J2G ROADS, PASSES, AND AVAILABLE LAND. 
by the Leader creek and the Mangles to the Tiraumea plains, is 
not so good as that even by the Devil’s Grip. The hills are high, 
and some cuttings would have to be made, which are not necessary 
on the Owen valley line. 
After reaching the Buller and the western foot of Mount Mur¬ 
chison, instead of going down by the river, there are two ways tor 
continuing the road; the first by going south, crossing the River 
Murchison, towards the northern end of the Tiraumea plains, 
which may thus be easily reached, as there is low country between 
the two points. From these plains, instead of going down the 
Tutaki, I think it much better and shorter to follow that river for 
twelve to fourteen miles up. As I observed from the top of 
several mountains, the country there is low and broken, and 
it would be easy to follow one of the creeks which join the Tutaki 
from the westward, and thus reach the Matakitaki north of Mount 
Mantell, where an opening is visible which leads by the Warwick 
into the Maruia plains, the central station of the road. 
The advantage of this line would be very considerable, because 
we have grass in the Tiraumea plains and up the Tutaki, and in 
all probability also on the banks of the Matakitaki. It is true 
that I tried in vain to discover from the summit of the mountains 
which I ascended whether any grass land existed, but as the 
country twelve to eighteen miles up the Matakitaki is very low, 
I should not be surprised if terraces, with grass land similar to 
those in the Maruia plains, although on a smaller scale, should be 
found. 
Should this road, however (which I do not anticipate), not 
prove a good one, we still have two other ways to reach the 
second principal point in my journey, namely, the Matakitaki 
plains. The first is by the valley of the Murchison, below the 
confluence of which with the Buller the banks of the latter 
consist of a terrace 100 to 150 feet in height, along which the 
road can be carried without difficulty. If considered desirable to 
cross the Mangles, or Tutaki, by a bridge, there will be found, 
about 150 yards from its confluence with the Buller, two bold 
rocks, narrowing its bed to thirty feet, and which offer unusual 
facilities for its erection, although in fair weather the river can be 
crossed easily near its junction with the Buller above the falls. 
The road would then lead along the terrace, which slopes 
towards the west, through the Matakitaki plains, to the junction 
of the river of that name with the Buller; and would thus open 
out large tracts of fertile land, now covered with forest, scrub, 
and fern. From the junction we could ascend the Matakitaki, 
and reach the Maruia plains by the Warwick ; or, if the road by 
the Maruia itself were preferred, I should suggest that, instead of 
following down the Buller to its junction with the Maruia, it 
ought to be taken along a valley which joins the Matakitaki 
half-a-mile above the confluence of that river with the Buller, 
