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Road between East and West Takaka above the Waingaro.—Leave to open this road has been obtained from the land-owners, and by formal application to the magistrates; the balance of the vote, after paying the amount of compensation agreed upon, has been paid over to the Takaka Road Board, with instructions to have the road cleared and opened as soon as possible. This road will be of great utility to the district, especially during freshes, as it crosses the Takaka at an excellent and unchanging ford, and saves travellers the danger of crossing the dreaded Waingaro.

Cross Road, Clifton to Motupipi.—This line of road was very much needed, and the same course was pursued as described for the last mentioned road, the funds being placed in the hands of the Road Board, the road is, I believe, not completed, as no report has yet reached me to that effect.

Road, Riwaka to Takaka.—A few slight repairs only have been necessary on this road.

Carlyle-street, Clifton.—The sum of £25 voted for bridging and ditching over a swamp in this street was also placed at the disposal of the Road Board, the work I am given to understand has been completed for some time.

The same remarks will apply to the sum of £15, voted for marking entrance to Waitapu River; as also the sum of £25, one-half of that voted for a bridle track at Collingwood, the other half being handed to the Collingwood Road Board, to be expended in accordance with the vote.

Court House and Lock-up, Takaka.—Plans and specifications were prepared for this work, and tenders called for and the work let, after which the inspection of the work was placed in the hands of the Road Board. It is not yet reported as being finished. Considerable delay was experienced in making the necessary arrangements for securing the site.

Slate River Bridge Repairs; Road to Rocky River; Road to Heaphy, repairs; Clearing Snags and Repairing Beacons, Aorere River.—The sums voted for these works were placed at the disposal of the Collingwood Road Board, with the necessary instructions.

Court House, Amuri.—The sum voted for this was treated in the same way, being handed to the Amuri Road Board. A considerable portion of it will be expended in fencing in a piece of ground adjoining the Court-house, and providing more accommodation for the clerk to the magistrates.

Roads to Karamea.—As full and special reports have been made from time to time on these roads by the Assistant Engineer, Mr. A. D. Dodson, I shall only describe generally what has been done:—

1. A walking-track along the line advocated by Mr. Dutton, commencing at the Graham River, a branch of the Motueka, and terminating where the Lorrio joins the Karamea, near the "Bend," the length being about twenty-four miles. This is the most northerly track.

2. A walking-track, known as Jones's, south of Mount Arthur, crossing up the Baton River, crossing the main range, and thence down the valley of the "Bend," the length being about fifteen miles from the Baton Store. The track has lately been improved by converting that portion of it between the Baton Store and the foot of the mountains, about eight miles, into a practicable horse-track, and by opening out and cleaning the remainder as a walking-track.

3. Snow's and Muckay's walking-track, by way of what has been called Hough's Pass, viz.:—Proceeding from the Baton Store up the Skeet River, crossing the main range, and thence down the Crow River, to its junction with the Karamea, about six miles above the "Bend."

The length from the Baton Store to the "Bend" being about thirty-two miles.

4. The old road from the head of the Wangapeka Plains has been repaired and improved as a horse-track to the junction of the Rolling River, eight miles, and thence to the crossing of the Wangapeka, seven miles, the work beyond this being still in hand, viz.:—Six miles to a point where it is proposed to strike off over an intervening range by a short cut into the Karamea, about six miles long, avoiding the long detour made by Rockfort's old track.

Notwithstanding the number of tracks cut, and the comparative facility thereby afforded for getting about the country, the Karamea has failed to justify the expectations of those who predicted it to be a rich gold-field, and instead of the hundreds of diggers who should on these calculations have been on the ground, their number is now a mere handful, gradually diminishing.

WEST COAST ROADS, &c.

On my return from the West Coast in September, 1867, I made a special report on all the works there executed, or in which I may refer for any required information. Since that time, heard the roads on the West Coast, in common with other districts, have suffered more or less from the action of heavy rains and floods, and it has required a considerable expenditure in consequence to keep them in working order. The principal new work which has since been accomplished, is the making of a road up the Ahanra-valley, through what is know by the name of the Fifteen Mile Bush (ten miles). This has been felled and cleared twenty-two feet wide, and formed for a width of seven feet in the centre; a good hard road and likely to be durable, part of it being on level ground, and part on the hill side where side-cuttings were formed.

This forms only a portion of what is deemed to be a very important work, and which I have before reported on, that is, the extension of this road to the Saddle and over into the Amuri. The most expenditure will be required between the Saddle and the Fifteen-mile Bush. If this line should be well laid out and executed, it will save nineteen crossings of the Ahanra, and a comparatively easy road will be the result.

Contracts have been let for clearing the main road as surveyed across Coal Creek Flat at the Grey, and its extension along the terrace to the old road.

Also, for the repair of Cobden Wharf, which had been damaged during a flood; this involves some new cap pieces and a few new piles, besides chafing-piles in front of the wharf.

Westport Wharf.—This work was let by contract to Mr. T. Miles, and, during its construction, was seriously retarded and injured by a succession of heavy and continuous floods; all attempts to finish it according to the original plan being frustrated by the rapid washing of the river-banks, by which the piles were completely undermined, and at last one flood heavier than the rest carried away the whole of the work which had been erected.

Thus the whole of the labour was lost; the timber, however, or the greater part of it, was recovered, having been washed ashore on the North Beach. I am now endeavouring, by the erection of a series of small jetties, to provide the accommodation for shipping, and to secure the banks from further damage.