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carried during the same period. Fully two-thirds of the entire amount were loaded at Wakefield. Taking these figures we have—Waitapu, 3,000,000 ft.; Westport, 1,893,720 ft.; Nelson, 1,204,560fi.: total, 6,098,280 ft. A large amount of timber is used in Eeefton and other parts of Nelson for mining purposes. I was assured that the Keep it Dark Company alone paid £800 per annum for timber, so that the aggregate value of the timber used in mining districts must amount to a large sum. Making a fair allowance for timber of this class, and for ordinary building timber, passing into local consumption direct from the mills, there can be no hesitation in estimating the total output of the Nelson District at 7,000,000 superficial feet per annum. To the above must be added an undetermined quantity used for shingles, fencing, firewood, &c, of which 3,520 tons passed over the Nelson and Belgrove Railway during the year ending the 31st March, 1884. It has been already stated that in many cases sawmillers have acquired the freehold of a certain amount of forest-land, in others the growing timber is purchased from the owner. Sometimes, however, the mills are supplied with logs from land leased under timber-license at the rate of 4s. per acre per annum, and recently land has been taken up for sawmill purposes under the agricultural leasing regulations at the annual rental of 10 per cent, on its assessed value, equivalent to 3s. per acre ; but no supervision is exercised over the working. About fifty acres are now under lease for sawmill- or firewood-cutting, the annual rents for which amount to £10. Miners have the right to cut timber on the land comprised under their leases without special payyment, but in most cases the timber is quickly cut out, and, as a rule, further supplies are obtained from Crown lands without the formality of paying royalty or license-fees. There is no apparent obstacle to the production of large numhers of railway-sleepers of the best quality at profitable rates to the resident settlers on the West Coast, as tooth-leaved and entireleaved beeches are abundant in the Mokihinui, Ngahakawau, and other districts. Coasting-craft and small steamers can enter the rivers at high-water, and load in safety, taking their departure with the following tide unless hindered by contrary windg.

MABLBOBOUGH. The Provincial District of Marlborough comprises 2,560,000 acres, of which rather more than one-fifth is covered with forest of varying quality. Nine-tenths of the forest is situated in the northern portion of the district, occupying the greater portion of the country between the Pelorus Sound and the Wairau Eiver. The patches of forest occurring in the Kaikoura Mountains and in the interior of the district are of no great extent, and possess merely a local value. In their general character the Marlborough forests resemble those of Nelson, but, owing to the greater abundance of tawa in certain districts, often make a close approach to the forests of the North Island in general appearance. A large portion of the forests consists chiefly of tooth-leaved and entire-leaved beech, as in Nelson, and a further resemblance is shown in the occasional occurrence of red-pine, white-pine, and kamai; although entire mountain-slopes are often covered with beeches alone in the upper part of the Mokutapu Valley. In the lowlands the beeches are of large size, and pines are of more frequent occurrence. In the best mixed forest the timber is often of unusually large dimensions, and exceptionally good quality. Large portions of the Kaituna Valley have been cut out, but some of the virgin forest still remaining is amongst the finest in the district; red- and white-pines of the largest size form the staple, and are interspersed with beeches of large dimensions. Many of the pines exceed 801!;. in length, and square from 24in. to 36in. at the base. In many places the forest is extremely dense. Near Mr. Hornby's sawmill I counted eleven stumps on a space measuring 26ft. by 12ft. ; a single stump only was less than 2ft. in diameter ; the others ranged from 24in. to 40in. Mr. Hornby assured me that numerous trees on the site of his mill had given between three and four thousand feet of boards and scantling. The forest-land in the district maybe conveniently divided into—(l.) Alluvial lands, such as the Kaituna Valley, described above. (2.) Level terrace-land, usually containing a large proportion of pines intermixed with beech. The pines under favourable conditions approach those of the low alluvial land in luxuriance of growth, but most frequently they are of smaller dimensions. (3.) Hill-sides, consisting almost entirely of beech, which varies greatly in size and quality. The Bai Valley is a fine forest, estimated to contain about 46,000 acres, of which few sections comprising about 1,000 acres have been sold, the remainder is still in the hands of the Government. In the lower parts it contains large quantities of fine pines mixed with tawa and occasionally with beeches. The pines are for the most part of good quality and of good lengths, especially the whitepine, but occasionally the trees are somewhat scattered, although not to such an extent as to materially diminish the average return per acre. Tawa is largely converted in this district, and is chiefly shipped for Christchurch, where it is locally employed in the manufacture of dairy-ware, tubs, buckets, &c. It sells at the same rates as red-pine. It is abundant in some parts of the Eai Valley, although not usually attaining the large dimensions which it frequently exhibits in the North Island. THE TIMBEE-TEADE IN MAELBOEOUGH. Fourteen sawmills are in operation in the district, and afford employment to about 175 men and boys. The annual output is estimated at 8,606,340 superficial feet. Five are situated in the 3—C. 3,