E.—9,

2

Present and Prospective Trade. The trade of the port has been steadily progressive: taking the eight years from 1871 to 1878, both inclusive, the returns for which are now before me, it appears that the imports have risen from £85,534 in the former year to £226,864 in the latter; the exports have advanced from the value of £154,590 in 1871 to £391,970 in 1878; the increase both in imports and exports having been at the average rate of from 20 to 25 per cent, per annum. In view of its geographical position and great natural advantages as a port, coupled with the fact that it is, and must always continue to be, the southern terminus of the railway system of the South Island, Bluff Harbour would seem to be of necessity the permanent natural outlet and inlet for the sea-borne traffic of the southern portion of the Provincial District of Otago ; and, as such, the progressive advance of its trade may be fairly anticipated to be at least as great in the future as it has been in the past, more especially when its undoubted natural advantages shall have been supplemented by artificial works of improvement. Existing Works. The existing works consist of a timber wharf about 800 feet in length, having a depth of about 20 feet alongside at low water of spring tides, and 28-g- feet at high water. This wharf is generally parallel to the shore, and is connected therewith by a viaduct. The present railway-station abuts on the root of the wharf, and is joined to the berthage by branch lines. It will be seen from the drawings that abreast of the town, and about 350 yards therefrom, there is a sandspit extending in an east and west direction, the eastern end of the spit being submerged, with depths over it of from 4to 6 feet at low water of spring tides. Between the spit and the shore in front of the town there is a wide channel, through which the tidal water passes to and from the northwestern part of the estuary. The depths in this channel are, speaking generally, from 14 to 21 feet at low water of spring tides. Northward of the spit there is a fine channel, having, along a portion of its length, a depth of about 40 feet at low water; through this channel by far the greatest part of the tidal water required to fill the estuary passes on its way to the northern and eastern reaches. At the time of my inspection the plan described in Mr. Brunton's report of the 26th July, 1877, was placed before me. It consisted of an embankment of rubble-stone, extending in a straight line from the shore just above Suir Street to the north-western termination of the present wharf. The object of this embankment was to train the flowing and ebbing currents which pass through the channel between the town and the sandspit, so as to cut off the southern end of the latter, and thereby to create and maintain a waterway having a sufficient depth for navigation purposes. There is no doubt that the formation of an embankment of the character and in the position proposed, with the view of ultimately creating deep-water berthage, is sound in principle ; but effectually to accomplish the object in view, it would be necessary, in conjunction with and parallel to such an embankment, to form a low training work on the north side, in order to prevent the southward growth of the sandspit into the fairway. In the report to which I have referred, Mr. Brunton proposed to construct, in the first instance, a quay-wall 10 chains in length, measured from the western end of the present timber wharf. The space between the back of this quay-wall and the embankment was to have been filled up so as to form a wharf 60 feet in width. The estimated cost of this embankment, quay, and wharf was £40,381. Mr. Brunton appears to have regarded the works just described as the first instalment of a comprehensive scheme for dock accommodation. Obviously it is sound in principle to so frame the works to be undertaken in the first instance that they could, without modification, ultimately form portions of, and be engrafted upon, a complete scheme. To this extent, therefore, the proposal put forward is free from objection, but the general arrangement of the works as propounded is capable of great improvement in some highly important respects. I refer more particularly to the proposal to provide gates for the purpose of impounding the water, which, to be successfully carried out, could only be satisfactorily accomplished by an enormous expenditure, bearing in mind the great length of embankment on the estuary side which it would be necessary to render water-tight. The construction of costly impounding works to retain the water in the dock at the high-water level of the day is, in this case, quite unnecessary, seeing that the rise of tide at springs is only 8 feet 6 inches; and also that no " scend," or wave undulation, could enter within the enclosed area to cause inconvenience. This being so, I have (as will be observed from the accompanying drawings) adopted the principle of ultimate floating basin accommodation without gates, as distinguished from wet docks with gates. Another point in respect of which the proposal referred to me is capable of material improvement is that of the width of the enclosed water-space, which, in view of the rapid increase in the length of modern steamships, ought not, in my opinion, to be less than 600 feet. Instances have come under my observation in which much inconvenience has been experienced from deficiency of width, In framing works of improvement for a port like the Bluff, which is evidently yet in its infancy, special care should be taken to make adequate provision for the requirements which are certain to arise in due course. I do not consider it necessary to enter further upon the details of construction proposed by Mr. Brunton, than to say that I am unable to approve of the suggested system of walls, founded at the foot of the bank, which, having regard to the character of the bottom, is not the best mode of construction to adopt. Works Recommended for Execution forthwith. 1t%9 works I have to recommmend for construction are shown by red colour on Drawings 1, 2, •and 3 .-m&Rt'ctively; the extent and general character of those to bo undertaken forthwith being indicated on .Drawing No. 2 ; whilst the complete scheme for harbour improvements, of which the .works to be,ea«ied out from time to time should form portions, is shown on Drawing No. 3. Upon referring, to Drawing No. 2, and the sheet of details, Drawing No. 4, it will be seen that I tpropose to form a traiujiiig embankment of rubble stone practically upon the same line as suggested