D.—s

34

No. 93. Mr. T. Calcutt to the Hon. the Ministee for Immigeation. Sic,— Nelson, 11th March, 1874. Eeferring to, and in accordance with, your instructions to me in Auckland on the 28th February ultimo, I have the honor to state that I have visited and inspected the lands referred to in the letter of His Honor the Superintendent of Nelson to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, of date 21st February, 1874 (copy herewith), and more particularly described in the Nelson Government Gazette (also herewith), and numbered respectively A, B, C, and D, applying for the assistance of the General Government to enable the Superintendent to make, as therein named, the four blocks of land set aside for special settlements available without delay, by means of continuing the existing dray road further down the Buller Valley, and asking therefor on loan the aggregate sum of £20,000, and to report, for your information, that in my opinion this amount may, for the purposes mentioned in tho said letter, and in terms more particularly of the two last paragraphs thereof, be fairly and safely advanced. With respect to the settlement, by newly-arrived immigrants, of any or all these lands, I am clearly of opinion, after considering the matter thoroughly and from all points of view, that such a course would be premature and contain all the elements of failure, until, at any rate, the contemplated roads are completed for dray traffic. The total area in the four blocks computes to 70,000 acres, but I wish it to be distinctly understood that, in my opinion, the following is the approximate area of anything like level available land, viz.:—Block A, 5,000 acres ; block B, 5,000 acres ; block C, 15,000 acres, and block D, 3,000 ; making a total of 27,000 acres saleable in the market for about £23,000. The remainder of the 70,000 acres, namely, 47,000 acres, principally if not wholly mountain bush land, would at the same market rates probably realize £10,000 to £12,000 pounds. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, N.Z. , Thomas Calcutt.

Enclosure in No. 93. Extbact from Nelson Government Gazette No. 6, of .31st January, 1873. (A. —This is the best block, say 5,000 acres fair land, densely wooded, and level.) 1. Sampden Block. All that block of land on the south side of the River Buller, containing 14,000 acres, or thereabouts, the boundaries being as follows: —Commencing at the mouth of Doughboy Creek, on the bank of the Eiver Buller ; thence in a Southerly direction for a distance of four miles ; thence in an Easterly direction for a distance of six miles, crossing the rivers Matakitaki and Blackwater, to the bank of the Eiver Mangles ; thence by the Eiver Mangles to its junction with the Eiver Buller ; and thence down the Eiver Buller to the mouth of Doughboy Creek. Excepting the town and suburban sections of Hampden, all land held under license or lease, or which are now under application for lease or license under any ofthe provisions of " The Gold Fields Act, 1866," or any Act amending the same now or heretofore in force regulating the sale, leasing, or other disposal of the waste lands of the Crown within the Province of Nelson, and all land known to be auriferous or to contain minerals of value. (B. —This is fair land, but 5,000 acres would compass all available flat land in the block. Also densely wooded.) 2. Matiri Block. All that block of land on the north side of the Eiver Buller, containing 25,000 acres, or thereabouts, the boundaries being as follows, viz.—Commencing at a point near peg No. 430 of Mr. Poster's traverse ; thence North for a distance of six miles; thence West for a distance of seven miles ; thence South to the bank of the Eiver Buller to the mouth of the small stream running into the Eiver Buller at the western boundary of Mr. Jecklyn's freehold land ; and thence by the bank of the Eiver Buller to the said point near peg No. 430. Excepting all lands held under license or lease, or which are now under application for lease or license under any of the provisions of " The Gold Fields Act, 1866," or any Act amending the same now or heretofore in force regulating the sale, leasing, or other disposal of the waste lands of the Crown within the Province of Nelson, and all land known to be auriferous or to contain valuable minerals. (C. —This is principally open land, but poor. Only fit for gracing purposes.) Maeuia Block. All that block of land on the south side of the Eiver Buller, containing 21,000 acres, or thereabouts, the boundaries being as follows : —Commencing at a point on the bank of the Eiver Maruia, four miles below the junction ofthe Eiver Warwick with the Eiver Maruia; thence East for a distance of about three miles to the bank of the Eiver Warwick at its junction with the Eiver Deception ; thence South for a distance of eleven miles ; thence West for a distance of two miles ; and thence by a straight line to a point on the bank of the Eiver Maruia where this boundary commences. (D. —This is the least valuable of any of the blocks —say 3,000 acres level.) Owen Block. All that block of land on the north side of tho Eiver Buller, containing 10,000 acres, or thereabouts, the boundaries being as follows : —Commencing at the Buller Eiver, at a point near Peg 260, on Mr. Poster's traverse^ and running in a northerly direction from the Eiver Buller for a distance of six miles ; thence by a line West magnetic for a distance of four miles; thence by a line running in a