This being the only road which can be made to Lyttelton with so easy an ascent as 3 feet 4 inches per chain, and with a summit of only 370 feet above high water it is clearly the easiest line for a direct road between the ports.

But it has been supposed that in some other direction, a road with a quicker ascent and shorter distance might be laid out for light traffic.

The only accessible passes, over the Port Hills, between Mount Pleasant and Raupaki, are the following:—

Hornbrook’s Pass................ 1250 feet high

Bridle Path..................... 1060 " "

Lee’s Pass...................... 1180 " "

Raupaki......................... 1140 " "

The first of these passes is accessible from the Heathcote ferry by the old bullock track up the spur of Mount Pleasant, which rises from 4 ft. to 13 ft. per chain.

A tolerably direct road might be laid out with an ascent of 7 ft. to 8 ft. per chain, which is too steep for a cart road. An easier line with a rise of 4½ ft. per chain, can only be obtained by heading several gullies, and winding round Moabone spur reaching a summit of 1350 feet at 4 miles from the ferry. This line is shown on the accompanying plan by a strong black line. The descent from this summit towards Lyttelton cannot be rendered practicable for carts, owing to the precipitous nature of the ground. For 12 chains, the fall must be 8½ feet per chain, and for the next 34 chains, it would be 13 feet per chain, after which the ground is of an easier character, and a descent of 9 feet per chain for about 84 chains, would reach Lyttelton. The entire distance to Christchurch would be 9¼ miles; but the gradients on the Port side of the hill are altogether too steep for carts, and the total height to be surmounted is 980 feet more than by the Sumner Road.

The next pass is that crossed by the Bridle path. The ground on the Lyttelton side will admit of a road being laid out with a rise of 9 to 10 feet per chain through Jackson’s gulley, and winding up the spurs, descending 7 to 8 feet per chain along Lee’s spur to the road at the foot of the Hills, making the distance to Christchurch about 8½ miles.

Another line has been pointed out ascending from near the extreme south end of Lyttelton, contouring the Hills at the back of the town, through Mr. Alport’s rural section, to the summit of the present Bridle path, and descending either by Lee’s spur, or at the back of Capt. Morgan’s and Cass’s Peak, to the present Bridle road. The gradient of such a line would be 5 to 6 feet per chain, the total ascent, 1,050 feet, and the entire distance, about 9½ miles. But the country passed through is so precipitous, that the expense of such a road would be greater than any similar road by Evan’s pass, while only 2¼ miles would be saved; I therefore did not deem it necessary to trace out this line.

Lee’s pass, at the head of the valley occupied by Mr. Lee’s section might be reached on the Christchurch side, by a road from near Mr. Cookson’s, contouring Lee’s spur; but the distance by such a line would be increased to 14 miles, for which reason it did not merit further examination.

From Mr. Lean’s section, where the road at the foot of the Hills is carried over the spur at the back of Mr. Lean’s house, a line of road rising 6 to 6½ feet per chain may be obtained along the western side of the spur passing over the summit at an elevation of 1,180 feet, between Lee’s pass and Raupaki pass, descending with an equally easy gradient over the spurs of Cass’s Peak to join the Governor’s Bay Road, at 50 chains from Lyttelton making the entire distance to Christchurch, 9½ miles.

The steepest portion of this road would be the ascent of the Governor’s Bay road from the Cemetery reserve to the head of the slip, this being 7 feet per chain, while the general gradient of the remainder would be 6 feet per chain.

This line presents a much easier ascent than the bridle path, and avoids the ferry, but the summit is 800 feet higher than the Sumner Road, the length of side cutting is nearly double that of the Sumner Road, rendering the construction more expensive; while the saving of distance is only two miles to compensate for the extra rise of 800 feet, and the increased danger on a narrow