SURVEYS OF NEW ZEALAND. REPORT FOR 1889-90.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1890 Session I, C-05

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1890. NEW ZEALAND.

SURVEYS OF NEW ZEALAND. REPORT FOR 1889-90.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Sir, — General Survey Office, Wellington, 2nd August, 1890. I have the honour to furnish the following report on the work of the Survey Department for the twelve months ending the 30th June, 1890, at Avhich date the survey year ends. Extracts from the reports of the Chief Surveyors in charge of the ten land districts into which the colony is divided will be found in the Appendices, together with detail progress-reports on each of the road-Avorks carried out by the department, and tabular statements of surveys completed, &c, Avith maps illustrative of the same. To facilitate reference to the results of the year's work, the following figures have been compiled, which shoAV at a glance the totals, and the average cost of the work under the various headings : — Area. Rate per Acre. Cost. £ s. d. £ s. d. Minor triaiigtilation (Avithout topography) ... 1,334,671 acres 0 0 0-89 4,952 13 1 Topographical surveys... ... ... ... 248,712 „ 0 0 0-46 482 19 9 Trigonometrical and topographical surveys ... 62,960 „ 0 0 0-84 221 19 9 Selection surveys under "The Land Act Amendment Act, 1887'"' ... ... ... ... 261,484 „ 0 0 3-33 3,633 16 1 Sural and suburban section surveys ... ... 431,695 „ 0 1 3-7 28,249 1 1 Town-section survev (138 acres, 339 sections), per section ... ... ... ... ... ... 0 15 0-5 255 2 6 Native Land Court surveys ... ... ... 805,364 acres 0 0 2-6 8,924 18 6 Mining surveys ... ... ... ... 21,467 „ 0 5 9-1. 6,252 0 4 Eoads, 408-16 miles, per mile ... ... ... ... 9 .4 0 3,755 16 10 Miscellaneous Avork ... ... ... ... ... . . 6,356 15 11 Total cost of field-work finished during the year ... ... £63,085 3 10 The total cost of field-work for the year was £49,816 Bs. 9d., and the difference between that sum and £63,085 3s. lOd. represents field-work shown in the above totals that Avas commenced in the previous year, and also includes work done in the field, but not yet mapped. The total cost of supervision, office-work, and publication, was £36,614 15s. 10d., so that the gross cost for the twelve months was £86,431 4s. 7d.; or deducting refunds for services performed for other departments, &c, the net cost of the department for the twelve months was £73,765 Os. Id. Triangulation and Topographical Survey. Summarising the three first items above, it will be found that 2,572 square miles of country have been partly minor triangulated, and partly topographically sketched, at a cost of about fd. per acre. The largest area accomplished this year in one continuous survey has been in the Auckland District, by District Surveyor Cussen, where the work was necessary in order to cover the large area of surveys undertaken for Native Land Court purposes. Mr. T. N. Broderick, in Canterbury, and Messrs. Bullard, Smith, and Greenfield, in Nelson, also carried triangles over extensive areas in order to control the sectional and other surveys within those districts. Extracts from Mr. Broderick's report on the discovery of another pass over the Southern Alps, explored during the course of his survey, will be found in the Appendix. The only other item of any consequence under this heading Avas a triangulation of 113,034 acres in the rough wooded country between Gisborne and Opotiki, performed by Mr. Teesdale, to facilitate the subdivision of some blo3ks for settlement along the Motu Eoad. The triangulation of the colony—either as major or minor work—is now well advanced, and its continuance "in the future will be in somewhat small and detached portions where necessary to cover the settlement surveys as they advance; the cost, therefore, of this class of departmental work will be a gradually-decreasing one. I—C. 5.

