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very slowly, increasing in size. The land plans for the Westport-Ngakawau Eailway have been finished for some time. Westport. Harbour Works. — The training-wall on the northern side of the river has been continued during the year and extended 1,026 feet, which brings it almost as far as it is intended to. go. There have been 11,400 tons of stone deposited, as against 5,700 in the fifteen months ending last March, and the average cost of the wall has been reduced from £9 10s. to £6 10s. per lineal foot. The immediate object in commencing this particular part of the harbour works was the closing-up of the northern channel then existing. This has been fully attained, and large accumu-. lations of shingle have taken place behind the wall, but it is difficult to say whether the bar will be appreciably affected. The whole country in the vicinity of Westport has been carefully examined to ascertain the locality from which a large quantity of stone can be most economically obtained for the harbour works. The result is that Cape Foulwind is found to be the most suitable for the works on the south side of the river, and the Nine-mile Quarry for those on the north side. If the works are to proceed vigorously, and in the most economical manner, it will be necessary to lay a temporary line of railway to both places. Enclosure No. 2 gives a table showing the depth on the Buller bar at each high water of springand neap-tides, from June, 1879, to March, 1884. It is compiled from information kindly supplied by the Harbourmaster. Geeymouth to Nelson Ceeek Eailway. Railway.— The only construction-works in progress on the open portion of this line are minor additions to stations, water-services, and the Greymouth engine-shed and workshop. The land plans of the Greymouth-Nelson Creek Eailway, so far as opened, are all finished. A contract for the extension seawards for 450 feet of the wharf at Greymouth was entered into in October, but the: work has not yet begun; the delay is caused by the non-arrival of the Australian timber. Greymouth Harbour Works.— Although the advance in the breakwater is considerably less, the quantity of materials excavated and deposited during the past year is much the same as in the two previous years. This and other leading points of comparison are shown in the following table :— '

The increase of cost per ton this year is due to the larger size of stone required as the work advances into heavier seas. As shown by the above statement, the proportion of quarried materials that cannot be used in the breakwater is constantly increasing, and latterly the weight of the blocks has occasionally reached twenty tons. During the last three months the stone has been tipped from staging as designed by Sir John Coode, instead of the solid mound previously adopted. The alteration has not affected any material saving in cost, but it enables the stone to be more nearly deposited in its proper place at once, the smaller blocks in the centre. The length of breakwater yet to be done is about 630 feet, and the balance remaining out of the original estimate is about £59,000, equal to £94 per lineal foot. So far as can be judged at present, this will be sufficient. The section naturally taken by the breakwater approximates very closely to that shown on Sir John Coode's plans. The experience of another year testifies further to the success of the Greymouth Harbour works, as more particularly described in my last annual report. The following table, which gives an abstract of the depths for the last four years, shows the alteration that is taking place on the bar:—

Enclosure No. 2 gives the depth of water on the Grey bar at each high water of spring- and neap-tides every month from June, 1879, to March, 1884. The statement is prepared from information kindly supplied by the Harbourmaster and the captain of the tug " Dispatch." Geeymouth to Hokitika Eailway. - The principal work in progress during the year is the formation of about 50 chains at the Hokitika end, for which a contract was let in September; 6,000 sleepers have also been supplied by contract. 7—D. 1.

1881-82. 3882-E3. 1883-84. Stone quarried and placed in breakwater Juarry refuse deposited in reclamation .. Tons 69,800 16,700 56,200 32,200 46,900 36,000 Total materials obtained .. „ 86,500 88,400 82,900 idvance of breakwater Lineal feet - 830 310 183 rverage cost per ton of all materials in place lost of breakwater per lineal foot £ £ 0 2 10 14 0 0 0 2 10| 41 0 0 0 3 4 79 0 0

Number of Days in each Year on which the Depi Sh occurred. Depth of Water on Bar. 1880-81. 1881-82. 1882-83. 1882-83. 1883-94. Under 10 feet 10 feet and under 12 feet 12 feet and under 14 feet 14 feet and under 16 feet 16 feet and over 165 140 57 3 Nil 130 144 90 2 Nil 16 78 230 40 1 27 85 123 100 30

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