G.—No. 31

side cutting will not be as heavy as was anticipated. One of the surveyors engaged started with his party to lay out line from centre towards Hohonu, on 26th June, and the other from Marsden towards centre, on 30th June. Road, 17 m.p., Christchurch Road, to nearest point, Greenstone Road. —This survey was commenced on 14th June, by a surveyor with three men, and the field work will, I expect, be completed about 20th instant. The country is exceptionally easy lines to follow, as it goes along a main ridge, nearly level, for about two miles, and then drops into Manuka Flat, which it follows to Greenstone Road. The total distance will be about five miles and a half. Road, Kanieri to Ross. —A line was cut for this road in December, 1869, but it had to be cleared out and amended in places, as the gradients originally run were steeper than at present fixed by the Colonial Government —(one in thirteen where obtainable without great increase of cost). A line of levels has been run throughout since the 13th June, and the necessary alterations will, I expect, be completed about the 20th instant. The total distance from Hokitika River, at Kanieri, to Woolhouses Road will be about fourteen miles, and thence to Moorhouse Street, at town boundar}', Ross, will be about one mile and a half. Waimea Water Supply. —The detail survey for this object was commenced on 13th June, by a surveyor with three men, who have since been engaged in determining accurately the extent of proposed reservoirs at head, and running sections over low places. The contour line will be commenced about 15th instant, and will take about three months to complete. Buildings. The votes for construction, maintenance, and repairs to Government Buildings, appropriated in February last, amounting to £360, have been expended on additions, repairs, and painting to the various buildings in the districts, as follows : — £ s. d. Hokitika ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 172 12 7 Waimea ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 37 17 6 Pounamou ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27 0 0 Greymouth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 98 15 2 Maori Gully ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 9 3 Kanieri ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13 0 Toll House, Arahura ... ... ... ... ... ... 7 17 0 £357 14 6 Many of the additions and repairs have been inefficiently carried out in consequence of the insufficiency of the vote, and I have therefore set down the amount necessary for this half-year at £400, besides particularizing minor construction works, which usually come out of the vote for maintenance of buildings. New Buildings Required. Lunatic Asylum and Gaol. —The indoor accommodation at tho gaol being entirely inadequate to the proper accommodation of the lunatics confined there, it will, I presume, be attempted, this Session, to provide the necessary funds for a lunatic asylum within the recreation ground lately erected. The cost of a building capable of accommodating both male and female lunatics would be about £1,000, but if this sum is beyond the resources of the County at present, a dining-room, lavatory, two refractory wards, and a kitchen, could be constructed for about £300, which would temporarily meet the requirements of the males alone. New Tracks Required. The tracks which I am cognizant of as being most urgently required are — Maori Gully to Italian's (Arnold District), three miles, £900. Greenstone Road to Italian's (Waimea District), one mile and a quarter, £370. The necessity for the first of these has long been felt, and its construction would confer the greatest possible boon on the inhabitants of the back country near Maori Gully Township. The line was laid out by the direction of the County Council at its last sitting, and tenders were called for — payment in land —but none were received. If half amount of estimate were provided in cash, and payments made monthly on account, I think the miners or storekeepers in the vicinity would undertake the work. The track to Italian's (Waimea District) would also have been a great boon to the inhabitants in times past, but the necessity for it is peculiarly felt now, as good ground has been struck at a considerable depth below the surface, and machinery as well as food will, no doubt, soon be required. I have, &c, Charles Y. O'Connor, To the Chairman of the County Council. County Engineer.

No. 2. District Surveyor's Report on the Grey District, for Six Months ending 30th June, 1871. The most prominent feature of the half-year which has just expired is the long drought, which continued for nearly three months at the commencement. So long a spell of dry weather had never been known on the West Coast before, and strained to the utmost its resources in regard to water supply, calling increased attention to the urgent necessity of larger races being constructed, to enable the district to hold its own. As time goes on, and the rich patches and shallow leads become gradually

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GOLD EIELDS OE NEW ZEALAND.