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The time will come when a great triangulation of the colony will be undertaken in the interests of science, and Avhen this period arrives the Avork already done will facilitate its operations enormously, hy furnishing the known position of points to form the apexes of a series of triangles of any size required. So far as the settlement operations of the survey are concerned, no such governing triangulation is necessary, for the discrepancies on the closing lines of the work as it exists are far within the limits which could affect the boundaries of properties, or cause any displacement in the general maps of the colony. Settlement Surveys. Selection Surveys under the Act of 1887. — It has become necessary to make a distinction between the two classes of settlement surveys now carried on by the department. The first has for its object the preparation of selection-maps of lands to be throwm open before survey; the second, the complete survey of the sections as selected, in order to define individual boundaries and to furnish the data from which the titles are to issue. During the past year 261,484 acres were prepared in this manner for selection "before survey," principally in the Wellington, Canterbury, and Hawke's Bay Districts. The modus operandi is briefly this : The blocks to be dealt with have the principal roadlines run through them, with great care as to location and grades, and with a view to the areas into which the lands will subsequently be selected. Conjointly with this operation, topographical and descriptive information is obtained as to the best back and fencing lines, the character of the soil, vegetation, homestead-sites, lands for future smaller subdivision, public reserves, and other purposes incidental to the settlement of the country. The character of the surveys from Avhich the above information is obtained is—so far as its technical value in measurements, either angular or linear is concerned —not of a first-rate class ; nor is it suitable for the issue of titles, but it serves all the purposes of supplying full information to the selector, avlio, lithograph in hand, can easily find his way about the block, and correctly describe his selection in the subsequent application to the Land Office. A specimen plan on a reduced scale of a block thus prepared for selection " before survey " will be found in the Appendix hereto, which has been taken from one prepared by the Chief Surveyor, Wellington District, where the system has been more developed than elseAvhere in the colony hitherto. So soon as the selections are made and the fees deposited for the ultimate survey, the work is put in hand, in the ordinary rigorous manner of section survey. The average cost of the former process for the past year has been slightly over 3Jd. per acre. To this must be added the cost of final survey for definition of boundaries, Avhicli Avill average from Is. to Is. 6d. per acre. The adoption of the system of preparatory survey has so far acted Avell, and little or no trouble has been experienced in defining the applications on the ground; whilst it has the great advantage of enabling the department to place lands in the market much more quickly than under the ordinary system of survey before sale. It seems also to have solved many of the well-known difficulties that have arisen in other countries in " selection before survey." Ordinary Section Survey. —Under this heading is embraced the usual survey of sections before sale, the surveys of lands alienated, in some cases, many years ago, Avhich are necessary in order to issue titles; the surveys of areas selected under the preceding section ; and all other classes of complete section survey. The total area so surveyed and mapped during the twelve months was 431,695 acres, in 2,200 sections, averaging 196 acres per section, at a cost of Is. 3-|-d. per acre, being about a Id. an acre less than the cost for the previous year —a price which cannot be considered high Avhen it is remembered that the greater part of the country dealt Avith is covered with dense forest, very rough, and often difficult of access. The output for this year exceeded that of last year by over 110,000 acres; but to arrive at this result the staff Avas augmented by the employment of ten additional officers temporarily engaged to meet the larger demand for lands; and the aid of several authorised surveyors was also called in to assist in Avorking off arrears, avlio Avere generally employed at contract or schedule rates. The country the department has to deal with in the future, being of a more broken character, and more remote from roads and settlement, the costs of survey Avill tend rather to increase than otherwise, though at the same time this is somewhat counteracted by the larger-sized sections in which the land will necessarily be selected. The amount of land fit for settlement which is still in the hands of the CroAvn is becoming small, notAvithstanding the frequent statements to the contrary ; and the settlement of the country through the Land Department must soon show a decrease in volume unless more lands are acquired from the Native OAvners. In some districts this has already become a necessity, Avhich is frequently brought under notice of the department. Surveys for Native Land Court Purposes. During the past year an area of 805,364 acres Avas surveyed by surveyors in the employment of the Government, at a cost of 0-22d. per acre. This area comprised 432 divisions or blocks of various sizes ; and the surveys were undertaken to carry out orders made by the Court, generally representing divisions of blocks Avhich had previously been before the Court, and which had recently come in for division at the request of the Native owmers. The largest continuous area surveyed represents divisions of the King-country, or Bohepotae Block, where 523,328 acres, in thirty-four blocks, were completely surveyed and mapped at a-very reasonable cost, the whole of Avhich is secured by way of lien or mortgage over the lands themselves. To the total area above mentioned must be added over 96,000 acpgs, in sixty-nine blocks, which were surveyed at the c.ost of the applicants, but under the direction of the department. It will thus be seen that over '900,000 acres of land, in 504 divisions of different sizes, were prepared for the issue of certificates by the Court; and there still remains on hand a very great deal of this class of Avork—so much so, that it Avould be a Avork of some years to bring it all up to date.

