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able trouble and fatigue, which, it is to be hoped, will soon be greatly lessened by the opening of the railway to Eed Post and the bridging of the Waiau Eiver, yet the bathhouse and the other conveniences just mentioned, and the growing celebrity of the springs in affording relief to those using them afflicted with rheumatism and skin-diseases, have caused a great accession of visitors. The care-taker, Mr. Stewart, reports 1,428 names in the visitors' book from the 30th July, 1884, to the 31st May, 1885; and from the Ist September, 1884—when a charge of Is. began to be made for the use of the baths and swimming-pool—up to the 31st May, 1885, a sum of £45 16s. 6d. was collected. The great success attending Mr. Gordon's plan of raising the temperature of one of the springs by enclosure from an average of 92 degrees Fahr. to 117 degrees, and then conducting the water a distance of 240 ft. to the bathhouse without sensible loss of heat, has induced the necessity of applying the same plan to the other spring, which supplies two of the baths; for, although naturally hotter than the other, it is now considerably less so in the bathhouse, and visitors as a rule prefer the two hottest baths, to the neglect of the two supplied from the spring referred to. It has been decided to raise its temperature also by the same means as was found so effective in the other case. At the same time the discharge-pipe from the baths will be enlarged considerably, so as to provide against an increase in the number of baths, likely to be required before long, and so save disturbing the grounds at a future time by opening drains. The belt of plantation-ground which was trenched and drained last year is now being planted with young trees. The accommodation for visitors is at present very imperfect and inconvenient ; but the making of better provision in that respect may safely be left to private enterprise. The cost of the works in connection with the springs has been £2,036. It will prove a very profitable investment of public money, both directly and indirectly—directly in the revenue from the springs and the enhanced value given to the reserve of 2,560 acres, and indirectly by the constant stream of visitors that will travel to and fro by the railway from Christchurch to Eed Post. The more celebrated hot springs of Eotorua, although on Native lands, are, so far as the erection of baths and other arrangements are concerned, entirely under the control of the Government. It will therefore be of interest to mention that they and the other wonders of Eotorua, Eotomahana, and Taupo, are becoming every year more and more the resort of travellers and invalids from all parts of the world. Mr. Johnson, the Government Agent at Eotorua, has kindly reported that his estimate of the number of visitors to Eotorua last summer season was 1,300 ; and he gives the following statement from the records of the pavilion, Eotorua, showing that the baths are being extensively and increasingly frequented : — Fees received for Use of Botorua Baths. £ s. d. At 6d. per bath, or 4s. for a dozen baths — 1882. 17th May to 31st December... ... ... ... 27 15 6 1883. Ist January to 30th June ... ... ... ... 35 14 0 1883. Ist July to 31st December ... ... ... ... 21 16 0 In March, 1884, fee raised to Is. per bath, and 6s. per dozen baths— 1884. Ist January to 30th June ... ... ... ... 73 3 0 1884. Ist July to 31st December ... ... ... ... 65 19 0 IHBS. Ist January to 31st May ... ... ... ... 117 1 0 The cost of the Eotorua bathhouses, hospital, and other buildings has been, including contracts ■entered into, about £8,300. A further expenditure of, say, £3,000 will be necessary to bring in a supply of cold water, which can easily be done by gravitation from the Puarenga Stream, about three miles distant. The water is wanted for town supply, for shower-baths similar to those at Hammer, and very much for irrigation of grounds, so as to have their existing parched appearance transformed into a refreshing aspect of green lawns and paths shaded by trees. At Te Aroha there are hot springs on a reserve of Crown lands, which have been much resorted to since a bathhouse was erected, about two years ago. The cost of buildings, fencing, and treeplanting has been £900; and the Domain Board, in whose charge the baths and grounds are vested, estimate that a further sum of £2,300 is necessary for further extension of bathhouses, waitingrooms, cold-water supply, and other accessories, and for the proper laying-out and adorning the grounds, which cover twenty acres. On the opening of the railway from Morrinsville to Te Aroha next summer, there will then be direct rail communication with Auckland, and a great increase, no dcubt, in the number of visitors to the hot springs of Te Aroha. The copy of a recent report and analysis of the hot springs of Te Aroha, furnished by Mr. J. A. Pond, of Auckland, to the Domain Board, will be found in Appendix No. 5. Eoads and Works to open up Lands befoee Sale. Now that the available Crown lands are either very much under bush, or, if open, are backlying or otherwise difficult of access, the necessity of opening them out by roads before settlement is obvious. It is essential to the spread of settlement that this work be prosecuted with steady vigour on a comprehensive plan, having regard to the topography of the country and the bringing forward year after year a series of blocks for selection. On this plan such roads in the Auckland Land District as Gisborne via Ormond to Waiapu, Gisborne to Opotiki, Gisborne to Wairoa, Kawakawa via Kaikohe to Victoria Valley, and others, have been prosecuted during the present and last few years. Haivke's Bay. —A cross-road of about fifty miles from Tahoraite to the East Coast at Waimate, to open up the Tautane Block of sixty thousand acres, now partly under sectional survey; also roads in Maharahara and Umutuarou Blocks, the first settled a few months ago, and the second now under survey for two special settlements.