THE WANGAPEKA. PRELIMINARY REPORT OF MR. MARCHANT'S SURVEY.

The following letter, t^ent by Mr. Marchant, Surveyor to the General Government, to the Provincial {Secretary, has been published: — Survey Camp, Wangapeka, February .4,1870. Sib,- —Your letter of the 28th January and enclosed telegram, I regret to say only arrived this evening. In answer to your request that I should inform you, " how far the survey is advanced," " what results, if any, are obtained," "how much of the survey I was instructed to make remains unfinished, and the pror bable date of completion," I have the honor to report thafc from the 12th to the 18th ult., I was engaged, in accordance with my instructions, in ascertaining what points were to be taken as those called Mount Arthur and Mount Owen. The miners considered an eastern peak upon Mount Arthur as the highest, and consequently the northern extremity of the goldfield boundary line, I ascertained, however, that the western peak, generally recognised as such, is the highest. The determination of the southern extremity of the boundary line is not such a simple matter. The Mount Owen contended for by the miners, I find to be a range extending from the Wangapeka river southward to the river Owen, where, enclosed between two branches of thafc river, it attains its greatest altitude (5500 feet above the sea). It corresponds in position with the mountain of that name shown upon Stanford's map, and it is over this that Donald's track passes. To the westward, and adjoining this mountain, is situated another of greater altitude, and by far the most remarkable mountain in the district, lying between the western branches of the River Owen. These two jointly, form, I am satisfied, the Mount Owen group of Mr. Richmond's map. Three-quarters of a mte west of the mouth of the Owen lies a range from 3000 to 3600 feet high, being a spur from a mountain which branches southward from the western side of the group. There are three main peaks upon this range, and it may be said to be timbered from the top to the bottom. This, I believe to be the Mount Owen shown upon Mr. Burnett's map, though considerably out of the position shown thereon. I should state that I did not ascend the peaks. Mr. Haast named Mount Owen from a point some-: where north of the junction of the Buller and Mangles rivers, and, strange to say, in the only clear view I obtained, four miles above the Mangles, I saw the Mount Owen group directly over the timbered range above-mentioned. • • y

Culliford's reef lies about two miles to the westward of a line from Mount Arthur, to the Mount Owen of Stanford's map. I have been engaged for the past few days upon a survey to.determine the true position ofthe reef from this line, as also from a line between Mount Arthur and the highest point in the group which lies further to the westward. This survey, if possible, is to be oompleted^by the 9th instant. To ascertain the exact position of the reef from lines between Mount Arthur and fche three points would necessitate a triangulation carried up from the plains, taking perhaps a month for its completion. A work of this character I have not been instructed to execute. ■ . . ■ ■: I shall be happy to furnish any further information in my power which you may require. I have, &c., J. W. A. Mabchant. The Provincial Secretary, Nelson,