C.-~2

40

State of Surveys— continued. Cobden, viâ Coal Creek, to Seventeen-Mile Diggings.

CANTERBURY. Teviotdale Road. —To open up a block of pastoral country sold under the deferred-payment system. There have been 4 miles 9 chains laid out by Mr. Adam ; and of this, 2 miles 57 chains have been formed 12 feet wide, at a total cost of £1,271 12s. sd. It will give a very fair access to the country, the steepest grade being lin 11, but the ruling grade is only lin 15. A small amount of ditching and maintenance remains to be done. Black Hills or Waikari Road. —To open up a block of pastoral country similar to the above. There were 3 miles 41 chains contracted for and formed 12 feet wide, at a total cost of £772 Os. 2d. The ruling grade is rather steep, being 1 in 10, and for a short distance 1 in 6-38, with 2 miles 18 chains on the flat; it will, however, allow of machinery being taken on the ground; and, no doubt, it increased the price obtained for a block of over two thousand acres, to which it gives access—at least £1 per acre, and therefore it has paid the Government to make it. Kuku Pass Road. —This has been formed under Mr. Dobson's directions, up to the top of the Karetu Pass, 20 feet wide, and is as substantially formed as any coach-road in the district; the length remaining, 18 miles 40 chains, into the Ashley country, has been graded and benched 4 feet wide. It has, however, been determined only to form the continuation of it 12 feet wide; and, in consequence, two gullies or ravines can have side cuttings made into them, instead of the expensive bridges originally designed by Mr. Dobsou. The vote of £3,000 which the Ashley Boad Board has been intrusted to expend in continuing the formation will therefore extend much farther than it would otherwise have done. Two contracts have been let by the Boad Board, and are now in progress. Payments will be made on the certificate of the Inspector of Surveys, after due inspection of the work. Oxford Bush Road to Upper Ashley. —This road is all through bush, and will be about ten miles long; it will open up a considerable block of good bush, which is still Crown land. Contracts for felling the bush 66 feet wide, and formation 12 feet wide, for 3 miles and 10 chains, have been let by the Oxford Boad Board, who have been intrusted with the opening-up of this road, and the contracts are now in progress; payments to be made on the certificate of the Inspector of Surveys, as in the preceding road. £4,000 has been voted for this work. Malvern Hills Road. —The sum of £80 was paid to Mr. Butherford, to cover cost of fencing and severance damages for a piece of road taken through his freehold to connect with the road laid out by the surveyor to open up the blocks for sale in the Malvern Hills under the pastoral deferredpayment system. John H. Bakeb, Chief Surveyor. Mathias Pass Road. —On the work done on the Canterbury side of the Mathias Pass Boad, Mr. A. D. Dobson, C.E., writes as follows : The work intrusted to my charge has been finished, the foot-track being completed from the junction flat to the top of the saddle. I found it impossible to avoid rock-cutting, as in all the most difficult places it was impossible to get past the cliffs without it; I therefore made the track on the proper level. The track is from 18 inches to 5 feet in width, with the exception of about ten yards at Canon Creek Cliff, where two blocks of rock yet remain to be blown out to complete the track throughout. At this point so much water pours down the rock that it can only be worked in fine dry weather; and as, with the aid of a stout rope which

Poi: its. Distances From To PO -73m • Total. sj. g § I 3 o so <D P Remarks. Oobden Coal Creek Crossing beyond saw-mill Seven-Mile Creek ... Ml. ch. 3 0 Ml. ch. Nil. Ml. ch. 3 0 Existing road here. Goal Creek Crossing beyond saw-mill Seven-Mile Creek ... South end of Ten-Mile Bluff End of Section No. 2 of Ten-Mile Bluff improvements Beginning of Section No. 3 of Ten-Mile Bluff improvements End of Section No. 5 of Ten-Mile Bluff improvements Seventeen-Mile Diggings 3 1 3 40 3 1 Nil Nil 3 40 Boad in progress, one miL being completed. Old horse-track in existenci along here. Boad completed. South end of Ten-Mile Bluff 0 22 0 22 Nil End of Section No. 2 of Ten-Mile Bluff improvements Beginning of Section No. 3 of Ten-Mile Bluff improvements End of Section No. 5 of Ten-Mile Bluff improvements. 2 0 Nil 2 0 Old horse-track in existenci along here. 0 26* 0 26* Nil Boad completed. 6 0 Nil 6 0 Old horse-track in existenci along here. Totals ... 18 01 J 2 3 49* 14 40