The Surveyor's Report.

During the succeeding ten months Mr. Rochfort (who presently was associated with Mr. Hursthouse) was engaged steadily in his explorations, and on September 11, 1884, he reported to the Engineer-in-Chief that he had completed the actual survey of the Central route for the proposed railway, and he forwarded complete sets of plans and a descriptive report on the line. He estimated the cost of construction at £6093 per mile, without the cost of the land or fencing, but including a road alongside for the whole length of the line for the purpose of railway construction. The total length of the traverse from Marton to Te Awamutu was 223 ¼ page 27 miles, but the actual railway line was 212 miles 27 chains; he thought this might yet be shortened to 200 miles on more detailed exploration. His survey was very accurate, and was closely followed; the length of the present section from Marton to Te Awamutu is 210 miles

The late Alexander Bell, the pakeha-Maori pioneer of Taumarunui, joined Rochfort's party as a chainman, and assisted the surveyor in much of the arduous bush work. One of Rochfort's old employees who is still living is Mr. E. C. Williams, of Auckland, who was a surveyor's assistant for the greater part of his life. As a lad he was one of the party (numbering twelve) taken prisoner at the Manganui-a-te-ao and sent down the Wanganui River, and he accompanied Rochfort when the exploration work was resumed.