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This line of road starts at Deep Creek Bridge and terminates at the junction of the track leading to the quartz reefs up Dead-horse Creek with the track from the Forks. It follows generally the contour of the spurs on the eastern side of the river, with ascending grades all the way. The first quarter of a mile is through open and comparatively level country, and the remainder through hilly and heavily-timbered country. This section will be more expensive to make than the Canvas TownDeep Creek section, owing to the length of side-cutting, about If miles, and the rock being close to the surface. One bridge of 30ft. span will be required on this section, and one large culvert of from Bft to 10ft. Henry G. Clark, Chief Surveyor.

NELSON. Hampden to Maruia. —The two final contracts for this horse-track, Nos. 12 and 13, 5 miles in length, were completed in the early part of the year, the cost of which was £684 15s. sd. The total length of horse-track, constructed with dray-road gradients, is 26f miles, on which the total expenditure is £7,200 7s. This road opens out a block of land of ten thousand acres in the Maruia Valley, which it is proposed to sectionize during the next year. The road has been handed over to the Inangahua County Council, who are now maintaining it. Tadmor and Sherry to Butter Boad — Dray-road. —This line of road is being constructed for the purpose of opening out a block of about ten thousand acres in the Tadmor Valley, which would not otherwise be available. Very good gradients have been obtained, and, when the construction is continued so as to connect with the main West Coast Eoad in the Hope Valley, a great deal of traffic will probably pass to the West Coast from Nelson by this road, instead of going by the present road over the Hope Saddle, which is higher in altitude and of steeper grades. During the year contracts Nos. 14 to 19 inclusive have been completed a distance of 12 miles. The expenditure during the year is £3,110 14s. 4d., and the total cost to date is £3,527 12s. 6d. The bush has been felled 66ft. wide, clearing 14ft., and formation 12ft., with partial metalling on fillings, bridge-approaches, and soft ground. The survey has been completed, and plans and specifications are ready for the remainder, a distance of 5f miles, yet required for completion of the work. A line for a dray-road has been surveyed up Slippery Creek and Sherry Valley for a length of 4f miles, which would probably open up a block of about two thousand acres of land similar to that in the Tadmor Block. Orinoco and Bosedale Dray-road.- —This work, which consists in opening out the old horse-track into a dray-road, has been undertaken by the Pangatotara Eoad Board. Survey plans and specifications have been prepared by the department, and the contracts let by the Board, subject to supervision. Two contracts 4 miles in length have been completed during the year, and the remainder, necessary to connect the new and old portions of the road, is nearly completed. The expenditure on this work has been £985. TakaJca to Karamea Horse-track. —Mr. H. Tarrant has been employed on this line, which passes through an exceedingly rough country, heavily timbered. The grades are very steep, and construction would be very costly. A distance of 10 miles has been graded, plans and specifications prepared, and the line has been surveyed for a further distance of 4 miles, making a total of 16 miles, at a cost of £300, when Mr. Tarrant left for the Maruia. Maruia and Amuri : Horse-track on Stock Boad, Canterbury, Amuri, and Westland. —Mr. H. Tarrant has graded this road from Cannibal Gorge, Maruia, over the Lewis Saddle, to the junction of the Lewis and Boyle Eivers, a distance of 15f miles. Plans and specifications are being completed. The expenditure to date is £326 9s. 9d., and the estimated cost of construction, £3,000. Aniseed Valley Boad.- —This road has been surveyed and graded for a dray-road for a distance of 9f miles, for which specifications have been prepared. A contract, No. 23, for 2J miles is in progress at the lower end of the valley. Branch roads from the main valley line have been graded up the Serpentine, Miner Eiver, and Toi Gully. The branch of the Miner was reported upon by Mr. H. Gordon, Mining Inspector. The length of these is 4f miles, on which no work has been undertaken. Baton to Karamea. —Improvement of road: This work has been in the hands of the Upper Motueka Eoad Board under vote to Waimea County of £200. Work has been done in two sections, consisting of rock-blasting of some bad points and construction, to avoid two dangerous rivercrossings. This has amounted to £154 18s. 6d. The balance of £45 Is. 6d. has been expended in removing bad points, necessary culverts, and construction of short lengths of road. The whole work was completed in March. These works, being undertaken by the department, have, in connection with surveys, necessitated a great deal of travelling on visits of inspection during the year. John S. Browning, Chief Surveyor.

WESTLAND. Mapourika to Gillespie's Boad. —A contract for sections 7 to 12, length 6 miles, clearing 33ft., formation 9ft., and metal sft., was in progress at the beginning of the year. Three miles of this contract were then finished, and the remaining three were completed in November last. The contract price for sections 7to 12 was £3,073 145.; extras, £51 10s.: total, £3,125 4s. To reach the large extent of good land in Cook's Eiver Valley, and to give through inland communication from Gillespie's to Okarito, an extension of 6 miles to across Clearwater Stream is required. The survey of the road to Gillespie's has feeen completed, and specifications, plans, and sections for the above 6 miles are prepared;, ready for calling for tenders. Mahitahi to Haast Boad. —The last five miles of this road —sections 25 to 29—were also in course of construction at the beginning of the year, and the work was completed in March, 1884. There remained then only the erection of the Moeraki suspension foot-bridge, and the general