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will be completed, together with the continua- tion to the present termination of the road beyond Mr. West’s, before winter, so as to make the communication independent of the New River and Mokomoko beaches, and to extend it full four miles; but from the Mokomoko down to Campbelltown the high road will be everywhere by the side of the Railway, and it will be much the most economi- cal. In fact, almost the only practicable way to construct both together. This has been provided for in the estimates, and it necessarily swells the amount considerably beyond what the Railway alone would have cost.

It is desirable that the highway should be everywhere on the inland side of the Railway, that is east of it down to the Mokomoko, and west of it below that point; the high road will therefore cross over the Railway at the northern foot of the Mokomoko hills.

From the description given, it will be seen that the curves and levels on this line are, with this one small and temporary exception, quite equal to those of the first-class railways in England. The ground over which it passes has all quite a sound bottom, with the ex- ception of about one mile of peat on the north flank of the Mokomoko hills: that one piece of soft ground is very favourably situ- ated for drainage; the surface consists of a tough fibrous mass which, when drained, shrinks, and, to a great extent, becomes solidified, so that, when covered with fascines and a low embankment, as has already been ‘done’ with the high road, it will sustain a way which, though perhaps in some degree elastic, will be secure and as little subject to wear and tear as any other portion.

The embankments are quite light, the largest being only ten feet high, and eighteen chains long, and the only bridges required are three timber ones of three bays, each of ten feet span, and one of one bay only.

The roadway must in any case be carried throughout a great portion of it on a low embankment, and the cuttings made sufficient to supply the material for it. The same course would have to be adopted, even if it were required only to construct a highroad, and when done it will be quite sufficient to carry any description of road; if then it should be determined to place upon it a very light per- manent way, no saving would be effected on the substructure.

Now, almost the whole commerce of South- land will pass over at least a considerable portion of this line. That commerce more than doubled itself last year: with the im- pulse which the colony will receive from this and other large works in progress, in addition to other causes in operation, it may be ex- pected to undergo at least another duplication in the present year: it would appear then to be a most mistaken economy to place on a road otherwise so excellent, a permanent way which would be unequal to the largest in- crease of traffic which circumstances render probable, especially considering that even should the traffic for sometime remain small, the wear and tear of a substantial way is far less than that of a light one.

In determining the kind of permanent way to be adopted, the choice lies essentially be- tween

1st. The very heavy and solid structures which have been employed on the Aus- tralian lines, of which the gauge is 5 feet 6 inches.

2nd. The very light one adopted on the Dun Mountain Railway, designed by Mr. Doyne, and recommended for general use with some modifications by Mr. Fitzgibbon, of which the gauge is from 3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 inches, or the equally light tramway for common vehicles pro- posed by Messrs. Cairns and Mackenzie; and

3rdly. Some way intermediate between these extremes, the most feasible of which, by far, is the old established English nar- row gauge of 4 ft. 8½ inches.

With regard to the first it is not necessary to say much. It is quite clear that the ordi- nary narrow gauge is fully equal to any wants this Colony can have, and every increase involves additional expense; even a less gauge would probably produce little or no eco- nomy, since all patterns and fittings in the English factories have been so long adapted to that particular gauge that any departure from it creates trouble and expense. If then any departure from the ordinary gauge should be adopted here, it surely would not be in the direction of increase.

The so called Dun Mountain Railway is in fact a very slight tramway; the gauge is only three feet, the rails having a weight of thirty pounds to the yard, and the line being laid on gradients of one in eighteen, and with curves ranging from one to ten chains radius. Such a structure is admirably fitted for the very difficult country which it traverses, and is a great triumph of skill over the greatest natural difficulties, but it is quite unfitted for locomotive traction, and it would be absurd to use it on an excellent line where none of the difficulties exist which it was specially designed to surmount.

The adoption of a tramway would not effect any very great saving in first construction over the description of road which I recommend, but it fitted for ordinary vehicles, its use would avoid the necessity of any rolling stock whatever, and would reduce the Stations and Staff to a mere establishment of toll collec- tors.

In an agricultural district such a line would present the most obvious advantages. I have already pointed out in a special report its applicability to an inland line in this Pro- vince, but for a communication between the capital of the Province and its ports I think it would be altogether inappropriate. On this line there would be few or no vehicles belong- ing to private parties requiring transit, since all the traffic would consist of goods and pas- sengers landed from ships, or of stone quar- ried on the line; and if the traffic is to take place only in the carriages belonging to the Railway there can be no doubt that it could be more economically carried on in the larger and stronger carriages suitable only for a Railroad, than in carts better adapted to