable light by the late Engineer-in-Chief. But I may here mention that, in his opinion, a combination of these two lines, that is, Nos. 1 and 2, would be the more preferable, as follows, namely : commencing at the junction of the Bivers Wairau, Hanmer, and Percival; thence over Jollies Pass into the valleys of the Clarence and Acheron Bivers to the junction of the last-named river with that of the Severn ; and, instead of proceeding over Ward's Pass, he preferred the route via the Traveller's Valley to Tarndale, thence by the valley of the Wairau to Blenheim. The choice of this route was in consequence of the easier nature of the grades, whereby the grade over Ward's Pass of 1 in 15 was avoided ; but, when the line via the Waiau and Kaikoura Townships and tho East Coast was examined and reported upon, a further preference to it was given over all the others. Line No. 3. —As that portion of the extension of the main trunk line northwards, namely, from Amberley to Waikari, is being located, and will, I presume, soon be under construction, we must consider this line as commencing from the latter place. From the station, therefore, at Waikari, the line proceeds in the direction of the Hurunui Township, crossing the river of that name a short distance north of the site of the present bridge. After crossing the Hurunui Biver it traverses the Hurunui and Waiau Plains in a straight direction and over gently-undulating ground the whole way to the crossing of the Waiau Biver from the Waiau Township, which is situated on the eastern side of the river; the line continues along the south side of the Mason Biver, which it crosses about two miles from the township; and thence proceeds over a flat but rather high terrace for about three miles, when it crosses the Lottery Biver, and after a short distance it enters the valley of the Wandell, a small but tortuous river. Here the Sherwood Forest commences, the line passing through it for about eight miles and over undulating ground to another crossing of the Mason Biver at the foot of the Whale's Back ; the line then passes over the saddle at the Whale's Back into the valley of the Conway Biver, which it crosses, and from thence over the Quail Bange and crossing the Charwell Biver to the Groenhills Station; from the Greenhills the line passes over the Government reserve to Greenburn, crossing the Kahautara Biver at this place, and thence by tho route of the dray road across Crib Creek and the Kohai Biver to the suburban districts of the Township of Kaikoura. Here the river traverses along the base of Mount Tyffe, until it reaches the Hapuka Biver, which it crosses about one and a half miles from its mouth; thence in a straight direction and for about three miles, where it reaches the sea beach. The line then traverses along the beach and over ground about twenty feet above high-water mark for a distance of about forty miles, crossing in its course the Clarence, Kekerunga, and Ure Bivers. Immediately after crossing the last-named river, the line leaves the sea beach, and proceeds across the Flaxbourne Bun, over gentlyundulating ground, and following the general course of the dray road, to the Awatere Biver, which it crosses at a point a little north of the station of the Starborough Bun. After crossing the river the line proceeds in a straight direction to the foot of Dashwood's Pass, where it joins Line No. 2. This line may be said to have received far more favourable consideration from the late Engineer-in-Chief than any of the others, in which I entirely'concur, and for reasons stated in my report of 1876. This line will receive further consideration under the heading of " Comparative Bemarks." Line No. 4. —This is another line that has been examined in connection with the extension of the main trunk line northwards, and is principally known as the "Cheviot Hills line," the route of which is as follows : — Starting from a point on the north side of the Waipara Biver about seven miles from Amberley Station, and after crossing the Weka Creek to its junction with the Waipara, it traverses the Waipara Plains, passing a short distance east of the station of the Glenmark Bun and over a rather low saddle into the valley of the Waikari Biver, down which it passes until the Hurunui Biver is reached. Having crossed this river near to its junction with the Waikari, it follows its downward course for about nine miles, when it leaves the valley of the Hurunui Biver, and, turning sharply to the left, passes through the Cheviot Hills Bun, crossing the Waiau Biver about a mile west of its junction with the