CONSTRUCTION OE RAILWAYS.

15

D.—No. 6__

No. 37. Mr. Blackett to Mr. Knowles. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 18th April, 1871. Waikato Eailway.—Proposed change of line at Tuakau will undoubtedly add to the cost, not only for purchase of land but difficulty of ground, sections of which I have seen. Ido not wish to oppose survey of another line or suspensiou of present survey, but think it will confirm Stewart's report. The question raised by Mr. Eunciman is not a new one, and had, according to the information I received in Auckland, and from what I saw, been already decided. I shall be glad to find that a good line may be found to Mercer. John Blackett.

No. 38. Mr. Knowles to the Hon. Dr. Pollen. (Telegram.) Wellington, 22nd April, 1871. Undeb all circumstances, it is decided that the suspension of the Tuakau section will be advisable until the resuit of survey of suggested deviation to Mercer is ascertained. Please, therefore, to suspend Tuakau survey, if not already done. John Knowles.

No. 39. The Hon. Dr. Pollen to the Hon. W. Gisboene. Sie, — General Government Offices, Auckland, 4th May, 1871. With reference to Mr. Knowles' letter No. 183, of 13th April ultimo, I have the honor to inform you that the survey work on that portion of the line of the Auckland and Waikato Eailway lying between Drury and Tuakau has been suspended, and that Mr. Wrigg has been instructed to put himself in communication with Mr. Eunciman, and to make a rapid inspection of the country between Drury and Mercer, in order to be able to report to the Government upon the points specified in the letter now under reply, previously to any expense for survey of the proposed line being authorized. I have, &c, The Hon. Minister for Public Works, Wellington. Daniel Pollen.

No. 40. The Hon. Dr. Pollen to the Hon. AV. Gisboene. Sie, — General Government Offices, Auckland, 24th May, 1871. With reference to Mr. Knowles' letter No. 183, of 13th April ultimo, and to mine in reply, No. 293, of date 4th May instant, I have now the honor to transmit Mr. AVrigg's report upon the points referred to him regarding the question of the terminus of the Waikato Eailway. The line from Drury by way of Tuakau to Mercer would pass through a settled and moderately populous district, and, if practicable at a reasonable cost, would secure so many advantages that the cost of an accurate survey, estimated at £500, might I think properly be incurred. I have, &c., The Hon. Minister for Public AVorks, Wellington. Daniel Pollen.

Enclosure in No. 40. Mr. AVrigg to the Hon. Dr. Pollen, waikato railway teeminus. Sib,— Auckland, 16th May, 1871. In accordance with your communication dated 28th ultimo, No. 276, instructing me to ascertain, " Ist, Whether the same length of line will strike the Waikato ten miles further up, above a difficult part of the navigation; 2nd, Whether the engineering difficulties are not unduly increased by the proposed change," — I have now the honor to lay before you, for the information of the Hon. Minister for Public Works, the result of my investigations, and the recommendation I have founded upon them. On the accompanying tracing, which is a sketch map of the districts passed through by the several lines I have had under consideration, I have shown three routes by which it is possible to take the line of railway from Auckland to the Waikato Eiver; but Drury being a point common to all the lines, the sketch does not extend further north than that point. The continuous red line indicates the route from Drury to Tuakau, as now surveyed. The green line represents the line from Drury to Mercer via the western spurs of Pokeno Hill. The continuous red and broken line, that from Drury to Mercer via Pukekohe, Tuakau, and Pokeno. Line from Drury to Tuakau. With regard to the first of these routes, the ground survey is fully completed to Tuakau, but none of the levels have as yet extended beyond the Cape settlement, for reasons stated in my report to the Colonial Engineer-in-Chief, dated 27th March last, in which I recommended for consideration the diversion of the line, so as to approach Tuakau by a more easily constructed line with better gradients.