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APPENDIX No. 3,

Beconnaissance Surveys op Eoads between Taranaki and the Nokth Island Main Tbunk ~ Bail way. The following report by District Surveyor Skeet describes the three most available routes by which a~road-connection may be made between the railway-systems of Taranaki and Auckland : — Stratford Line. Stratford to Confiscation Line. —The first seven miles from Stratford to the confiscation line is through a settled district, along a partly-formed and -felled road that requires new culverts andihe formation generally to be put in order, at a cost of £860. Confiscation Line, to Mangaotuku. —Prom the confiscation line to the Mangaotuku, nine miles. The line follows up Toko some four miles, then over a low ridge to Makuri, and over another ridge to Mangaotuku—both crossed with easy grades; earthwork moderate; three short bridges of 40ft. spans; culverts, and bush-felling make the cost come to £4,575 10s. Mangaotuku to Junction with Inglewood Line. —The next section, thirteen miles, to the junction with the Inglewood line on the Makahu Stream. For ten miles it follows up the Mangaotuku Valley, over easy country for road-making. The line keeps to the foot of the hills, the grade being almost flat. The upper part of the valley is narrow and swampy. An easy grade over a low ridge, 240 ft. above stream, brings the line to the junction on the Makahu, a distance from Stratford of twentynine miles. The lower part of Mangaotuku is through clearings for two miles. Cost of section (formation, culverts, clearing), £4,525. Makahu to Wangaviomona. —From the junction the road-line follows down the Makahu Stream to the Pohukura Stream : two miles and a half of easy formation; two small bridges. From Pohukura to Wongamomona, five miles, a ridge of 380 ft. above streams has to be crossed, where the cost will be considerable on account of troublesome cross spurs: good grades can be laid off. Cost of section (seven miles and a half earthwork, culverts, bush-felling, bridges, &c), £4,019. Wangamomona Valley. —The next length is up to the head of the Wongamomona Valley to the foot of the ridge, seven miles long, over country that is a mixture of swampy patches, and sidecuttings, scrub, light and heavy bush. The road following the flow of the stream, it is comparatively flat, work moderately expensive : earthwork, five bridges, culverts, and clearing make the cost come up to £2,480. Wangamomona to Tahoraparoa. —From Wongamomona to Tahoraparoa, four miles. An upgrade to summit of ridge, then along a lumpy ridge to avoid the head-waters of a branch of Waitara and Witianga. The road will require heavy cuttings to avoid the peaks, a down-grade to Tahoraparoa. Cost of earthwork, culverts, and clearing, £2,565. Tahoraparoa to Mangapapa. —Tahoraparoa to Waingarara, Waingarara, and up Tangarakau to Mangapapa, where the line joins from Mimi, a distance from Stratford of fifty-five miles. Length of section, six miles and a half. One ridge to Waingarara, with a long grade over it, then a continuation of side-cuttings up the Tangarakau Gorge, brings the cost up to a high rate: including bridging, culverts, clearing, and earthwork, £3,516 ss. Mangapapa to Saddle on Waiaiaia liange.— Tangarakau Gorge continues for nearly five miles; again mostly all side-cutting. Three bridges are required to avoid long and narrow bends. In one part, by keeping round a bend, making extra distance of 55 chains, two of the bridges could be done away with. Taking into consideration the extra cost of maintenance, it is a question whether the bridges would not eventually be more economical. An up-grade of two and a half miles to the saddle on the main Waiaiaia Eange makes cost of section for earthwork, culverts, bridges, and clearing, £5,939 7s. Saddle to Heao. —A down-grade from a height of 430 ft. to the Heao Flat: two miles length of section, work heavy and expensive; will cost for clearing, earthwork, culverts, &c, £1,271. The Heao Valley for the next three and a half miles is very favourable for road-making; mostly flat formation : two short bridges of 25ft. span each, culverts, bush-felling, and earthwork total up £1,049 10s. Heao Valley. —Between the head of the Heao and Mangaroa, five miles, a grade up and down over a ridge that tarns a stream towards Mangaroa cannot be avoided. Three miles of this length heavy and expensive; grades will be easy. One short bridge of 20ft., culverts, earthwork, and clearing, £2,612 15s. Mangaroa to KopuJia. —For the next three miles and a half the line passes over easy country for road-making, Mangaroa Bridge the greatest item ; cost of section, £1,505 ss. The line is now at seventy-six miles and a half from Stratford, in the Ohura Valley, where there is a large extent of open country. Kopuha to Nihoniho. —Some three miles and a half of nearly all open country, up the Ohura Valley. The line passes through a narrow saddle by way of Toitoi to avoid a long bend of Ohura. Work moderate; one expensive bridge over Ohura to allow for the high floods. Cost of section, £1,742 10s. Nihoniho to Ongaruhe. —From Nihoniho up the Ohura Valley, across to Ongaruhe, nineteen miles and a half, the country is very favourable for road-making. The last eleven miles is mostly a pumice-covered soil that would at all times be nearly dry. No bridges of any length are required. Following the valley the grades are comparatively flat. Earthwork, bridges, culverts, and clearing would cost £4,302. Gravelling is a most difficult item to estimate, as no traces of it have been seen for long distances; and the cost would therefore be very high. Through the Toko Valley there are traces; and along the Mangaotuku Valley in several places I saw material that would do for metalling. From Makahu to Tangarakau the country is papa; saw only indications here and there. Tangarakau Gorge has abundance of metal; in the Heao Valley several patches of metal were