C—s

2

Thames County, Auckland. Boat! from Sea-beach to Waiomo. —This is a dray-road from the head of Paroquet Creek to the sea-beach at the mouth of the Waiomo Eiver. Payable auriferous-quartz reefs were discovered in June last at the head of Paroquet Creek, but, as there is neither road nor track in the locality, this road is required to allow the quartz to be conveyed to the crushing-batteries either at the Thames or Tapu. There is a road partially formed from the sea-beach up the side of the "Waiomo Eiver, to the junction of Paroquet Creek, which will require to be metalled in places and in some instances widened. From the junction of Paroquet Creek up to the quartz reefs a dray-road will have to be constructed for a distance of about a mile and a half. The work is estimated to cost £750, of which amount a subsidy has been authorized to the extent of £375. Road, Karaka Greek to Auckland Claim, Lucky Hit. —There is a road up Karaka Creek, but a great portion of it has never been metalled, and in some places it requires to be widened. In wet weather, with dray-traffic, it becomes impassable, being simply a quagmire. A new discovery of a payable quartz reef has lately been made up Lucky Hit Creek by the Auckland Company; and this road is required to allow them to get their quartz conveyed from their mine to the crushing-battery at Grahamstown. The estimated cost of the work is £600 :of this amount a subsidy of £300 has been authorized. Track, Waiotahi towards Mercury Bay. —This is the continuation of a track leading from the head of Waiotahi Creek to Punga Flat, which has been constructed for about seven miles, but beyond this there are no tracks of any description. The track in course of construction is from Punga Flat to Gum Town, the latter place being at the head of Mercury Bay —a distance of about ten miles. A track has been surveyed, and portion of it is under construction. To complete the track for the whole of the distance would cost about £1,500; but in order to get a portion of it completed, which will open up a country which is believed to contain auriferous-quartz deposits, a transfer of balance of subsidies which was formerly authorized for road from Hape Creek to Otanui, amounting to £210 15s. 4d., has been applied to this work. Track, Upper Karaka Creek. —This is a district where a large number of miners are employed, and it is believed that were the track extended new ground would be opened. A survey of the extension of this track has been made, and a transfer of a balance of a subsidy formerly authorized for metalling Kauaeranga Valley Eoad, amounting to £119 15s. 4d., has been applied towards constructing this work. Track up Mangakirikiri Creek. —This track was in course of construction last year, and is now completed. It is one of those tracks which allow the miners to get further back into the country on foot, but is of very little use for anything else. The cost of the track has been £91 14s. 4d., of which amount a subsidy of £61 2s. lid. has been paid. Widening Boad from Bridge over Hape Creek to Otanui Mines. —This work was commenced last year, when the mines at Otanui looked more promising than they do at present. The widening, however, of this road would have been of very little service, as it is constructed with steep grades, and the distance from Otanui to Grahamstown is too great to convey low-grade quartz to the crushing-batteries. Besides, there is a crushing-battery adjacent to the mines, at the junction of the Otanui and Mangakiriuiri Creeks, with a good dray-road leading from the mines to the battery. The county widened the road for a certain distance from Hape Creek Bridge, which cost £183 17s. Of this amount a subsidy of £122 11s. 4d. was paid; and the balance of the subsidy formerly authorized, amounting to £210 15s. 4d., has been transferred towards constructing track towards Mercury Bay. Ohinemuei County, Auckland. Waitekauri to Goldfields, Parakaivai. —This is for a prospecting-track, and to enable the miners who have discovered auriferous-quartz reefs at Parakawai to get supplies brought on the ground. The estimated distance is ten miles, and the cost to clear a track is estimated to be about £400. Of this amount a subsidy has been authorized to the extent of £200. Track to connect Tui Creek with Tramway, Waiorongomai. —This is partially a prospecting-track and partially a track to get the quartz from the Tui Creek reefs taken to the crushing-batteries at Waiorongomai. The estimated distance is about two miles, and the cost to the Piako County boundary is estimated to be £320, of which amount a subsidy has been authorized to the extent of £213 6s. Bd. Track, Tui Creek. —This is a horse-track up to the reefs at Tui Creek from the Thames Valley side of the range. The track has been laid off in a haphazard manner, with grades far too steep to allow the track to be of any real service. It is about two miles in length, and has cost £306, of which amount the Government has paid one-half. Extension of Karangahake Track towards Te Aroha. —This track w ras partially constructed by the Thames County before the Ohinemuri County was in existence. The balance of subsidy, £366 65., has been transferred to the Ohinemuri County on the same conditions as those authorized to the Thames County — namely, £2 to £1, which will make £549 9s. to be expended on its continuation. This track will go through an auriferous country for the whole of the distance, and will do a great deal towards opening up the field. Tramway from Karangahake Track to Bailey's Battery. —There has been a new battery erected in the gorge of Waitawheta Creek, about a mile and a half above the junction of this creek and the Ohinemuri Eiver, for the treatment of gold- and silver-ores. From the parcels of ores which have been treated it has given very satisfactory results. The side of the range from the Karangahake Track is very steep down to the creek where the battery is erected. A dray-road could only be constructed at a great expense, and the character Q_f the country is more suitable for the construction of a self-acting inclined tramway, which is estimated to cost £400. Of this amount the Government has authorized a subsidy of £200.