D.—No. 1

12

PAPERS RELATIVE TO CONSTRUCTION OF

No. 19. The Hon. Mr. Gisborne to the Hon. Mr. McLean. (Telegram.) Wellington, 20th January, 1871. Aftee reading your telegram of this day I waive objection to road to Eotorua, via Oropi. The road through the forest should be commenced. Ask Blackett to let me have estimate. It should be done by contract. Can it be done this summer ? Hon. D. McLean, Maketu. W. Gisboene.

No. 20. Tendee of Mr. Joedan for Construction of Boad from Tauranga to Oropi, on Eotorua line of Eoad, with Mr. Blackett's acceptance thereof. Tauranga, 27th December, 1870. I, ErcnAED Coles Jordan, hereby tender to carry through and complete, according to plans and specifications shown me in the Government Surveyor's Office, Tauranga, the whole of the works on the Taupo Trunk Eoad, near Tauranga, viz., bridge, culvert, and earthworks, for which tenders are invited, for the sum of one thousand three hundred pouuds sterling (£1,300), and to perform any extra work that may be found necessary at rates as per schedule following, viz : —For culverts, as per plan, 225. 6d. per foot; for earthworks, 7 Id. per cubicyard. E. C. JOEDAN. Tuis to be accepted. Time, four and a-half months. Security, £250.—John Blackett, Acting Engineer-in-Chief. —17th January, 1871.

No. 21. Memoeandum for the Hon. the Defence Ministee, by Lieut.-Colonel St. John, on Eoad Operations in progress in the Bay of Plenty. The object of the roads projected in the Bay of Plenty is twofold, —commercial and strategical. In most ease a combination of both is effected. The only purely strategical road in the Northern Island is that leading from Napier to Taupo, but in other parts of the country it has been found imperative to cut tracks, which, at present serving no further'purpose that to protect settlements, by making communications easy, will, in course of time, become highways for traffic. The roads in progress or consideration in the Bay of Plenty arc as follows : — 1. Tauranga. — (a.) Trunk line to Taupo, via Oropi. (&.) Boad from Matapihi through swamp to beach. . (c.) Causeway and bridge to Judea, across the Kopurererua Swamp. 2. Maketu. —Dray road from Maketu to Te Taheke, on north side of the Kaituna Kiver, at its exit from the Eotoiti Lake. 3. Ohiwa.—Horse track from Whakarai, on the south shore, into the Wairnana Valley. 4. Opotiki. — (a.) Dray road up the Otara Valley. (6.) Dray road up the Waioeka Valley, with an intended prolongation to Mariotahi, some sixteen miles up the gorge of tho river. (c.) Horse track along the coast towards the East Cape, connecting Native settlements. (d.) Horse track along the foot of the ranges south of Opotiki, connecting together the different military land settlements in the Opotiki, Waiotahi, Wairnana, and Whakatane Valleys, (c.) Horse track joining Opotiki with Poverty Bay. No. 1. — (a.) This has already been commenced: a portion of about four miles is complete, and a bridge is thrown across the Waoiroi stream. The remaining portion as far as Oropi has been given out by contract for £1,300 ; Mr. Blackett having ridden over the whole line, and selected the tender for acceptance. (b.) This has been finished by Native labour. (c.) The bridge has been finished by contract, and the causeway begun by the Armed Constabulary, but the paucity of workmen has rendered the progress of the work very slow. It is now to be finished by a Native contractor. 2. Maketu—This road has been finished for some time, but a necessity exists for a bridge across the Kaituna at the Taheke. The matter is under consideration, with a view to its early completion. 3. Ohiwa.—This track has not yet been started. 4. Opotiki.—On (a) (b) and (c) of this, and on No. 3 above, an expenditure of £1,000 has been authorized, (a) and (i) have been let out in contracts to the military settlers, and are in course of completion, but tho want of a supervising authority of experience was visible on inspection. The prolongation of (Z>) to Mariotahi, which is only intended to' be a track passable for troops during freshes in the river, is only in contemplation. The Besident Magistrate at Opotiki has been directed to ascertain for what price the Whakatoheas would undertake this work. (c) is carried on by Natives, the part in progress being between Opape and Torere, on which Mr. Turner does not report favourably, the workmen having made an error in following directly the line of pegs, and not making any sidings, (d) and (c) are only under consideration, the former being of extreme importance in a commercial point of view, the latter in a strategical. Tho formation of horse track (d), heading the different swamps lying between the hills and the sea, and that of No. 3, will open up and render safe a large acreage of good land now lying waste. Boad (c) will place the Bay of Plenty within a day's journey of Poverty Bay: the addition of a cross line into it from Waiapu will give the utmost facilities for the rapid succour of any threatened point on the East Coast; and the communication thus afforded will deter hostile tribes from making raids, which might lead to their being taken in rear, and will eventually form the line of traffic between Hawke's Bay and the Bay of Plenty. The cost of (d) and (/) has not yet been estimated, but the former cannot be high. For the