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THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
(Judicial Branch,)
Wellington, 1st December, 1870.
HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
appoint
HENRY ARROW, Esq.,
to be Clerk at Waipawa of the District Court of
Hawke's Bay, and of the Resident Magistrate's
Court for the District of Napier and Waipukurau.
W. GISBORNE.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
(Judicial Branch,)
Wellington, 7th December, 1870.
HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
accept the resignation by
EDMUND GILLOW, Esq.,
of Westwood, near Riverton, of his appointment as a
Justice of the Peace.
HENRY SEWELL
(in the absence of Mr. Gisborne).

Colonial Secretary's Office,
(Judicial Branch,)
Wellington, 7th December, 1870.
HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
appoint
GEORGE RAYNER, Esq., of Ngaruawahia, and
GORDON CHARLES VERNON TISDALL, Esq., of
Alexandra, Auckland,
to be Justices of the Peace for the Colony.
HENRY SEWELL
(in the absence of Mr. Gisborne).

Colonial Secretary's Office,
(Judicial Branch,)
Wellington, 7th December, 1870.
HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
appoint
JACKSON KEDDELL, Esq., J.P.,
to be a Resident Magistrate for the Resident Magis-
trate's District of Hauraki.
W. GISBORNE.

Public Works Office,
Wellington, 2nd December, 1870.
THE following Report from Mr. John Rochfort, on
the proposed Railway Line from Featherston to
the Hutt Valley, is published for general informa-
tion.
W. GISBORNE.

Wellington, 1st December, 1870.
SIR,—I have the honor to report that I have com-
pleted the trial line from Featherston to the Hutt
Valley, choosing an exit from the bush at Mr.
Cruickshank's tunnel, as suggested by Dr. Hector,
for reasons which I will refer to presently. Com-
mencing at Featherston the line runs nearly level,
working gradually on to the terrace at the rear of
Mr. Lucena's house; this part is open, and without
any difficulty worth referring to, and is about two
and a half miles.

From thence the line will make a slight bend into
Mr. Lucena's valley, to preserve the level and con-
tinue on to the low downs, on the south side.
Crossing them about one mile from Mr. Lucena's, the
gradient changes to about 1 in 43 (the clinometer
was set at 1 in 40, but a liberal allowance was made on
each observation, which might perhaps decrease the
grade to 1 in 45), and winds round the next valley,
which has two branches, and then creeps around the
several branches of Cross's Valley, until it reaches
the saddle with the same constant gradient, excepting
the upper parts of the valleys, which are made level
to facilitate bridging.

The saddle is distant about eleven miles from
Lucena's Valley: There are many gullies which
will require bridging at the points of crossing,
and also spurs, which will have to be cut back or
through to form the curves, with a minimum radius
of 5 chains. On the other hand there is very
little rock, and many miles of side-cuttings on hills,
with easy slopes and natural ballast. Another
favourable feature is the large supply of black birch
timber all along the line, available for sleepers,
bridges, &c.

I estimate the height of the saddle to be 1,230
feet above Abbott's at Featherston, without the
cutting, but aneroid observations cannot be relied
on to within a few feet. I also ascertained the
Pass to be 401 feet below the coach road, or, with the
cutting, 431 feet. The saddle is narrow, and slate
rock is found a foot below the surface at the spot
where the tents stood on your visit.

Descending the Pakuratahi with the same gradient,
the features are somewhat similar to those on the west
slope for about a mile down. Here the line crosses
another saddle, being part of a spur which divides
two branches of the river, obviating the necessity
of circumventing a long, rough-looking range. This
was fortunately crossed without altering the gradient
allowing a small cutting of seven feet. After
this the hills have easier slopes, and about half-
way down the line winds round a flat valley, having
three branches, one of which lies exactly behind the
roadmen's houses on the Rimutaka Road, which at this
point cannot be more than a mile distant. Thence
the line approaches the Pakuratahi River, follows
down to its level without any difficulty of importance,
and crosses at a favourable point for a bridge, which
will be about two chains long. The distance from the
saddle is approximately seven miles, and the fall
483 feet. I may here mention that the whole valley
is full of wild cattle, and the soil generally is good.
In Nelson the settlers are clearing far worse land
under the Leasing Act.

From the bridge site the line drops about 32 feet,
to the top level of the Mangaroa Hill; but as this
height was taken in the river bed, the bridge level
will make the two points about equal. The Manga-
roa Hill is crossed about a third of a mile to the
east of the road, with a cutting of 32 feet. The
ground is far better on this side of the river, with
gentle slopes and fewer gullies, and chiefly gravel.
The line crosses the coach road twice, the first
time about a mile from the Golden Fleece Hotel,
which may serve as a station for the district.
There is a very fine bush flat between the line and
the hotel, which will doubtless be rendered pro-
ductive by its owners when the line is made.
The highest point of the Mangaroa Hill is about four
miles from the river crossing, and is nearly all level.

From the Mangaroa Hill the line descends 1 in 55,
crossing a valley at a white pine flat. This is the only
swampy piece of ground on the line, but it has a hard
bottom 2 feet down, and is only 5 chains long, and
will drain easily into the creek close by. Once across
this swamp, the falling gradient follows the hill side of
the main valley; and about two miles from the Manga-
roa Hill changes to level, to strike the Kaitoki Hill a
mile and a half further on. This hill which starts
from the main range, has a low dip, through which
I cross; and then rising, continues its course quite to
the gorge of the Mangaroa, ending in the bluff high
cliffs and terraces on the north side of the gorge of
that river. This obstacle required me to cut the
line three times, before I could cross in a place
which satisfied me that I was making the line as
short as possible. No difficulty occurs from the