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once be proceeded with—viz., a dray road up Brook-street Valley to the site of the Reservoir, along which the pipes, &c., will be carted and laid; and the Reservoir at the head of the Valley, on which the contractors are now at work. I hope to be able in a short time to commence with the dam, for the completion of which, however, we shall have to wait for the arrival of the Donna Anita, with some pipes, &c., ordered for this work.

Swinging Apparatus.—I received orders some time since to proceed with the erection of a Swinging Apparatus in the Harbor for the correction of ships' compasses. I have not yet, however, obtained the whole of the necessary information as to soundings and the character of the bottom of the harbor on the site chosen. As soon as this has been acquired the work shall be proceeded with.

Gravel Sifting Machine.—A sketch plan and a description of this machine were sent to England as soon as possible after the necessary amount of money was voted for it; and we have now advices that it has been shipped in the Donna Anita, and may be expected here shortly. It had been tried in London and gave satisfaction.

COUNTRY DISTRICTS.

WAIMEAS.

Pigeon Valley Road.—This road, loading from Wai-iti Valley to Stanley Brook, has been improved by felling the timber along the ridge or hilly portion of it, for a width of 40 feet, and a length of about 11½ miles. The lower portion also, in Pigeon Valley, has been improved for cart traffic. Application has been made by some of the settlers interested for further improvements in this way, to a moderate amount.

Eve's Valley Road, Waimea West.—A sum of money was voted last year for the improvement of this road, which has been laid out to great advantage, and was liberally supplemented by some of the residents in the neighborhood. The repairs were much needed, as this is the main road into the Dove Dale district, over which there is now a considerable amount of traffic.

Dove Dale Road.—From Eve's Valley to Cuckoo Point has been widened, and made into a dray road, a distance of about ten miles through the bush. The completion of this work has rendered Dove Dale now easily accessible, and has given much satisfaction to the settlers therein.

Wairoa Bridge.—This structure has been thoroughly overhauled and repaired. The shrinking of the timber forming the arches, and the consequent slackening of all the joints and bolts, led to a considerable amount of warping and distortion of the framing. The whole has been readjusted by taking the arches to pieces and refitting all the pieces of timber of which they are composed, adding, at the same time, some additional bracing to ensure their retaining their proper shape. An idea prevailed with many that the distortion of the arches proceeded from the piers having sunk on one side, and that the structure was falling; this, however, was not the case, the piers are in exactly the same position and level as when erected. I am glad also to be able to state that the timber forming the arches was all found to be in a sound state, and that no decay of decay was visible.

Waimea Bridge.—Plans have been forwarded to England for the necessary iron work for this bridge, which has been designed so as to be available for any of the proposed sites in the Waimea river. I propose to have the timber for the bridge ordered and cut during the winter, as being the most favorable time for felling, so as to have it in readiness and partly seasoned when the iron work shall arrive. The determination of the site will demand a most careful

consideration; the choice appears to lie between two, one on the line of the Appleby road, past Gledhills, and one on the line passing through Sir David Munro's Jockey Inn. Beyond the adaptation of the bridge to the traffic of the main road between Nelson and Motueka, the surrounding districts, Waimea West in particular, will look forward to be specially benefitted greatly by its erection. Of the two sites proposed, the upper will of course suit the convenience of the Waimea West settlers the best, being so much nearer to them, and although either site would suit the main road, I should prefer the lower, to which also on engineering grounds I should not hesitate to give the preference, for the reason adduced in a special report on this subject made by me a short time ago.

Wai-iti Foot Bridge.—For the execution of this work I have never received any instructions, and I am not aware at what point on the Wai-iti it was proposed to erect it. I suppose, however, on the line of the main south road.

Spooner's Range Road.—This is one of the roads for which the sum of £400 was voted, under the head of roads between the Wai-iti, Motueka Valley, &c., &c. After considerable difficulty in deciding which would be the best line of dray road into Motueka Valley from the Wai-iti, I selected this line. A good side cutting has been made over the ranges and into Norris's Gully, a tributary of the Motueka. It is a very considerable improvement on the old line of road, and with some further expenditure may be made into a very passable dray road. A party of men are now at work on it.

I may take this opportunity of suggesting that it would be well if the use of the old fashioned drag or lock-chain could be done away with or prohibited on all drays using these country roads. It is grievous to see a new and well made side cutting completely cut to pieces by the passage of a few drays, the wheels of which are locked in descending the hills. I believe the use of screw brake on these drays would save the province some hundreds of pounds every year.

MAIN SOUTH ROAD.

Main South Road.—Portions of this road between the Wai-iti and the turn off to the Lakes, which most required it, have been well and substantially repaired during the past year, that part of it in the Big Bush has been well metalled and drained, and in Kerr's Valley new side cuttings have been made and metalled, and other parts ditched, raised, and metalled. A considerable amount of work has also been done at the head of the Wai-iti, and in Ray's Valley, so that the road generally may now be said to be in very fair order.

Beyond the Top House the road has been repaired and improved at several points, some old narrow bridges taken out and new ones put in of a more substantial character. The cuttings through the Wairau Gorge, and on to Tarndale, have been cleaned out and repaired in a substantial manner. That portion of the Main South Road from the Wairau, to the Westward, has fallen into a state of disrepair, and demands, and the Amuri Road Board has undertaken to repair it in a proper manner. Several settlers on the Clarence, Upper and Lower, are anxious that in what would improve the road from the head of Jollie's Pass, to the Hanmer Plains, we should lay it off as a dray road: I believe this could be done, and if so I should recommend it as a desirable and useful work.

It is evident that we must have a new line of road selected between these two points, and the difference between a good horse road and a narrow dray road would not be very considerable.