44

not far distant, I should hesitate to say:
but it is certainly more convenient and
must be used by many settlers living
in the locality, who are in a manner
quite cut off from deriving any advan-
tage from the other road.

The Porangahau road, though ex-
posed to the very serious floods of the
past year, has suffered less than I anti-
cipated. One excellent bridge, built
under the Wellington Government by
the Road Wardens, has been removed
(causing some delay and inconvenience
to travellers). Owing, however, to the
substantial manner in which it was
constructed, it has not been broken up
and the materials will nearly all answer
again. The banks of the cuttings have
slipped in a good many places, but be-
yond the labor of removing the stuff
from the road no injury has been done.
The bridge over the Eperaima River,
has been completed, and is a strong
substantial work. To insure its pro-
tection against the action of the weather,
it will be necessary to paint it or give
it a coat of tar. The former will be
the most expensive, but it looks and
is the best. As yet there is not much
traffic on this line, but I have no doubt
it will not long continue so. Much of
the produce now forwarded to Napier
for shipment will find its way to Black-
head, which, although merely a road-
stead, has been found by the settlers,
and such vessels as have taken in or
landed cargo there, quite suitable for
shipping purposes.

The Waipaoa to Tikokino Road has
stood tolerably well, and as there are a
good many occupying small freeholds
in the neighbourhood who would be
likely to contract for its maintenance,
I would consider it advisable to invite
tenders from such as would feel dis-
posed to become contractors for its
repairs. An arrangement of this kind
would be an improvement on the sys-
tem of carrying on those repairs by day
labor.

That part of the Mohaka Road
through Petane has stood well, and it
would be desirable to complete a few
chains more of formation, when a good
line will be open from Petane Valley
to Napier. The Bridle Track, as I am
informed, (for I have been unable to
visit it) has suffered much from the
action of the weather; many slips have
taken place, always most annoying on a
narrow track, particularly when they
are caused by springs from the hills,
which is chiefly the case in the present
instance. If some arrangement could
be entered into with the natives for
keeping the track free of slips and
turning the water off it, I should recom-
mend its adoption. They are frequently
passing to and fro along it, and could
remove any obstruction immediately on
its occurrence. Improving the road
along the Petane valley is desirable as
a means of affording this small agricul-
tural district more facilities for getting
their produce to Napier, to which it is so
near, and, if possible, continuing the
improvements to the Pohui bush.

The small Bridge over the muddy
creek at Clive—between that place and
Awanga—is just completed, and will
be of much advantage to persons living
on the suburban lands of Clive. I re-
gret that the settlers about the Aorangi
district have suffered serious inconve-
nience from the washing away of the
approaches to the bridge crossing the
Patiki stream; but to provide against
a similar accident in future the water-
way has been increased by additional
openings, and I expect very shortly to
be able to report it completed. The
time allowed the contractor has expired,
but he informs me he met with more
difficulty in procuring the timber than
he anticipated. The road from the
ferry to Clive has stood remarkably
well under a heavy traffic, and although
it, with the lands adjoining, has been
flooded several times, it has suffered no
injury. In future it should be kept in
repair by contract.

I would beg to call your Honor's
attention to the necessity of completing
the metalling of some of the several
lines as have been formed, before com-
mencing any new work, and making
provisions for the maintenance of all
completed; as it would be a pity to
allow any of them to suffer injury from
neglect after such large sums have been
expended on them. By keeping up the
works and making only the path of
the natural road which give way from
time to time under the increased traffic,
the expenditure will not be considerable.
The circumstances of this district have
so changed since these undertakings
were commenced, that no such difficul-
ties as had then to be overcome, can
again occur; and, by adhering firmly
to contracts in all future works, the
Province will soon experience the great
advantage of the system. In under-
taking work in unsettled localities a
departure from this may be unavoidable,
but as a rule the employment of day
labor by a government or public body
cannot be recommended.

I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your very obedient servant,
THOMAS GILL,
Provincial Engineer.

To His Honor
the Superintendent,
Napier.