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Gold and other Mining Surveys. The past year has witnessed an increased demand for this class of survey, the area completed being 21,467 acres in 608 divisions, against 17,160 acres in 513 divisions for the previous year, the increase being principally in Otago. The surveys include licensed holdings, special claims, and dredging-areas. A large proportion of the surveys have been made by the officers of the staff, though in many cases, in order to keep the work up to date, the aid of the authorised surveyors was called in. As in all cases the fees are deposited with the applications, the cost of survey to the Government is nil. Many of these claims are situated in the new mining fields at Nenthorn, in Otago, and in the Puhipuhi State Forest, in Auckland, at Avhich latter place extensive silver-lodes AA 7ere discovered during the year. The cost of this class of Avork is always high, OAving to the isolated positions of the claims and the intermittent nature of the applications. Eor the past year the average cost was ss. 9d. per acre. Eoad and Eailway Surveys. Under this heading is included all surveys of roads, railways, Avater-races, &c, which do not form part of the systematic sectiomsing of the country. The work embraces the survey of roads laid out in exercise of the rights reserved under various statutes, such as the Land Acts, Native Land Act, etc., besides the definition of lines of roads leading to isolated blocks of Crown lands. A few miles of railway were also surveyed for Proclamation purposes, and included in the total are 144 miles of the reconnaissance survey of the road-lines leading from Taranaki toAvards Waikato, full descriptions of w7hich appeared in last year's reports. The amount of work before the department in exercising the rights of roads before the time expires within which they may be legally taken is very large indeed, and, although urgent cases are taken in hand as they arise, a very great number of cases must lapse for want of sufficient strength in the staff to carry the surveys out, especially so as the increased demand for lands for settlement purposes leaves very few officers available for this work, It is the duty of the department to again urge that, in the interests of the public, the time within Avhich road-rights under the Native Land Acts may be exercised shcukl be extended for a considerable period. Miscellaneous Work. In many cases the work performed by the officers of the department does not admit of any classification under the various heads as given in the tables : it is therefore grouped together here. The cost for the year amounted to £6,356, and the services rendered for this sum consist principally of explorations, field inspections, reports on various matters, small surveys of different kinds, and sundry other small items too numerous to mention in detail. Eoad-work generally. Since the department took over from the Public Works Department the Avhole of the constructive road-works of the colony, in January, 1889, this branch of the service has been a somewhat important one. A very large amount of the work is immediately conducted under the direction of the Chief Surveyors, with the occasional help of road surveyors and a staff of overseers specially engaged, whilst some of it is supervised by two of the Assistant Engineers, Avho were transferred to the department for that purpose from the Public Works Department. The aid of the local bodies is also made available in many cases; but the specification of the works and the final inspection of them is almost invariably undertaken by the Chief Surveyors and their staff. The reports from each district, given in the Appendix, detail the various works which have been in hand during the year: from them it will be seen that the operations extend from end to end of the colony, and that the character of the work varies a great deal according to requirements and locality. The principal work, however, is that connected with the opening of some kind of way to the Crown lands before offering them for sale. In the lands which the Crown has now to offer to the settler —consisting, as it does, almost entirely of broken forest country—it is essential that the selector shall have some means of reaching his property, in order to remove his family, furniture, stores, stock, &c, to the ground ; and it is found that, unless tracks are previously made, the lands do not readily find selectors. The necessity of continuing this system of opening the lands before sale is every day becoming of more importance. The available lands are further away from existing roads, the country is much more broken in its nature and almost always densely wooded—in fact, Avithout a continuance of the present system of "roading," there can be no reasonable doubt that settlement will fall off very considerably. It would seem to be necessary and advisable, in all cases where blocks of any size are thrown open, to construct a cart-road through them, and, in addition, that the by-roads should be formed as bridle-roads, all to be made rigidly on the permanent grades. The cost of these works is a legitimate charge on the lands themselves, and should be added to the price per acre according to the advantage each section derives from its position. During the past year a total of over 260 miles of road has been constructed or improved, consisting mainly of the following descriptions of work : — Cart-roads formed or improved ... ... ... ... 151-0 miles. Bridle-roads formed or improved ... ... ... ... 113'0 „ Graded in addition ... ... ... ... ... 29-5 „ Drains made ... ... , . ... 7'85 „ Bridges (not included*^ the above) ... ... .... ... 1,146ft. Contracts in operation on the 30th June ... ... ... 87 Outside the above works, the department hasXaintained a great length of main roads in Auckland, HaAvke's Bay, Wellington, Taranaki, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland, Canterbury, and Otago, including therein some of the principal lines of communication in the colony which are situated outside the settled districts. Details of these operations will be found in the accompanying tables,

