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consists of sand and gravel which would make a splendid embankment. I also noticed one culvert in embankment No. 5, in which there was no timber, either on the sides or the bottom, timber being only placed on the top, and running parallel with the line of railway.

In embankment No. 4 the line of railway has been altered, the curve increased, and the radius of the curve diminished; this brings the line of road upon higher ground, and consequently diminishes the height of the embankment; and in addition thereto the line enters the bank in cutting No. 3, a distance of about 150 yards nearer the Bluff than is specified in the contract, whereby also work is saved.

In the fencing cutting No. 3 the posts are not according to specification, the cross section in some of the posts exceeding 12 inches.

The distance between the posts is 8 feet, and there are no intermediate posts.

At the same cutting there is a large portion of the material put on the side as a spoil bank.

In embankment No. 3, north of the Waimatua Creek, the embankment is being formed out of the material taken from the side ditches, and from a side cutting alongside the line. The top surface of soft peaty stuff, and under it is soft sludgy sand. At the time of my seeing it the whole body of the embankment was being formed of these materials, the sand being used as ballast; the height of the embankment here would be from 3 to 5 feet. The bridge over the Waimatua Creek has, since it was finished, been lowered 20 inches, or 2 feet, thus decreasing the height of the embankments and increasing the gradient, unless the cuttings have also been lowered.

The principal portion of material taken from cutting No. 2 has been made a spoil bank, and embankment No. 2 is principally formed from material taken from the side drains; but a very small portion of this embankment has been completed.

A considerable quantity of the timber used for the bridges and drains is not of the description specified, viz., black pine or Totara. The peat that I have seen used in the embankment was used wet, and no attempt was made to dry it.

I consider the use of peat for an embankment very objectionable, even if properly dried, especially for a low embankment.

The cost of making spoil banks from the cuttings would be about 1s. to 1s. 3d. per yard; the formation of the embankment from a spoil cutting alongside the line might be done with the material at hand at 1s. per cubic yard.

The timber harbor facings for the embankments are of a very insufficient character, and are not calculated to retain the bank in its place. I have never seen the plans of the railway until now, and the distances mentioned by me may not be absolutely correct.

Examination of Mr. J. R. Davies.

Invercargill,
Thursday March 24th, 1864.

I am contractor for the portion of the railway works called No. 1 contract.

A large portion of the stuff from No. 2 cutting has been placed aside on the bank, most of it being gravel reserved for ballast, the rest, being principally lignite, has been thrown to spoil.

Throughout the line the side drains have been made sufficiently forward to protect the works in their progress, except at and near West’s, where the road drain answers the purpose; and in No. 3 cutting also, which is temporarily made on the incline to drain itself.

Cutting No. 4 being a very long one, for the sake of getting the work done in time a portion of the cutting has been thrown to spoil; some other portions of the material are gravel reserved for ballast, and where the cutting passes through gravel the slopes have been left temporarily for ballasting the line.

In both cases in which material from the cuttings has been thrown to spoil, I have had the permission of the Railway Engineer. I think that in both cases this authority has been given verbally only.

The peat or surface from the side cuttings which has been used in forming a portion of No. 5 embankment has not been used wet, but has been used with the sand that underlies it, and which is mixed with it in excavating it, the peaty surface being there only about a foot deep.

The side drain stuff has been turned into embankment according to specification. In cutting No. 6, the material for about 16 chains is quite unfit for the embankment, being nothing but sludge, and this is thrown out to spoil; the whole of this cutting was to have gone into embankment No. 7, but the deficiency caused as above has been supplied from side cuttings.

The material from the side ditches has been turned out and put to dry in the seat of the embankment throughout the line.

Roots of Trees have not been used in embankment No. 3.