1.—6.

alternative lino enters the puiniee-sioue country, which extends the romaindor of the distance, viz., to 123 miles, where tho line, as described, would join Mr. Eochfort's, at a distance of 25 miles from Te Awamutu. The construction-work., required would be moderate over a considerable length of the line, but very costly over other portions; the formation averaging probably a little over £4,000, and this with rails, rolling-stock, stations, Ac,, added, would amount to a total of about £7,000 per mile, not including cost of land. I have, Ac, R. W. Holmes, The Engineer-in-Chief, Wellington. Eesident Engineer

No. -2. Mr. A. J. Eawson to the Chief Surveyor, New Plymouth. Sot,— New Plymouth, 30th April, 1884. I have the honour to forward the following report:— Though my late journey through a portion of the King country was strictly to explore for a railway route, yet, as that journey took mo through a considerable, tract of little-known country, I have thought it would be perhaps affording useful information to forward a brit-f report of the nature of the country from a settlement point of view, more especially as the broken character of the country along iiie coast is lo intend much *f wilier inland than it in reality does. After leaving the Tongoporutu, until arriving at the Makarakia, the country is broken and unfit for settlement, judging by what can be seen from the track, but the Makarakia has a fair bush valley and so has the Waitara. The Tangarakau is a narrow hush valley, almost gorge, with abrupt ridges on either side, but the creeks running into it have, many of them, fairly good small bash valleys, and there is some good hush tableland at the head of the river. The Eao drains about 40,000 acres, and has a line hush valley, the soil being a rich river deposit, and the bush containing some line timber and light scrub free from supplejack. The hills are mostly easy, and fit for grazing. Koads could be got through the valley and into the Tangarakau and Ma-ugaroa. The Mangaroa and the "Waitohena drain about 60,000 acres, and joining form the Mangaroa, which flows into the Ohura. The land in the main valley and the two branches is of the same nature, being bush, with scattered patches of scrub and fern land of good quality. The valley is wide and level, the r=oil lining a rich river deposit. The hill* towards the Tangarakau and Mokau are bigb and broken, but towards the \\ aikaka and Ohura they are lower, mostly suitable for grazing, the soil being of good quality. The bush is scattered heavy timber, with light underscrub, fret; from supplejack. Kernels could be got up and down the valley and into the head of tho Eao and into tho Ohura ;U die junction of tho "Mangaroa and that, nver, and about three miles below tho junction of iho Waikaka and Ohura. The Waikaka drains about 80,000 acres. It has a good valley, as have most of the branches opening into it. About half the country so drained by this river is fern laud, half of which is light fern land from having been over burnt; the rest is bush and scrub, the soil of which is of very good quality. The \ alley is suitable for a rand, as are most of the valleys opening into it. The Ohura drains about 7-3,000 acres. \\ lib the exception of two or three miles the whole of this valley is lit for settlement; these two or three miles lie from the Taupo track down stream, the immediate valley being smothered in pumice-stone, which pumice-stone extends ihruagb the narrow valley to the Ongaruhe, and for some distance up and down that river. The Ohura Valley is half fern, half bush and scrub, (he southern side bein^ mostly fern, as the Xatives have apparently _ had clearings on that side. (The Waikato tribes are said to have been driven into these valleys by the Ngapuhi.) About, half this fern land has been deteriorated bj being frequently burnt, probably r^qjinn;; a. long period of sheep-grazing te recover its original tone; but, where not so burnt, (be tutu and fern arc heavy, -.bowing good soil. Tho bush land is invariably of the best quality. Tho hills sloping into the valley are not abrupt, and could mostly be ploughed. There is plenty of good timber (rnnu, kiihikaleu, iiuilai and totara) scait.eved through the valley, many spots being suitable for mills. This river, like the Manama and Waikakn. can for long distances be navigated by canoe. The « bole length of the valley could be traversed by a road ; branch roads could also be got into all the surrounding valleys. Tho Mokau-iti.—This blanch of the Mokau drains about 45,000 acres, chiefly an open fern valley, intersected by swamps and do.ted b) kahikatea clumps. The swamps will "be perhaps fcbo best part of the valley in the future, as., from the river and its branches having a good fall with banks from ten to twenty feet high, the\ will be easily drained, the swamps, being oi the same nature as ■those T have seen drained in the Rangitikei-Mariawatu District, affording fine summer pasturage. The kahikatea bush is in sufliciont quantity to be worked by mill:;. The fern land has in parts iieui ovor cropped and over burnt by the Xatives, but would take grass well; tho rest of the fern land is of good quality, more especially on tho slopes of the hills. Grey limestone crops out of the hills in large quantities in several places, and clay suitable for pottery is plentiful throughout the valley. The, whole valley can be easily Unversed by roads, one of which could <;o over into"the bead of the Ohura and another into the Waikaka. Coal of the same nature as the Mokau coal, and apparently part of the same seam, is to be found cropping out in several places on the Tangarakau and at the head of the Eao, the seam where seen being four or five feet thick with a slight dip to the south.

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