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from which it will also be seen that the total expenditure, inclusive of sums spent through the local bodies, has amounted to £69,118. This does not, hoAvever, include the expenditure from " thirds " and " fourths " payable to local bodies out of the Land Fund, though the Avhole of it has to be previously approved by the department and Land Boards. In connection with road-works, attention is drawn to extracts from the report of the Chief Surveyor tif Westland, describing a new route over the Southern Alps, explored by himself, which in future times will form a fairly-easy railway-line between the east and west coasts of the Southern Island. Departmental. The greater demand for lands for settlement, and the larger output during the year, has necessarily caused more work in the indoor as well as the outdoor branches of the department, necessitating the very considerable temporary augmentation of the staff in order to keep pace with it. The demand on the time of those Chief Surveyors who also hold the offices of Commissioners of Crown Lands has been greatly increased during the year by the extra work thrown on them in connection with the investigation of claims under the Naval and Military Settlers' Land Act of last session, and of the revaluations under the Selectors' Lands Revaluation Act of the same year. That their own especial duties have not been materially interrupted through this extra work is due to the fact that a great part of it has been done after office-hours, and has been therefore a gratuitous service, which, however, has failed to meet the appreciation which is its due. The publication branch at the head office, under Mr. Barron's special care, has been kept fully at work, and has produced a large output, as w7 ill be seen from that gentleman's report attached. In February last the Auckland branch of the department removed from the old wooden building in Parliament Street—a building which is historically interesting as having been the first House of Parliament in the colony —to more commodious and substantial quarters in Customhouse Street, where it is nearer the public and other public offices. The removal thus effects a saving of time, and is a great convenience to those having business with the department. The strength of the department on the 30th June was as follows: 55 surveyors, 62 draughtsmen, 15 cadets, 6 clerks, 1 accountant, 4 book-keepers, 1 photographer, 6 lithographers, all on the permanent staff, besides many surveyors and draughtsmen temporarily employed. Three of the cadets passed on to the grade of assistant-surveyors during the year, and are now doing good work in the field. I have, &c, S. Percy Smith, The Hon. G. F. Richardson, Minister of Lands. Surveyor-General.

