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No. 16. The Chairman, Harbour Board, Westport, to the Under-Secretary, Public Works. (Telegram.) 12th April, 1892. Have Government conferred with Mr. Bell re training-walls ? If not, Board will do so to-day Please reply early. JNO. J MOYNIHAN, Under-Secretary, Public Works, Wellington. Chairman, Harbour Board, Westport.

No. 17 The Under-Secretary for Public Wobks to C. Napieb Bell, Esq., C.E., Hobart, Tasmania. Public Works Department, Wellington, 12th April, 1892. Sir, — Ke Westport Harbour Works. — Half-tide Training-walls I am directed by the Minister for Public Works to state that the Westport Harbour Board is desirous of obtaining an opinion from you with respect to the half-tide training-walls proposed to be constructed on the west side of the Buller Eiver—viz., as to whether, in view of the alterations which have taken place in the conformation of the river-bed and banks since the original report and plans of Sir John Coode referring to the matter were prepared, it might not now be considered desirable to make some modification therein —and I am therefore to request that you will kindly state, for the information of the Government and the Board, at your early convenience, whether you would be willing to advise on the subject referred to, and, if so, what your fee for so doing would be ? Plans and all other requisite documents to enable an opinion to be given would, of course, be forwarded to you. I have, &c, H. J H. Blow, C. Napier Bell, Esq., C.E., Hobart, Tasmania. Under-Secretary for Public Works.

No. 18. The Undee-Secbetaey, Public Works Department, to The Chairman, Harbour Board, Westport. (Telegram.) Wellington, 12th April, 1892. Be training-walls letter to Mr Bell posted to-day H. J H. Blow, The Chairman, Harbour Board, Westport. Under-Secretary, Public Works.

No. 19. Mr C. Napibe Bell to the Under-Secbetaby, Public Works. Sib,— Hobart, 27th April, 1892. In reply to your letter of 12th April previously to receiving it I had received from the Chairman of Westport Harbour Board a telegram asking if I would report on subject of trainingwalls at Westport when I could come to Westport, and wha.t would be the amount of the fee I would charge. To this I replied by telegraph that I could come to Westport at once, and that I would charge £50 and actual expenses, but not the cost of passage from Hobart to Lyttelton. I received from the Chairman a telegram in reply, saying that my offer was accepted, and that I should come at once. Upon this I arranged to leave for New Zealand to-morrow, but find unexpectedly that I shall be detained another week here, which I trust will not cause serious inconvenience to the Minister for Public Works nor to the Harbour Board, and I shall come to New Zealand with the least possible delay Chairman informs me that I shall find a letter of instructions waiting me at the Bluff, which I shall get, and attend to. I am, &c, The Under-Secretary for Public Works, Wellington. C. Napieb Bell.

No. 20. Beport by Mr. C. Napier Bell on Extension of Breakwaters. Sib,— 24th. June, 1892. In reply to your instructions to report to you as to whether I considered it advisable at the present time, and in view of the late shoaling of the water on the bar, to extend the breakwaters or only one of them, I proceeded to get lines of soundings taken from the ends of the breakwaters seaward, but, rough weather continuing, I was prevented from getting a number of lines of soundings such as would give evidence of any changes which may have taken place in the sea-bottom on either side of the works. Plan and Soundings necessary. —An examination by means of soundings to make known periodical changes in the depths of water and the form of bank and shoals, round about the works, and on the coast for some distance east and west of the breakwaters, is of great importance as a guide for future operations, having in view the preservation of the navigable depth. Your Engineer has, in March last, reported on the necessity of having plans made on which should be recorded from time to time regular sets of soundings, to be taken out to the 8-fathom line and for some distance on either side of the breakwaters. From the data which exists, it is evident that some remarkable changes have taken place in the depths of water and form of beach-lines round about the mouth of the harbour, and I submit a plan and sections upon which these are shown. In 1879 the plan of the harbour-mouth was made and the lines of soundings taken on which Sir John Coode's design was laid down. 3-D 17.