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track, eight feet wide, through the bush, of such
gradients as may be afterwards improved into a
horse-track—but to confine themselves at present to
such works only as will make a good walking-track,
putting small foot-bridges over any stream that may
require it. By this means a communication will be
opened with the least possible delay between the
Grey and Maruia and Matakitaki Districts.

A contract has been entered into to commence a
similar track from the eastern end, first doing such
work on the Maruia Plains as will enable horses to
travel through them, a distance of eighteen miles,
and then to construct such works on the walking
track beyond the plains, as will enable the contractor
to supply his party with provisions, &c., by means
of pack-horses. The party at the other end of the
line will be supplied by means of canoes, which will
avoid the necessity of doing any heavy work on it at
first. The Provincial Engineer anticipates that this
line will be completed as a foot track at a cost of
about £1,000, and if the weather should be at all
favorable, within seven weeks from the present
time.

Besides the important fact of this line presenting
fewer obstacles to the construction of a road than
that by the Inangahua and Little Grey Rivers, it has
the advantage of leading more directly to a large
tract of country known to contain gold in playable
quantity; and, unlike the Inangahua road, will be
really available for cattle and horses, in consequence
of leading through many grassy plains that will sup-
ply abundant food for working or travelling cattle or
sheep.

VII.—The Hokitika gold-field, although situated
within the boundaries of the Canterbury Province,
can hardly be considered as a subject of more interest
to that Government than to that of the province
and port with which it is far more naturally con-
nected. The large population attracted to those
gold-fields will undoubtedly exercise a powerful in-
fluence upon the progress and necessary internal
arrangements of the province you represent; and
the probability that the trade will at some future
period be may at any time be attracted within our
own boundary, will point out to you the desirability
of placing the Government in a position that will
enable it to meet such an event with the prompti-
tude, although with the very great caution, which in
that case would be demanded from it.

No circumstance could have insured a more
thorough exploration of our hitherto imperfectly
known south-western territory, and whatever may be
the course taken by the main body of diggers, it is
certain that a very considerable number are finding
their way to our gold-fields, and that we may
safely calculate upon an increase of gold export. I
therefore think you would be perfectly justified in
voting a liberal portion of the small available reve-
nue, to be expended in the removal of some of the
many natural obstacles which now render the com-
plete exploration of the north-western portion of this
Island so extremely difficult.

VIII.—The limited amount of accommodation,
and especially of warehouse-room at the Nelson
wharf, has lately been found very inadequate to the
requirements of the port, and it will be my duty to
ask you to vote a sufficient sum to cover the expense
of some rather extensive but very necessary erec-
tions, the details of which will be submitted for your
approval.

IX.—In consequence of the Marine Board having
signified its intention to levy light-dues upon all
vessels entering the Port of Nelson, even though the
lighthouse continued in the hands, and was main-
tained at the expense of the Nelson Province, the
late Superintendent, acting upon the recommenda-
tion which concluded the report of a select committee
of your Council, which was appointed in Session X.
to consider this subject, handed over the lighthouse
to be upheld and controlled by that body. The
heavy dues that the Board have levied cannot fail to
be highly injurious to the trade of the port, and I
shall be happy to join you in any representation you
may think it desirable to make to the General
Government upon this subject.

X.—You will be called upon this session to give
effect to the resolution passed by this Council in
Session IX., by voting the sum of £2,000 as a con-
tribution towards the erection of a bridge over the
Hurunui River, the boundary between this province
and Canterbury. The settlers in the Amuri district
are, I understand, prepared to add a subscription of
another thousand, and the Canterbury Government
have received an offer to erect the bridge without
sum of £6,000, the plans of which have been sub-
mitted to our Provincial Engineer for approval.
Should you vote this sum, the Canterbury Govern-
ment will, I have no doubt, erect the bridge without
delay; and, when you consider the importance of
bridging every formidable river on the main line of
road between the cities of Nelson and Christchurch,
the necessity of connecting a large and valuable por-
tion of this province with its natural and only prac-
tically available port, not to mention the negotiations
commenced with the Canterbury Government on the
faith of the resolution referred to, you will, I am
sure, at once recognize the necessity of again voting
the required sum.

XI. Much of the time of the Provincial Engineer
has lately been occupied in obtaining information
on the general offer to construct the bridge for the
for the purpose of placing himself in a position to
propose the best method of supplying the City of
Nelson with water, and to make a reliable estimate
of the sum for which a good supply of pure water
may be carried through the most populous streets of
the city and to the shipping at the port. The result
of his investigation has been submitted to the Go-
vernment in a report that will be at once laid on your
table, and will be found to contain all necessary in-
formation upon this subject, and calculations based
upon the most reliable sources.

By that report it will be seen that water equal to
the supply of 20 gallons per head to a population of
37,800 individuals could be supplied to the port and
principal streets at a cost of £19,496. This estimate
includes the laying down of main pipes in that por-
tion of the town south of the Maitai, through the
whole of Brook-street, Tasman-street, Bronti-street
(as far as Trafalgar-street), Manuka-street, Nile-
street, east and west, Shelbourne-street, Selwyn-
place, Hardy-street, Gloucester-street, and parts of
Vanguard and St. Vincent streets, Bridge-street,
Hastings-street, and the flat facing the Port and
Alton-street (between Nile and Hardy streets), Col-
lingwood-street, Trafalgar-street north, Waimea-
street, and parts of Waimea-road and Ngatitama-
street, as far as Collingwood-street, also a branch
nearly encircling the Government Buildings.

It is proposed to take the water from a rocky gorge
at a distance of about four miles from the centre of
the town, and the estimate includes a sum of £5000
for the construction of reservoirs, a sum that might
be considerably reduced if found necessary—indeed,
water generally of excellent quality might be supplied
previous to their construction, as, Mr. Blackett says,
"under ordinary circumstances the water is pure
enough to be drawn at once from the dam, being