CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

35

A.—No. 17

them. From Te Pukohu the track descends nearly in an easterly direction for about a mile and a half, first along a fern ridge, and afterwards across a beautiful fiat, to the Mangawhero River, which it reaches opposite to an old kainga known as Te Mai. There is about half a mile of side cutting, mostly light, on this descent; and on those which lead to the ford, and ascend from it, there was some rather heavy work, the character of the ground necessitating not only rather deep side cuttings, but the formation of deep under drains, and the protection of the immediate descents to the water by r means of fascines covered with coarse shingle from the river bed. The ford itself is about a chain and a half wide, and ordinarily rather more than knee-deep at the deepest part, and, like the others, has a hard, even, shingly bottom, free from large blocks, snags or boulders. From Te Mai the line proceeds, still in an easterly direction, for about a mile and a quarter, across a beautiful flat to the second crossing at another old kainga called Ongahi, where there was again some rather heavy work in the shape of side-cutting and drainage. Some drains and fascine work were also put in at four slight hollows on the flat, where I knew the water lay in winter. The ford at Ongahi is ordinarily about knee-deep at its deepest part, and about the same width as that at To Mai; and after crossing it the line ascends, first along a natural rise, and afterwards by a short side-cutting, to a flat covered by flax and toi-toi, which it crosses in a northerly direction, and beyond which it descends again, first by a side cutting, and then across a manuka flat to the third crossing at a place called Te Uri. The distance from Ongahi to Te Uri is about three-quarters of a mile, and the ford at the latter place is rather wider and shallower than the others. Beyond this ford there is a narrow belt of swampy ground, where we had to employ drains and fascines in forming the track ; but after rising from this the line goes north-easterly for about half a mile across a fern flat, and then for about three-quarters of a mile further it winds round the base of a low hill, and thence across a toi flat to a ridge called Tahungatutu, to a low part of which it ascends by a side cutting. Descending from this, it crosses a small manuka flat, and then passes over a slight rise covered with fern and koromiko into the valley of a stream, called by some natives Otutapu, and by others Mangaowhanga, the precipitous character of whose channel obliged us to run for some distance up it before we could find a practicable crossing. The descent to this crossing, which is about a mile and a half from Tahungatutu, is by a rather heavy side cutting, the lower part of which had to be laid with fascines, and the ascent by the heaviest bit of work we have had to do on the whole line. It is a deep side cutting in blue clay stone, so hard that a pick will hardly touch it; but as we had found by experience at Huripari that this apparently sound material worked up into a perfect puddle under traffic in wet weather, and there was a bed of excellent gravel immediately above the road, I had some parts of it fascined, and the whole metalled at once, so as to preserve it. The line then crosses a manuka flat for about a mile to the Wetaweta stream, where again there are some heavy side cuttings in hard soil at the descent and ascent, and afterwards crosses a grassy hollowr, and rises along a gentle slope covered with koromiko to a flax flat. Beyond this we ascend another slight rise, and after traversing a manuka flat, and crossing two slight hollows, descend into the Paheru gully by a light side cutting. The Paheru stream is crossed by a substantial bridge, beyond which there is a considerable length of side cutting in the ascent from the gully and round tho head of a small hollow, to the flat behind an old kainga called Kaimoho. Tho line had been carried nearly across this flat, which is covered with manuka scrub, when the natives were discharged. From Wetaweta to Paheru is nearly a mile and a half, and from Paheru to the end of the widened line about three-quarters of a mile, which would make the total distance from the town of Wanganui to the end of the completed work 29 miles, and from where wo leave the Wanganui River 21 _ miles. From having repeatedly traversed the whole distance on foot I believe it to be fully a mile more than this, and others who have also travelled along it estimate it as even longer ; yet the total sum paid or due to the natives for executing the work (including some repairs at Huripari) is under £230. From the end of the completed work the line descends for hearly half a mile across a fern flat to near the mouth of the Tahukoro Stream, which will require to be bridged, partly on account of the precipitous nature of its channel, and partly to keep the road above the flood level of the Mangawhero River. A few chains further on there is another very small stream, after crossing which the line ascends for about a quarter of a mile along a fern flat, and then descends a few feet into the bush. After passing for nearly half a mile along a fiat full of fine sawing timber and enormous ratas, we ascend slightly, and then descend again, for more than half a mile to a small stream called Te Wheunga, beyond which we continue for about a mile further along similar flats, on which there are some of the finest groves of kahikatea and rimu I ever saw. At one part along here the river comes so close in under the hill foot as to oblige us to pass for about eight or ten chains over some rather wet ground, but the rest of the bush is perfectly dry and sound. We then ascend easily to a higher flat covered with scrubby bush, and after passing behind a toi flat, continue to rise along a hollow to a saddle, about a mile from the river side flats. At this saddle a through cutting, about half a chain long, and with a greatest depth of about six feet, will be required, and-beyond this the line descends for about half a mile along a hill face, which for the first few chains is rather steep, but afterwards easy, to a small stream called the Totete. Beyond the mouth of this stream the Mangawhero makes a considerable circuit to the westward, round some very broken ground covered with splendid timber. Our line, therefore, ascends slightly for a quarter of a mile or so through a hollow covered with sawing timber and tawn, and then emerges on a terrace of koromiko and grass on the eastern side of a large stream called the Pahihi, along which it runs for about half a mile further, and then descends for another quarter of a mile through koromiko scrub and scrubby bush to the stream itself. Crossing this it rises for another quarter of a mile through fine timber and tawa bush, and then emerges on a koromiko table on the eastern side of the Mangawhero, and at a considerable height above it, along which, and afterwards downwards across two grassy hollows ami a flat of high manuka scrub, it runs for about a mile and a quarter to a small stream called the Aorangi, which will require a bridge. We then rise again for about a quarter of a mile through a hollow clothed with tawa and sawing timber, to a low saddle on a ridge called Te Kuku, which overlooks three small lakes called Mataora. At this ridge a through cutting, about a chain long, and with an extreme depth of about 10 feet, will be required, and the line then