HEAD OFFICE. The administration of the Survey Department and of the large number of roads now under the care of the head office has entailed correspondence to the number of 13,700 letters and papers received and despatched. The vouchers which have been entered, placed to their proper vote and item, and signed number 8,882, of which 101 were for work done under 84 agreements w 7ith 52 local authorities, representing in all £155,549 4s. 7d. The whole of the road-works in the colony paid for by the General Government, with the exception of roads on goldfields, are now authorised by the Survey Department. Important bridges are, hoAvever, still designed by the more experienced officers of the Public Works Department, as, as yet, no officer of the Survey Department could be detailed for such work. The Public Works Department has also at its command many standard designs and specifications which long experience has brought to the highest practicable state of perfection. The administration rests, however, mainly on the head office of the Survey Department. During the year there have been published 75 land-sale maps—viz., of Auckland, 16 ; of Hawke's Bay, 6 ; of Wellington, 18 ; of Taranaki, 6; of Canterbury, 10 ; of Otago, 19. There have been drawn and published 12 district maps on the mile-to-an-inch scale, and a large number of maps for illustrating local subjects. Of the six tourist-maps, 41,100 were printed and distributed during the year. They have had some effect in revealing to the Avorld the splendid scenery, climate, and lands of New Zealand. At the Dunedin Exhibition tAvo maps were shoAvn —one on the scale of 4 miles to an inch, measuring 15ft. by 20ft., and one on the scale of 8 miles to an inch, measuring Bft. by 10ft. The hillwork of the first was very effectively drawn in crayon by Mr. Deverill; the writing and most of the other detail by Mr. McCardell. The 8-mile map was entirely drawn by Mr. G. Wilson. The first was picturesque, the second was geographical. Both received the diploma of first order of merit, and well deserved it. Mr. Grant has completed the 8-mile geographical maps of the Middle Island. They are in three sections, and the last is now being printed. He is engaged on a new map of the Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki Districts; but, as the geographical work of the Wellington District is much behind that of the other districts of the colony, it will probably be next year before sufficient data can be compiled to finish it. For the Representation Commission 9 officers were engaged 32 days in preparing maps for consideration by the Commissioner?, in publishing the proposed and the final lithographs showing the electorates, and in preparing two sets of descriptions, and getting up by hand 350 detail-maps for Parliament, -Registrars, and others. There is an increasing amount of work required in the formation and proclamation of licensing districts, Eesident Magistrates' districts, Supreme Court districts, ridings, road districts, boroughs,

MAP OF THE NORTH ISLAND. NEW ZEALAND. SHEWING LANDS OPENED FOR FREE SELECTION 1890.

MAP OF THE MIDDLE ISLAND. NEW ZEALAND. SHEWING LANDS OPENED FOR FREE SELECTION 1890.

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mining districts, and Avater-races. Many of these are frequently amended or altered, and necessarily complete record-maps of all must be maintained. This is all in addition to the record work relative to .the opening and disposal of Crown lands. The proclamation-w-ork formerly done by the Public Works Department is under the charge of Mr. Short for the text and of Mr. Flanagan for the plans. During the year 80 proclamations have been prepared, entailing the examination of 150 plans and 47 descriptions; 7 Royal Commissions were prepared and issued, mainly to settle differences between local authorities; 38 warrants to take roads were also issued ; and 19 proclamations are in hand. The two printing-machines have been kept fairly constantly at work, and have turned out 926,623 impressions of 907 separate printings. The hand-presses, being mainly engaged on circular work and preparing for machines, have turned out 62,421 impressions. A new lens and camera, capable of taking negatives 30in. by 30in., haA7e been obtained; but in consequence of the press of work they have not yet been set up. The department has now an establishment capable of printing every kind of lithographic, photographic, and some of the "process" work of older countries. The Avork done will compare well Avith larger places, and but for the necessity of great economy in the drawing portion might be made as good as the best. It is sometimes vexatious that so little time can be given to working out the details of photographic processes; yet, in the midst of a constant flow of work, Mr. Eoss, the chief of the Lithographic Office, occasionally finds time to make a step forward in something new. A. Barron, The Surveyor-General. Superintendent.

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APPENDICES.

APPENDIX No. 1. EXTEACTS FEOM THE EEPOETS OF THE CHIEF SUEVETOES IN CHAEGE OF SETTLEMENT OPERATIONS.

