[From the Government Gazette, Feb. 2.] ROADS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 263, 5 February 1848, Page 3

[From the Government Gazette, Feb. 2.]

ROADS.

Wellington, New Zealand, Ist January, 1848. Sib, — In compliance with jour Excellency's request to be furnished with a Bepoit shewing the progress of the line of road under luy superintendence, during the last three months, and embracing an explicit account of the stages of advancement in which each part now is, I have the honor to re port that (he Porirua poi tion to .1 ackson's Ferry h.is within that period been completed, the working parties withdrawn, and the road placed under the care of two Eiuopeau labomei-*. As the traffic with the Porirua 1 istriet increases (and which has already been transferred from coasting -vessels to this road) it will be necessary to increase this number of labourers, but the tolls, when established, will more than keep it in repair. The expense of its constiuction has exceeded seA en hundred pounds per mile, nor do ] think it safe to estimate any future road muking in this Division below that sum. I have no means ot ascertaining with certainty the comparative cost of road making in other conutiieb, but am informed an ordinary parish road in England costs about eighteen hundred pounds pei mile. The Holyhead road appears to have cost irom three to four thousand pounds per mile. The roads of Van Diemen's Land a;. pear to have been still more expensive. Those lajly constructed at Hong Kong to have cost about a thousand pounds per mile, the rate of wages for labourers being about ten pence a day. If these sums be conect, and it be considered that the rate of wages paid to the natives has been 2s. (3d. and 2s. a d.iv, and that the roads have been carried thiough a countiy unequalled in difficulty by am tiling which J ha-\e seen but the Cockpits of the West India Islands, it will appear that the labour of the natives must have borne a fair proportion to their wages. A comparison oi the cost of this road with such portions of the Hutt road as have been formed exelusnely by Emopeans, would furnish some further ground for an estimate of native labour, due allowance being made for difference of locality. From Jackson's Ferry a beach road by either shore of Porirua Harbour communicates by means of a bush bridle pr,th with the Horolriwi Bond, which was commenced where the bush truck terminated at the foot of Rangihaeata's Hill, the scene of the skirmish of the (ith August, 1816. The bridle road is completed faom this point thiough to the beach near Wainui, and notwithstanding the difficulties of the bush truck between Raugihaeata's Hill and Porirna Hai bour, the still greater difficulties of the Para Para Hocks, the Pukemaßush, and Parramatta Ferry have already diveited the communication to this line, hoises, cattle, pigs and sheep passing to the interruption of the workmen now employed in widening the bridle into a carriage road, at each end of the line, and which Mr. Compton's paity has effected to the extent of a mile and a quarter, and Mr. Yule's party two miles. There remain between those two parties about three miles of the bridle road luipiacticable for a whe.il carriage, which 150 men might open in three months, and it would then be possible to take a ye hide through to Wniuui, as the bush track between Porirna Harbour and Rangihaeata's Hill could be widened in a few days for that purpose, but it would almost immediately fall into as bad a state as the old Porirua Road, the constant rain of this climate speedily rendering a road impassable, unless constructed with the greatest regard to durability ; such a road might, however, serve a temporary purpose, but the line by which I propose reaching Pauhatahanui is fallen and burnt off, and may with 150 men be completed in six months ; while, therefore, it would require but three months to allow a wheel carriage to pass from Pauhatahanui to Wainni, it would require nine months to form a road for that distance. Pauhatahanui is already accessible by the eastern and southern shores of the harbour, but a good inland road might be made by 150 men in six months or less. I proceed, in obedience to your Excellency's wish, to furnish such information respecting the labourers as I have been able to obtain from personal observation, or that of the Superintendents of Parties. They have been chiefly furnished by the Ngatiawa, Ngatiraukawa, and Ngatitoa tribes. The former are preferred for industry and tractability. The parties have consisted of minor chiefs, freemen, and slaves. The influence of the former appears to have declined, — it was never exercised for good, but frequently to produce dissatisfaction, and cause a strike, hi which they formerly succeeded, but latterly have .always been unsuccessful. They are now treated in all respects like the other workmen, and are equally under control. The number of freemen has exceeded that of the slaves, which latter class appear to belong to individuals, not to tribes ; hi most cases there appears no difference between the clothing, food and manner of living of the slave and his master ; I have even heard of their being joint owners of property, but however slightly the authority of the master may be exercised it appears to be indisputable, nor has there been an instance of appeal against it to that of the Superintendent of the party, even when deprived of their money and clothing, as is sometimes the case by masters who do not themselves work on the road, but visit then* slaves occasionally 'to deprive them of the fruits of their industry, nor

am I able to prevent this otherwise than by the discharge of the slave, which would probably be neither kindness to him nor punishment to his master. I believe the effect of our making no distinction beyond that of the good or bad workman, is to gradually do away with those classes amongst the natives whom we employ. They rapidly improve as workmen, and it is extraordinary that men whose previous lives have been passed in uncontrolled idleness should now work for months together so incessantly as to rest but one hour out of ten, and under such restriction as not to be allowed to smoke or even to talk to the interruption of their work ; yet thib result has been obtained by means so slight as to appear quite insufficient. An idle workman is occasionally fined sixpence, or if so talkative as to interrupt work, he is placed alone without listeners ; if he has given satisfaction he perhaps receives his week's wages hi crowns, or if otherwise in sixpences. If a troublesome character, he is discharged ; and though the Superintendents of parties have been detached many miles from any Europeans beside their overseers, in the wildest and most inaccessible places, there has never been an instance of violence towards them or the overseers. The greatest crime has been that of stealing an axe by a discharged native, when another of the tribe after working all day travelled all night to recover it, and returned with it in time for work the next morning. The means by which this control is maintained, are the exercise of strict justice in keeping our engagements with them, and firmness in insisting on their doing the same by us. I have been fortunate in having the assistance of gentlemen as Superintendents of paities who have curried out my views most fully, and without whom the effect which has been produced upon the character of the labourers could not have been obtained. They assure me that the bearing of those natives where they ha\e known them up the coast, w.is so different to that which they now exhibit with the parties, as to make them appear a different race. In disposition they appeal 1 cheerful, not quarrelsome amongst themselves nor vindictive. So singularly free from the vice of drunkenness as to enable me to repeat the assurance which I gave your Excellency some months since, that not a case has ever yet come under the observation of either myself or the Superintendents of parties. Those who profess Christianity, as is the case with the majority, ure strict in their religious observances, nothing being allowed to interfere with their moming and evening woiship; those who do not, however, are not to be unfavourably distinguished from those who do. They do not now object to the mixture of tribes in working parties, though at first they were much opposed to it. Then- capacity as workmen is best shewn by the works which they have executed, the only European labour which h.is been used in the construction of the bridges, &c, on the greater part of the line, being that of the Foremen who instructed them. From such material and without additional expense beyond clothing and anus, I conceive an Artificer Corps might be formed peculiarly valuable hi this country, and scarcely less so in peace than war, affording m the former case a command of labour m any deshed locality, and in the latter outposts admirably adapted to the country. I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, A. Hamilton Russell, Captain 58th Eegt,, Superintendent Military Roads. His Excellency the Lieuteuant-Govemor of New Zealand.