27

a—ia

Particulars of Road-improvements, &c., to open up Crown Lands in Otago during the Year ending the 30th June, 1889.

'Not completed [liability], 2Opens 1,800 acres small grazing-runs. "Opens 1,300 acres surveyed laud. * Opens 11,170 acres surveyed land. s Not completed. "Opens 317 acres unsold land, and opens 226 acres recently Bold. 7 Opens 1,085 acres village special settlement sold. "Land all disposed of. oBeing done by " unemployed."

SOUTHLAND. Road, Mossburn to Manirpori. —Work spread over twenty-five miles ; acreage rendered more accessible, 5,000 acres. The portion of this road upon which money has been spent is, first, in what is called the Centre Hill Gorge (extending from near Centre Hill Station to the Mararoa Valley); and, second, on that part of road from the Mararoa Eiver to Lake Te Anau. The work consists of 62-| chains of side-drains and forming, of 13 chains of side-cutting, of 162 chains of gravelling, of 6 chains of creek-diversion, of 240 chains of stone-clearing, also of bridge 41ft. long, and of three culverts, &c. The improvement of this road will, I have no doubt, materially add to the tourist traffic from Lumsden to Lakes Te Anau and Manipori, and will also help to open up lands in the Whitestone Valley; the latter, however, being School Commissioners'land. The Manipori and Te Anau Lakes have great natural attractions, and in time, when they become better knqwn, they will doubtless be largely sought out by tourists. The land rendered more accessible is probably too remote from market at present to make cultivation profitable, but the improvement of the road will no doubt help to induce settlement. Blackmount to Deferred-payment Land. —Mileage formed, half a mile ; acreage rendered more accessible, 4,000 acres. The work done on this road during the past year consists of, up to date, 45 chains formation, fifty-four catchment-drains, and providing and laying 2 chains of stoneware pipes. The work begins at what is called the Blackmount Saddle, at the end of the formation done last year, and consists of side-cutting leading down from the saddle to the Bedcliffe Creek. There are natural difficulties in the way of having good grades here, and, notwithstanding the care of the Wallace County engineer, who supervised the work, the road at this part is hardly so good as might be wished. The work may, however, still be regarded as in progress,. As reported during previous year, the road, though not much used meanwhile, will probably become an important one ultimately. Waikaka Siding to Waikaka Town. —Mileage formed, &c, two miles and a quarter; acreage rendered more accessible, 5,000 acres. This work consists of 174 chains forming and 148 chains gravelling. It is part of the main road up the Waikaka Valley from Waikaka Eailway siding, near Gore. The road is an important one to present settlers in this locality. Appleby to Tisbury. —Mileage formed, &c, a mile and a half; acreage rendered more accessible, 1,000 acres. This work consists of formation, ditching, bush-work, and corduroying. The road in question extends along the south side of the Seaward Bush Eailway, from near Appleby to Tisbury Station. The road was originally all bush-clad, and some of the ground was low-lying and wet. The occupants of the village-settlement sections living opposite the respective portions of the road undertook to execute the work for half the estimated cost, and I am glad to report that the settlers as a whole stuck to their work and did it well. The road between the points mentioned is now nearly completed, and will be of great service not only to the present settlers livingopposite, but to future settlers who may locate themselves on Crown lands around Tisbury Siding.

Name of Roaa. County. District, Block, and Section. Length. Nature of Improvements. rrack to Sutherland Falls from Milford Sound Lake m. eh. 5 8 Clearing, formation, improvement, &a. ; also building three huts Clearing, formation, improvement, &c. ; also building two huts 1 Formation and culvert 2 Formation and gravelling3 Prack to Sutherland Falls from Lake Te Anau Lake 15 0 Deepdell Eun, up-Horse Flat Maniototo Maniototo Waihemo Waihemo Gimmerburn, XI., through 2 Maniototo, south of 10, III., and 4, IV. (Kock and Pillar, from 9 and) \ through 10, XII., and Highlay, L ( south of 2 and 4, VII. Glenkenich, east of 4 and 5, XVII., and part of Derby Street, Tapanui, also north of 3 to 6, XVII. Clarendon, VI. and XI.' 0 15 1 16 3 0 1 0 Formation and culverts * Now under contract • Road to open up VIII. and XVII., Glenkenich Tuapeka 1 15 Bush- and scrub-clearing, aFso stumps extracted 0 Caieri Mouth Special Village Settlement jlenomaru-Owhake Koad Bruce .. Clutha .. Glenomaru, VII., west of 31 and part 30 Glenomaru, Y1II., through 34, 17, and 41 Glenomaru, VIII., through 50 and 1 37 Glenomaru, VIII., north-east shore Catlin's Lake 9 0 20 Metal 8 Jatlin's-Taukupu Road.. Clutha .. 0 47 Formation and 5 chains metalled8 Clutha .. 1 0 44 Acquiring land, bush-clearing, and fencing 8 Clutha .. , Total 28 05