AUCKLAND. Triangulation. —The amount completed in the field and. mapped during the past year was 864 square miles, or, in other words, 553,195 acres, at a cost of £1,661 2s. 2d., averaging Jd. an acre. Of this area 450,000 acres cover the country on the West Coast between Kawhia and the Awakino Block. The triangulation of this area was found to be absolutely necessary so as to govern the extensive surveys of Native Land Court blocks in that part of the King-country. The sides of the triangles average about 6 miles, but in a feAv cases, where the country is particularly difficult, owing to flat-topped hills covered with forest, AA 7e have had to be content with 10-mile sides. In other parts a minor series of from 3 to 4 miles have been obtained. This country Avas found to be very rugged and difficult of access; but the District Surveyor, Mr. L. Cussen, assisted at times by Mr. A. Simpson, has accomplished the work rapidly and effectiA7ely. Mr. Cussen is deserving of special commendation, as his work this season has been particularly arduous, for conjointly with the work of triangulation he has carried on in an exhaustive manner an examination of the contract surveys in the district, amounting to 700,000 acres. This triangulation forms another close on to the Taranaki series, which must be considered exceptionally good, considering that the bases of the two series are 170 miles apart in a direct line. The mean difference in the length of the common sides is four-tenths of a link to a mile, and the greatest difference is seven-tenths. The mean difference in bearing, after allowing for convergence, is 7", and the greatest 12". The remaining trig, work was undertaken for the purpose of connecting sectional surveys at Hohoura, Hukerenui, Otau, and Waingaroa. The triangulation in progress comprises 353,000 acres, extending from near Morrinsville to the Frith of the Thames, which is being executed under contract by Mr. P. E. Gheal, authorised surveyor. Mr. W. Cussen, authorised surveyor, also has in hand 99,000 acres at Waihaha, west of Taupo. Bural Sections. —The Avork completed in this district during the past year has been very large, for it has been exceeded only three times since the establishment of the department, the last time being in 1883. The total for 1889-90 was 103,672 acres, costing £9,375 10s. 10d., or Is. 9d. per acre. The maximum area in any one section was 2,000 acres, and the average size of each section was 122 acres. So great has been the demand for land that the staff was quite incapable of making all the surveys required, and outside assistance had to be obtained, and 20,915 acres of "unsurveyed" selections, averaging 510 acres each, were consequently placed in the hands of authorised surveyors, as were also thirty-four applications, comprising 3,444 acres of isolated sections scattered over the district, and distant from the localities where staff surveyors were engaged. The balance of the 103,672 acres—viz., 79,313 acres—has, with the exception of six prospectors' mineral leases, been executed by the staff. This land has been divided into 766 sections, averaging 122 acres each, and costing Is. 9d. an acre, which is a very reasonable price. These surveys were scattered about localities where the original surveys are of a very ancient order, and where great care and tact is needed to satisfactorily solve numerous perplexing problems relating thereto. These problems haA 7e arisen in some cases from the complete obliteration of old survey-marks, and in other cases because there is no record to refer to excepting the diagrams on the back of old CroAvn grants, as neither field-books nor maps of the original surveys are now obtainable. It must be gratifying to the surveyors interested to find that so little exception has been taken to their determinations, as only one or two cases out of the multitude have been referred to me by the parties interested. Town Surveys. —Under this head some 147 sections have been surveyed, at a cost of £107 17s. 4d., the greater portion being the redefining of the Town of Pahi, a very tedious and expensive survey, caused by the almost complete absence of old survey-marks or other reliable data upon which to base the work. Native Land Court Surveys. —The large extent of country covered by applications from Natives to bring land before the Land Court for the investigation of title has brought about- an unprecedented amount of survey. In the King-country alone there were no less than 1,411,000 acres the survey of which has either been executed during the year or is in progress and is nearing completion. The country covered by these blocks extends "from Taumarunui, on the Wanganui, northward for 64 miles to Alexandra, with a breadth of 50 miles, from the West Coast below Kawhia to the Waikato River at Patetere.

