D.—No. 16,

8

REPORT BY MR. HALCOMBE, IMMIGRATION OEEICER.

3. The road suggested by the Porewa Valley from the settled district of Bangitikei will undoubtedly form a part of the shortest and best route to the interior plains. The point we reached is very nearly half-way to the open country under Buapehu, and not only is there no difficulty in making a road so far, but peculiar facilities exist. The line is very direct; the land level; there is no stream of any consequence to deal with, and all up the Porewa Valley there is abundance of gravel. From the point reached we could see plainly that the road could be extended without any difficulty for four or five miles more among the low broken hills; and this would bring us within a very short distance of the rolling fern country which both Mr. Hogg and Mr Hales speak of as easy when they traversed it on their way down to the Turakina Biver from the plains. The Maoris of the district also assert the feasibility of such a line; and the lay of the country, as seen from where we were, confirms this view. Though I have no doubt now upon this point myself, I much regret that want of time and the approach of bad weather prevented my going through to the plains; but I hope to be able in the early summer to place beyond a doubt this matter, which is of so great importance to the interests of the West Coast Districts, and the satisfactory solution of which will be the means of opening as extensive and fine a field for successful immigration as is to be found in this Island. I have, &c, A. Follett Halcombe, The Hon. Minister for Public Works. Immigration Officer.

APPENDIX B. INDEBTEDNESS of IMMIGRANTS ex "England," located near Masterton.

Names. No. of Statute Adults. Promissory Notes for Passage. Coat of Location. Advance for Tools, &c. Total. £ s. d. £ s. d. 3 0 0 4 10 0 4 10 0 4 10 0 elled. 5 5 0 5 5 0 3 0 0 5 5 0 3 15 0 3 0 0 1 10 0 3 15 0 4 10 0 4 10 0 4 10 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 1 10 0 1 10 0 1 10 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 1 10 0 1 10 0 1 10 0 £ s. d. 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 27 2 Dead. 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 53 14 4 1 17 2 1 17 2 63 7 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 63 7 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 1 17 2 £ s. 4 17 30 7 30 7 30 7 d. 2 2 2 2 Wellington, John ... Larsen, Peter Mai, Petersen Neilsen, Peter Larsen, Neills Petersen, Jens. P. ... Halberz, Magnus ... Larsen, Basmus Amundsen, Ole Christensen, Gunder Olsen, Ole... Ericksen, Christopher Neilsen, Neills Jesperson, Johann ... Bosen, Ole Larsen, Hans Andersen, Neills Larsen, Thorsten Jorgensen, Jens Neilsen, Jorgen A. ... Neilsen, Didrick Cullen, William Aulin, Henry Byers, Bobert Brand, John Swenson, John 2 3 3 3 3 131 33! 2 31 21 42 32f 3 SH 831 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 I 24 0 0 24 0 0 24 0 0 Cane 28 0 0 28 0 0 16 0 0 28 0 0 20 0 0 19 15 6 13 2 4 19 11 3 24 0 0 26 0 0 26 0 0 8 0 0 8 7 7 8 0 0 8 0 0 8 0 0 a•3J «r o •-I CD 35 2 35 2 20 17 35 2 25 12 24 12 16 9 25 3 32 4 32 7 32 7 14 7 13 4 11 7 11 7 11 7 4 17 0 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 2 2 2 2 2 8 6 5 4 2 2 2 9 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 365 16 8 81 15 0 51 6 4 498 18 0 1 £4 remitted. 3 £4 remitted. * £2 remitted; child died on v< 4 £4 remit s Tools foi 6 Marriagf ;ted ; wife died on voyage. • son. ! certificate. >yage.