1.—6.

On arriving at the Waikato Hirer the line might cross in. one span of 40ft. above the Huka Fails, where the level of the hsd of volcanic rock through which the water has cut a channel ia 1,110 ft.; the line would then have to bench up the terraces on north-wost bank, but, as those are here very steep and broken. 1 have shown the line de vccding oi: ihe south-e :v.t bank on tliG skew with the river, in sideling oi '2 or 3 to 1, principally pumice, and about liidi a mile iiLi'diei- dov,n the river, and then crossing, with two bridges of OOl't. and 100 ft. span, at a height of 70ft. above the river ; at this site them in an island ultoul eight chains in length, and there is just room for a reverse curve; the line would then rise in cutting* up to the terrace at !)5 miles, near the junction of the Wair^kei Creek but above it, on its south-west bank. A detailed survey, with cross sections, will be required to fix which of the two modes of crossing would bo the cheaper. At Wairakei there will be some bn.il <rrour.d for working in near the hot springs, but I think the line can be kept above the worst portion, and the creek followed to its head near the crossing of the Main North Eoad, about 30 chains beyond which in a small watershed near Oruanui, where some heavy cutting will bi> required in volcanic rock. In descending to the Ongarahu there is a long dry gully, which may be made use of to assist the cutting; and I think on reaching near the mouth of tins the line should bond round sharply to the left (possibly requiring a few chains of tunnel through a rocky spin-), and then grade down to the bed of the Ongarahu through some gently-sloping ground. The Ougarahu may be easily followed to near Pukem ore more, tin: banks being low, and its comse being tliunigh a lolerably open valley, consisting of shallow swamps and low hillocks of pumice. At 107 miles a low ridge at the foot of Pukemoremoro <lhidef> the Ongarahu from the Waipapa Creek, and here a choice of two routes can be made. I will first mention the one. marked on plans and section as '■ Deviation." This line would follow down the Waipapa Creek to the Waikato liiver, where a:i expensive bridge, of probably sJOOft . span, would be required; but after crossing the river it may be followed down on its right bank for fourteen miles, without any very heavy work, on terrace ilats, which are not intersected by any very bad gullies. From 121 miles t0'122 miles, on " deviation," the spurs from "Whakai n'aru rifle abruptly ovesr the river, but with occasional rock-cuttings there is room to get round them, and the terrace flats open out again for a width of a quarter of a mile, and present no difficulty up lo UOmileson deviation near the Ko poke-rain Stream, after which there, would be some heavy cutting hi sideling. Besides the bridge being proba.bly costly, tlie objection to tbe deviation would be that it is three miles longer than tbe line as laid down on maps. The line as laid down on plans, instead of branehiug down the Waipapa at 107-1 miles, crosses the Waipapa Creek at the, junction of two small streams, and rises with moderate gradients in the direction of tbe Waipapa Hush, as far as about 112 miles, through some swamps of no great depth, and among hillocks of from 50ft. to 150 ft. high covered with poor tussock grass. There are several good patches of bush in this locality growing on high Hats and ridges, the position of which is marked upon the plans ; they contain a large proportion of totara trees, and there is a noticeable improvement in the soil where the bush is; there is less depth of pumice, « hieh has probably been washed down at some period into the, lower-lying lands. At 112 miles the line bends sharply to the left, still rising towards the saddle ai a biv;4. ir he. hill* failed ,\gatakurua, at about 113 miles. Through this pass the Maori track leads to Kihikihi. Tbe line would then descend quickly to the Potangotango Creek, and down the banks of it to near the Whakakaho, a very prominent hill with broken angular outlines. In following this creek some heavy cuttings would be necessary, principally in pumice, and the line should be kept at about 40ft. abo\c the creek, utilizing occasional terraces. At 121 miles, at a level of about 750 ft., the line leaves the creek and slopes with a more gentle descent to the lUangakmo Creek, winch con tains a considerable volume oi' water, but maybe crossed with two spans, of a total length of 1 -H)h., at a height of about 100 ft. above the water, and at about 10 chains from the junction of the Waikato River. On my first journey through this country I kept entirely on the western side of the Waikato, with aview of seeing il a line could be got without i.-rossii'g and reerossing that river. I found the ground pretty fair as far as the next big creek (also called Waipapa), but beyond this there is a narrow range or ridge rising abruptly some SOOii. above that creek, and called .Moetahanga: it readies down to the Waikato ; and further on then; is n, higher range, of which the plineipal hill is called Wharepuhunga. This whole range is covered with bush, and extends down to the Waikato. On its northern slopes it is intersected by deep ravines, especially one called the, Waipare. The difficulties caused by these obstructions would be too great for the location of a line entirely on the western side of the Waikato ; so that I propose to iollov, the Wiukato River closely on its right or eastern bank, crossing over to it at about TJ7 miles, at the spot shown on plans. The river here goes over a fall of about 15ft., and above this again there are several rapids. I think the river can Le crossed just above the fall by s, bridge oi IGOft. in length, and that a pier could be built into the rocky bed of the river in order to divide the bridge into two spans. The country on the, eastern side now consists of high fern downs broken up by volcanic action, Mild unsuitable lor a line; but the watershed on those downs runs nearly parallel with the river and only a few miles back from it, and the water reaches tho Waikato, from the eastern side of this ridge, only by running northwards for some miles beyond tho Waotu. Consequently there are few stream-chantiels intersecting the eastern bank of the river, which consists usually of a cliff of volcanic rock about "100 ft. high, with a slope of about 2 to 1 of loose rock and pumico below the cliff; or else a t"rrace-ilat, at. a beigbt ol about liUi't. to Klft. above the river, h to be found at the foot of the chit. There are several -purs of volcanic rock which would probably require short tunnels, not exceeding,1I think, a total of -10 chains in length. There would be a good deal of heavy rockcutting in places, but the ground would be all solid and free from slips, and the long stretches of narrow Hats would allow the cost ol the work on [his portion lo be reduce;! to an ordinary average. Sear the Waotu tbe bills rise to a considerable height at a mile from the river, but the tlats on the river-bank below are well adapted for a lino,

97