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rence on to Run 106, recently sold on deferred payment; a road from Kelso up the Pomahaka river; and one from the Tapanui railway on to the lands recently surveyed on Run 140 A. Mr. Smaill, County Engineer, who has the supervision of the works, reports thus on them:— Vote 107, item 68. —The length of road leading to Run 106 along the east bank of Tuapeka stream, now under contract, is 4J miles, and will be formed to the width of 15 feet, including the necessary culverts, &c, the steepest grade being 1 in 9, and the extras, in the shape of ditching and metalling the worst places, at the contract schedule rates, including cost of supervision, will nearly absorb the vote. A further sum of £700 will be required to complete the works across the Crookburn on to the main ridge, including a deviation through Mr. Smith's land, facing the Waitahuna stream. When that is done the settlers will have two passable roads, one leading up the Tuapeka stream to Lawrence, the other via Waitahuna stream to Havelock. Vote 107, item 70 : Road Tapanui Railway to Run 140 A.— The length under contract is 144 chains, and is being formed to the width of 18 feet. The steepest grade is lin 9, and that only for a short distance. An additional sum of £600 will be required to complete necessary works on this road. Road Kelso to Block XIII., Greenvale. —The work under contract on this road consists of a large number of culverts, with short pieces of embankment over each roadway at formation level, 22 feet in width, and grades very easy ; also a timber bridge over the Heriot Burn, 67 feet in length, width of roadway 14 feet; and when the works are completed there will be a fairly passable road for a length of five miles from the township of Kelso towards Block XIII., Greenvale district. This road should be continued along the banks of the Pomahaka river to the Switzer's road; probable cost, £600. Tuapeka Mouth Bridge, now under contract, is 100 feet in length by 14 feet in width, in three spans of 33 feet 4 inches each, abutments and wing walls of coursed rubble masonry, set in mortar and pointed with cement; piers and all timbers under roadway to be Australian iron bark ; the deck and parapet to be of Tapanui black pine. The structure will be durable, and I have no doubt will give satisfaction. (This is a pile bridge.) Vote 107, item 66: Boad Beaumont to Miller's Flat, via East Bank of Clutha River. —Total length now under contract miles, to be formed to the width of 15 feet, steepest grade lin 23. Also, two bridges, one over the Beaumont stream, 53 feet span, the other over Corstorphine Creek, 12 feet span ; both bridges 10 feet wide, and will have stone abutments set in mortar, the timber of the Beaumont bridge to be Australian iron bark under the roadway. Tenders are invited for the formation of an additional length of 208 chains, and contracts will be prepared for the other portions before next August. Vote 107, item 67: Boad to Block X., Binyer District. —Total length now under contract, and nearly completed, is 112 chains, to the width of 18 feet; the steepest grade being lin 9. This road, when completed, will be of great service to settlers. A table is appended, showing expenditure on above. Wyndham Valley Boad. —Under the direction of this office 4 miles 54 chains of this line have been made passable for dray traffic, that is up to the ford on the Wyndham river, near Anderson's station. One small bridge has been built, and numerous stone culverts. Already this road is much used by the settlers on Anderson's run, but as the money allowed by the School Commissioners for its construction was limited, and not sufficient to make a thoroughly efficient job of it, it will soon require attention from the County Council. A foot-bridge has also been erected, under my supervision, at the ford, on the Wyndham river, so that during heavy floods, which are frequent in winter, traffic will not be entirely suspended. The next section of this road, 4 miles 55 chains, had been let to Messrs. Meston and McConnochie, by the Board of Governors, Otago High School. But here, again, the money to be expended per mile is quite inadequate to do more than form a road which may be usable in very fine weather. The formation will be only 12 feet, with stone culverts and one bridge over Titri creek, and the above mileage reckons from the Wyndham ford at the township up towards the Chimney Saddle. According to arrangement I have had. the assistance of an Inspector on the works, without which there can be no guarantee of good and genuine work being done. The remaining contracts on this road I should have had ready ere now, but, being shorthanded, that could not be ; however, they will be prepared very soon now, and will, with the one just let, cover a length over all of 14 miles 53 chains to the boundary of the Board's endowment. Boad Fortrose to Waikawa, viS, Tokanui Gorge. —This work has been examined and surveyed by Mr. Strauchon, who has also made the necessary sections. Specifications will soon be prepared and everything ready for contract before the good weather comes. A small bridge will be necessary at the crossing of the Tokanui stream, but the road itself to be of much use should be formed 5 miles further, as that would make the lands on the Waikawa runs thoroughly accessible, and without which these lands cannot be successfully opened up. Strath Taieri Works. —I have selected road lines from Strath Taieri to Moonlight Flat, and across the Nenthorn to Mount Stoker land, including bridge sites on Sheepwash and Nenthorn creeks. Contracts for both of these works have been let, the former for £1,719, and the latter for £1,943. These works will be of great use, but a bridge over the Taieri river itself I consider of far more importance in encouraging settlement. Deepdell Boad. —A good line has been selected by Mr. Barron and myself to give access to the Pastoral deferred-payment sections at present being surveyed on this run, 210, "Deepdell." It is being surveyed and sectioned by the County Engineer, who will forward his drawings and specification to this office for approval before calling for tenders. Upper Clutha Valley. —The drawings have been examined and approved by me for widening the track Cromwell to Perriam's, east bank of Clutha, to 18 feet. A bridge plan for Firewood Creek has yet to come in. When this work is done, it will assist very much in the profitable sale of lands on run 236 and 239, now under survey, as all crossings of the Clutha river will thereby be avoided, and a good road from Clyde to Lake Hawea will be available at all seasons of the year.