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executed by resident settlers. I have explored for and have found a practicable road across the Starborough Downs to connect the Blind Biver Estate with the Bedward Pass Boad. This road can be constructed at a moderate cost, and it would form the main road through the Starborough Estate, and would be used as the mail-coach road, as it has better grades than the Taylor Pass Boad and would shorten the distance by six miles. Roads, Omaka Estate. —A 20 ft.-span bridge has been erected over Mill Creek, on this estate, and 8 chains of 33 ft. roading and embankment approaches to the bridge completed. The roadmetalling has been commenced, and will be finished in April. The bridge-work was let by special tender, and the earthwork executed by a co-operative party formed of settlers on the estate. Miscellaneous. —ln the foregoing report the heavy rainfall during June and July has been alluded to. All the work in progress suffered material damage by the floods. On the bridle-roads, earth-slips were frequent, in many cases carrying completely away the road, and in others causing serious subsidence. Mahakipawa-Kenepuru, Hopai-Manaroa, and Whatamonga-Port Underwood Boads suffered more severely than others. As soon as possible after the flood-damages occurred repairs were undertaken. On the main provincial roads, and notably the Blenheim-Clarence Boad, the damages were heavy—wash-outs carrying away culverts, bridges, and approaches, fords scoured out and deepened so as to be impassable, and, on the road specially mentioned, the face of the hills immediately over the sideling road near Kekerangu came away in places, overwhelming the road ; and it still threatens to slip in such a mass as must, in the near future, destroy the road. Special journeys to ascertain the extent of these damages were made, and an overlook kept on the works under repair, paid for by Government grant. A survey has been made over Look-out Hills, from Kekerangu to Lagoon Flats, for a proposed road-diversion; this, if possible, should be completed at an early date, in order to remedy the inconvenience that must arise should the road be permanently blocked by slips, which at present appears inevitable. C. W. Adams, Chief Surveyor.

NELSON. Belgrove-Tophouse-Tarndale Road. —This road has been improved southwards from Tophouse, and is now open for dray-traffic as far as the Bainbow Accommodation-house. Beyond that, through the Wairau Gorge, repairs are being made to the bridle-track, as it is now completely washed away. Waimea West. —£100 has been granted to the Waimea Boad Board for roadworks in this locality, £51 Bs. of which has been spent to date. Waimea County Roads. —The County Council has spent the vote of £200 in general repairs to the roads injured by the floods of the early part of last year. Wakefield-Stanley Brook. —This work was done under the control of the Waimea County Council, and consisted of 236 chains of formation and 50 chains of metalling, together with culverts and repairs. Maitai Valley. —An authority has lately been received for the expenditure of the £200 grant on this road, which is for the purpose of giving a road to settlers, who have been for some years without means of access. The work will be undertaken shortly. Dove River Bridge. —The expenditure of this vote was intrusted to the Waimea County Council, and a new bridge, 80ft. in length, has been constructed. The Council has painted it and made the road approaching it out of its own funds. Quail Valley. — £100 has been spent and a mile and a half of dray-road improved and partly metalled, which was much needed so as to form an outlet for the settlers in that locality to the railway at Belgrove. Ferntown-Pakawau. —The Oollingwood Boad Board has spent £85 of this vote in forming 27 chains of new road. Nelson-Havelock. —This main road is for some distance under the control of the Waimea County, and a grant of £100 was made to that body towards its maintenance. Wairoa Gorge. —£lso of the vote was spent by the Waimea County Council in improving two miles of the worst of the road and converting it from a bridle-track into a dray-road. Riwaka Valley. —The work done was forming two miles of dray-road in extension of what had been previously done up the valley. Wangapeka Track from Rolling River to Kiwi Creek. — The expenditure on this work has been in generally improving and repairing sixteen miles of this bridle-road, which had become quite impassable for horses. The road was widened in places where there had been heavy slips, culverts renewed, and a temporary bridge put over the stream at the place known as the " Man-trap" or "Jacob's Ladder," where travellers have been blocked up for many days together. The road throughout is now in fairly good order. Richmond-Gollingwood. —Three miles of the hill on the main road from Biwaka to the Saddle was formed and metalled in the worst parts. This was a much-needed work, and will be greatly appreciated by persons travelling that road, especially in the winter time. Takaka-Collingwood-Inland Road. —The Collingwood County Council formed one mile of the Inland Boad. The object of the road is to avoid the crossing of the Parapara Stream on the beach, which is tidal and somewhat dangerous at times. Canaan Road. —The Collingwood County was also intrusted with the expenditure of £100 of this vote, with which they constructed four miles of bridle-track. Belgrove-Westport-Reefton Road. —Heavy expenditure was brought about through the extensive damage done to the road by the floods in the early part of last year, details of which appeared in last year's report. The large expenditure by this department was for the reconstruction of bridges washed away, and general repairs and maintenance up to the end of August, when the supervision was taken over by Mr. Wither, and Mr. Snodgras, the District Surveyor at Westport, who previously had charge, was relieved of this work, which had so very much interfered with his regular duties.