472

The metalling has been broken by the machine; flat stones pass though; but they have been rebroken on the ground; very few stones would not pass through a 2½ inch ring.

I consider the stipulation with regard to the gauge has been fairly fulfilled.

There are few, but very few, red pine rails used in the fencing; and there are no white pine rails; the sizes of the timber are also correct.

I was instructed to allow the fencing to be put up as it has been; it is a superior fence to that contracted for.

The timber used in the culverts and bridges is all of the description specified.

The Examination of Mr. Robert Mudge
Marchant.

Invercargill, Saturday, March 26th, 1864.

I am Railway Engineer. The works of the Bluff Harbour and Invercargill Railway are under my superintendence and control. The works are regularly inspected by me. Mr. Bailey is an inspector under me, and is employed on No. 1 contract. I do not remember that he has called my attention to any deviation from the contract; but he called my attention to some fencing, and a lot of rails were condemned in consequence; this was in the months of October and November last. He reports to me weekly; his reports, with the above exception, have always been satisfactory to me; no portion of the work liable to injury from such cause has been conducted in wet weather. Peat has been used to some extent in the formation of embankments Nos. 5 and 7, embankment No. 6 being merely surface forming. When the peat was wet and required it, it was first run into the seat of the embankment loosely, and left there to dry. It is specially provided in the contract that the material taken from the side drains shall be turned into embankment. Some of the embankments have been formed from side-cuttings instead of from the cuttings, in order to enable the contractor to complete the contract within the time specified, and to give the Province the benefit of the use of the railway at as early a date as was practicable. I do not consider the material that has been used equal in quality to that which might have been obtained from the cuttings. The cost of the maintenance of the line for the first six months may considerably exceed that which it would have been had the embankments been formed of the stuff from the cuttings; but after that

spoilt bank has been placed where any side drains will be necessary.

No. 5 embankment is chiefly composed of stuff from side cuttings, but it is all good material, and the bank is shallow; the material is chiefly sand, and the remainder is vegetable loam, the depth of which varies from 12 to 18 inches. At the time of making these side cuttings, the surface was dry; it had been dried by making large drains. The carts and horses were travelling over it. In forming the embankment, the sand and loam have been mixed, the side cutting having been taken right down, about 4 feet deep; this would give about 3 feet of sand to 1 foot of loam; no portion of the surface is completed, it is to be ballasted from No. 4 cutting. The vegetable loam has not been thrown up to dry, it was sufficiently dry when cut. No. 5 cutting is being used to form the embankment, and for ballasting some of it has been used upon the road.

Embankment No. 6 is very shallow, and formed with the stuff out of the drains; the stuff was dry when the road was formed; very little of this bank is yet formed. Between Nos. 4 and 5 cuttings, and near No. 5, several chains of the line are ballasted, no bank being required, the ground being upon the level of the line; after this part of the line was formed, it was eight or ten days before it was ballasted.

In no part of the line have I seen any roots of trees placed in the embankment. Fascines have been used in three instances where they were required, and no where else; in every other place the drainage is complete without them; the specification says they are to be used where required, that is, where there is any soft bottom or formation. There has been very little flax on the seat of formation, none higher than about 15 inches; it has not been cut anywhere but on the Mokomoko branch, because it did not require it; on the Mokomoko branch, the top surface, the vegetation has been removed altogether. All the permanent culverts have been properly made, according to specification, but temporary bridges have been made over drains for the contractor’s convenience. On the road to be made in connection with the railway, a great portion of the pitching is with large stones, some 18 inches long, and 12 inches wide, but in these cases the depth is much beyond that required in the contract, being from 12 to 15 inches, the pitching is laid longitudinally according to my instructions, the smaller stones are all pitched upon their edges.