THE AUCKLAND AND MERCER RAILWAY.

[I'.v oik Ti:.u-i:i.i.ix(i . oi:i:i:.-I'o\i.i:nt.] A\ , xeursiou train ran ilnou-h to Mercer .\,:.t- i day, taking a party of "ciitlcmcn invited by Messrs. nrogde'n. To day the line will be o-heially opened, the-time" table The line bein- now an e"tab|ished"faet it Mill perliap, be iuterestiii- to your readers if 1 give a description of the various districts through which it passes. After 1.-avin-j Penrose, the line pas,es c.,~e to Messrs. I'i-her an.l Co.'s killin - and boiling.down establishment, at Ann's Creek; here there, is a siding put in for the convenience of this firm, ai.d just beyond is the (Haliuhu station. This is built'on land ae-]uircd from Mr. Fail-burn, and is about a ijiiarter of a mile from the village ; a road is now in curse of construction from it to the station ; ,-uid tl-c station property consists of a tourth-cla.-s: -cation, station-master's house, large goods shell and water t.nks, and is convenient for the Mangere settlers. From this the line pa: sos through some tine land, and omstcs the Mangere Koad, and on fora distance of about three miles through a good level agricultural country, when wtT arrive at the I'Al'AToriOK STATION. This station is similar to Otahuhu, and adjoins the properties of Messrs. P.uttlo, Wallace, and Hassctt. It is about half amile from the South Koad. This station will command the Papatoetne ;m.l F.ast Tamaki tratlie, also a portion of the Maimrewa. .After 1,-,-ning this, -,ve descend the hill, and shortly arrive at and pass through Mr. Cruick.Oiaiik's piop, rtv, and then touch at the Mamuewa station." Tips isasi.h ela-s, and is simply a -.l.rhri- fi-ui tin: weather for th who ",n.iy b- waiting for the train. The land a ~.ut her,- seems to be ~.' fair • Hiality. and v.ill no ,l.,ubt, in the curs,-of a l.w \ ears be all under eulti\ati.-ii. In fact this year iilotie about -Jill) aens have been ploujh. d and laid down in -nis,-. About one mile and a half furth-r on the line ero«.-s the South i:.,ad a f-.-w yards from the Papakura lirid..c. Ibre is'a waterin.- and calin,--plaee. It th. n passes through, to the eye of a .-asiial obs. rv, r. .-.me very':;.... 1 land, until it r. a.-h. - through the pi..perty of Mr. W. Walt.-rs and then, alter ,W C , nding and a-e.-ndin-'. v..- r.-ach tin-

1- M'\KTl: \ -T\TloN. Thi- wili b- on- of ;lie pr n.-i'.al st;.<i.ms ..n tie- 1n..-, ;>.., i; will be v.'rv e.-.nveni- ut to tinsal.- cards and ;il-,. eommaiids th- W.-n'r-.a K-.a-l. Al:l,oii Ji di,tant -.-v.-ral mil. s from the Waii..a. it will be a -reat boon to the .-•■ltler., of that, tl-.rivii:- ,ii-!iiet. At the 11-.M.ua. on the late Mr. Hay's farm, a small station i, iTe.-i, d. vimilar to the Maniirewa on,-. This is t..r th- cnvciiK ii-e of the ba.-k s.-ttl-rs. ~: whom th.-r.- are a - 1 number, l-'i'oin 11, is station to li.ury. the land is very indi:l",-rent. At I'nirv the line pa.,,es on the . ast side, or bad; ..f'Mr. <;..■!- kin's hotel, an.l about four chair.., from the niiiMi road the station is erected. This al-. is a fourth-cla.-. : and here the up and down trains will p.-.-- .-a.-h other. Att.-r leaving the station the line d.—-ends and crosses the -ti-am. and in a eiioit di.-tanee er..-ses the South Koad. ai.d iulo the !<ar;-ka f. rn-hills. Theie is no .-ign of euliivaliou iu this p.-iit. After crossing the South Koad, f..r about three mil. s ' the line is comparatively level, and th-n a,e.-nds the 1-ng hill. This is the h, Lvic-t gra-lieiit on the whole line. After getting over this, it is s.i-n in the West Plil.ekohe district, and liuds its way around the hills and through tl.e bush until it reaches Pukekohe, where there is a bush clearing, and adjoining the station a new hotel is being erected by Mr. fiodkin, and to the west is the celebrated Pukekohe Hill, known for its richness in producing tine grass and grass seed. Here and there we sec the settlers' houses, with their clearings and their lauds f.-ucd into p.-;ddocks stocked with cattle and sheep, and in the midst is seen a new and mat church, and also a school-room recently erected. Tlicse are surely the signs of pro-iv-s and happim.-.s. From here the line stretches on throii-1, a dens- forest for nearly a mi!.-, and after a short distance reaches lluekland's station. This is alsosimilar to the Maniirewa. From this point 4 li- line is serpentine, it bavin.' skirted the hills and swamps to Tuak.-iu station. This is some distance from the township and settlers' homes, and might have been pla lin a more central po,iti..n ; bu\ as it is, the inhabitants rejoice at being able now to reach Auckland in a ,-..i:ple of hours. This district was, at the time of the war, in the hands of the rebel natives, and became confiscated. The natives used to -row large .-u-intities of wheat, and had a iloiir-inill erect-d, but it was destroyed during the war. Nearly all the available laud is taken up anil settled upon, and it bids failto become a valuable district. The line, after passing through several farms, rises a hill through a bush, and then descends in graceful curves to I'okeno station. This is a lifthclass, and will no doubt be well used, as Hazorbaok will be east aside for ever. No more panting for breath and weary journeys. .lust beyond the line crosses the South Koad below Porter's Hotel, and enters the Mangatawhiri swamp, ami on a bridge built over the creek, and through the swamp until it reaches the South Koad, by which it skirts until it arrives at Mercer. Here the station and other buildings arc in course of erection. A branch line is being constructed to the river, to connect with the Waikato Steam Navigation Company's boats. Tin: Tow'Nsiiir or mf.i;ci-:i: i.s built on the edge of a large swamp, and at the foot of a hill, and consists of—two hotels, two stores. Resident Magistrate's Court, police station, telegraph ami postotlieo, Quick's stables, two blacksmiths, one butcher, and two dwelling-houses of two rooms each, and three or four raupo whares, built by the Maoris. The Waikato river, (lowing". lown, takes off a little of the dreariness. This will be a busy station for some time to come, it being the terminus.