7

E.—Ba.

of the whole extent of the plains that could be brought under cultivation to yield anything but grass. I understand that the plains are capable of raising and maintaining about two or three thousand sheep ; but, in consequence of the absence of a good road, and the distance from the plains to the dray road at Hampden, it does not pay to shear more than five hundred sheep during the season. It is absolutely certain that no local traffic of any importance could ever be expected along the whole of this length, that is, from the Haupiri Flats to the Buller Biver. Along the valley of the Matakataki, here and there, are to be found gold-diggers at work; but the yield of this and the adjacent valleys is of a most precarious nature, being confined entirely to auriferous deposits, without any hope or reason to expect the discovery of gold-bearing rock. In the vicinity of Hampden there is a considerable area of bush land, which, if cleared, would be found to be adapted for agricultural purposes, and in point of quality far superior to that on the Marina Plains ; and the same may be said for some distance up the valley of the Matakataki, especially along the terrace at the east bank of the river. But the low lands adjoining the river, where some clearings have been made, is, I should imagine, subject to flood. However, the want of a good road through the valley is much felt, and is doubtless the cause of the land remaining as it is. The portion of this line along the Buller is well described by Mr. Bochfort in his report. (See Appendix, page 1.) From the junction of the Hope with the Buller Biver the whole of the way to Tophouse the line passes through a country that has nothing to contribute towards the support of a railway. The only open portion of country along this distance is at the Five-Mile Plains, which commences at the Devil's Grip and ends near Lake Boto-Iti, the land of which is notoriously cold and unproductive, no portion of it being capable of producing anything beyond a poor description of grass. This last line was examined with the view of connecting the Towns of Nelson and Blenheim, so that, should either of them at any time become the northern terminus of the main trunk line, it would become the means of bringing tho other place into communication with the railway system of the South Island. The examination of this route commenced at Tua Marina, a station on the Picton and Blenheim Bailway, with an alternative line (see sketch map) from Blenheim, the junction of the two lines bein<>placed on the north bank of the Wairau Biver. The line passes through the valleys of the Are-Are and Kaituna Bivers, to Havelock ; thence along the north bank of the Pelorus to its junction with tho Bai Bivers; here the line ascends the Bai Valley as far as a tributary called the Brown Biver, the course of which is followed up the saddle that forms tho dividing ridge of the Bai and Wangamoa Valleys. From the saddle the line follows the course of the Collins Biver to its junction with tho Wangamoa. The upward course of the Wangamoa Biver is then followed, passing over another saddle and down the Bluff Bock Biver into Happy Valley, crossing the Bivers Teal and Judd about half a mile above their junction, when, on leaving this valley, it passes over a third saddle into the district called Wakapuaka, to the sea beach, along which and inside the public road it passes to Nelson. This route was examined more particularly to satisfy tho wishes of the settlers and owners of land situate between the Towns of Nelson and Blenheim, as a portion of this lino passes through a fine timbered country. But any chance of a lino of railway ever being constructed by the Government as part of the general railway scheme must be considered very remote, as I have endeavoured to show in my report to the Engineer-in-Chief in the year 1876. (See Appendix, page 13.) Comparative Bemarks. Having described the routes of the various lines, and given an explanation of their character and general bearing in connection with the subject of a general railway scheme, I will now endeavour to treat of the reasons upon which I have based my opinions as to the route which I have advised should be takeii for the intercoastal line, and shown by a general comparison its superiority over the other ones, all of which I beg to submit for your further consideration. Whenever distances are stated in this report, they are the result of scaling from the sketch map, which, as before mentioned, may be considered sufficiently accurate for comparison, as, whatever difference from the true measurements may exist, all may be considered as partaking of the same error in proportion to the respective length of the lines. In reference to the approximate cost of these lines, you are as well aware as myself that there is no reliable data procurable whereon to base an estimate, as no railway works have as yet been constructed through this part of the Country. The only wajr by which even a loose approximation can be obtained is by assuming the cost at so much per mile over parts of the country that partake of the same character, which, in the case before us, is not so difficult from that point of view, as the whole of the lines examined partake of one or other of the two distinctive characteristics—namely, open and level terraces, or rough and stony bush land; and it is by such means and these alone that an approximation can be obtained. Intercoastal Line. The line that, in my opinion (and which has been arrived at after mature consideration, and based upon a general knowledge of the country), should become the intercoastal line is that following the route as shown upon the sketch map by a double red line. It comprises portions of the several lines that have been examined, but by its distinctive representation upon the sketch map I think will be readily seen. The only line that may be considered as entering into competition with it for about one-half of its entire length is part of lines 2 and 3, which passes from the junction of lines at Waikari over the Hurunui and Waiau Plains, and thence along the Waiau Biver to the junction of the Hope and Kiwi Bivers. For the purpose of ascertaining which of these two lines was in reality the best in every respect, I strongly recommend that they should be surveyed. Still, at the same time, I felt certain that, when all the leading points for consideration were brought into comparison, the result would serve to prove the superiority in every respect of the one recommended via Lake Sumner,