CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS IN THE NORTH ISLAND.
59
A.—No. 17,
No. 125. Copy of a Letter from Lieut.-Colonel Harington to Mr. Civil Commissioner Clarke. General Government Offices, Sir,— Auckland, 22nd March, 1870. I am directed by the Hon. the Defence Minister to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the ■"'l7th instant, relative to the construction of the road across the Kopurererua swamp to the lands on the west side of the Judea ford, and beg to inform you that the Inspector of Surveys has been desired to give the necessary instructions for the preparation of plans and general engineering directions. The officer commanding the district has been instructed to give all necessary assistance in providing men from the forces under his command for the completion of this work, and has been desired to place himself in communication with you. I have, &c, H. T. Clarke, Esq., Philip Harington, Lieut.-Colonel. Civil Commissioner, Tauranga.
No. 126. Copy of a Letter from Lieut.-Colonel llarington to Lieut.-Colonel Lyou. General Government Offices, Sic,— Auckland, 22nd March, 1870. I am directed by the Hon. the Defence Minister to inform you that the Inspector of Surveys has been requested to give instructions to the district suryeyor of Tauranga to proceed with the construction of the road across the Kopurorerua swamp, and you will take an early opportunity of communicating with Mr. Clarke, Civil Commisioner, relative to the employment of the men under your command, who can be spared for the completion of this work. The Inspector of Surveys has been instructed to give directions to the district surveyor to lay out the road and superintend the execution of the work. I have, &c, Lieut.-Colonel Lyon, Philip Harington, Lieut.-Colonel. Commanding Bay of Plenty District, Tauranga.
No. 127. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Heale to the Hon. D. M'Lean. Sir, — Inspector of Surveys Office, 21st March, 1870. In obedience to your verbal instructions, I proceeded, on the 13th instant, to Tauranga, to inspect the road now being made towards Rotorua and Taupo, as well as to determine on some alterations required on several rectilinear roads previously laid out near the Gate Pa. I find that the Rotorua Road has been commenced on imperfect surveys, so that the direction taken in leaving Tauranga has been adopted rather on a balance of loose opinions, than upon a comparison in detail of the works required on the two lines between which tlie choice lay. I have, however, no reason to think that the selection made is a bad one : the road will now pass close to the head of the navigation, nearly five miles inland from Te Papa, which is a very considerable advantage, but, looking to the vast future importance of this road, both for defence purposes and for the development of the great interior of the island, I would strongly deprecate the incurring any risk of error in laying it out. An expenditure of iii or £A per mile in exhaustive exploration, may easily effect a saving of many times the amount, by the avoidance of expensive works, besides causing a great and permanent difference in the utility of the road, Mr. Clarke has arranged for Mr. Gundry to make a survey of the line through the forest, which will make the future work safe against error, but I would suggest that since all detail surveys ought to form part of one whole, it would be better if this were put under the general supervision of this department, which has directed all the surveys in the district. The construction of the road is necessarily executed by the military ; with that I am not called upon to interfere, but I may suggest that, as several bridges will be required, some of them over swampy places, it would be well if the necessary means for their proper construction were supplied without delay • a small portable ram for driving piles is immediately required. It has been found necssary to make a small deviation from the survey line of road as it passes through the lands of Mr. J. Chadwick, in oi-der to avoid a very deep cutting, and a long swamp crossing. The new road is in every way advantageous to Mr. Chadwick, and he takes no objection to the change, the old line being given up to him in exchange. Another short piece of road, of the most pressing necessity, has been carefully designed by Mr. Turner, the Survey Officer at Tauranga, by Mr. Clarke's directions. This piece, scarcely a quarter of a mile in length, will connect the township with all the lands lying to the west beyond the narrow but singularly impassible Kppurererua Swamp and Rivulet, comprising a large portion of the land allotted to military settlers, and all the Kati Kati purchase ; in fact, nine-tenths of all the land belonging to the Government. At present many settlers are located on this land, at Otumoetai and elsewhere, and many now would be, but for the intolerable risk involved by the circumstance that, in case of alarm of attack, of which so many have occurred, it is impossible, for six hours out of every twelve, to get to Te Papa without swimming, the long Judea Ford being at about half tide, and so making retreat by it impracticable for •women and children. *This letter cannot be found. 1G