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The 103 blocks which were completed during the year comprise 612,863 acres, Avhich is very nearly double the area snrveyed in any previous year. The.staff surveyors completed three blocks, containing 6,932 acres, at a cost of £118 9s. 6d. The' authorised surveyors, under private arrangements as to cost with the Native owners, surveyed sixty-nine blocks, containing 96,467 acres, and, in cases where the costs have been advanced by the"Government, they surveyed thirty-eight blocks, comprising 516,396 acres, at a cost of £5,088 Is., for which liens have been lodged against the land. In addition to the above completed work, there are in progress in the King-country surveys of 963,224 acres, on which Government has advanced £1,541 9s. 2d. These surveys are nearly complete, and District Surveyor Cussen is now engaged on their inspection. Then, there are 30,776 acres in hand in the Tauponuiatea, Piako, and other blocks, the cost of which Avill be paid by Government, owing to the land being principally portions awarded to the Crown out of Native blocks. A further area of 82,000 acres, in 14-7 blocks, is in the hands of authorised surveyors for' Native Land Court purposes, and the cost of this is to be defrayed by the Natives themselves. Gold-mining Surveys. —Under this heading the office has been fully employed in recording and examining the claims received. These (though not nearly so many as in the previous year) amount to seventy-three claims, equalling 1,828 acres, and costing £917 10s. Of this number some twenty claims, equalling 490 acres, have been received for examination and approval within the new Puhipuhi Mining District. Generally speaking, the surveys under this heading have been very well done, and the errors of closure and connection with trig. A 7ery small —a fact which speaks well for the carefulness of the authorised surveyors employed. Boads and Water-races. —The staff have surveyed some 40-J miles of road and goldfield boundary surveys, at a cost of £428, or £10 6s. per mile. This mileage includes roads surveyed by Mr. Philips for opening up Crown lands selected in Raglan County, and roads surveyed by Mr. F. Simpson to open up Puhipuhi. It also includes 12 miles of goldfield boundaries run by Mr. T. K. Thomson at Kuaotunu at a cost of £137, which sum. should be refunded by the Goldfields Department. Surveys of some twelve miles of road, executed by authorised surveyors for counties in exercise of road rights, and 1-J- miles of water-race, have also been received. Other Work. —The £1,085 3s. Bd. set down in the summary statement to "other work " is, in the main, the cost of inspecting the surveys of Native blocks, as £706 7s. was expended in this work. This amount, spread over the large area inspected and thoroughly checked in the field, represents about Jd. an acre. The balance of £378 16s. Bd. is the cost of the inspection of road-works, obtaining information for the Land Board and Kaihu Eoyal Commission, and for other minor matters. Town Standard Surveys. —District Surveyor Edgecumbe, Avho obtained an extended leave of absence on account of ill-health, has, at his own request, been engaged for some months during the year on the standard survey of the City of Auckland, and the alignment of its streets. lam pleased to say that his health has permitted him to do a considerable amount of A 7aluable and efficient work, and this has been done in a very creditable manner. There still remains a large area to cover, as only the most densely-populated portions of the city have been operated upon up to the present time. Land Transfer Work. —Doubtless owing to the prevailing depression, the transfer of landed property has been very limited. Mr. Foster has examined and passed sixty-nine plans, comprising 235 lots, of a total area of 3,373 acres, and he has also from time to time checked small surveys of this class in the neighbourhood of Auckland. Mr. Sturtevant, the draughtsman in the Land Transfer Office, reports that fifty-five applications to bring land under the Act have been received, examined, and searched, and plans prepared for the Examiner of Titles, and 420 certificates of title, with marginal plans, have been prepared in duplicate, representing an area of 99,277 acres. Summarising the field-work in the foregoing, Ave have as follows: — Completed during the Year. * Hj^^B^go-, Triangulation ... ... 553,195 acres ... 452,000 acres Rural sections ... ... 103,672 „ ... 90,000 Town surveys ... ... 147 sections ... 250 sections Native Land Court ... ... 619,795 acres ... 1,081,951 acres Gold-mining ... ... 1,828 Roads, &c. ... ... ... 40^-miles ... 61J miles Work for Ensuing Season. —The coming year promises to be even more heavily burdened Avith work than the past one has been, for, in addition to the above in the hands of the surveyors, there is a further unallotted area of 54,549 acres of surveys ordered by the Land Board on applications from intending settlers, and these are scattered all over the district: this list is being added to at every meeting of the Board. During the year there have been 251 individual applications to the Land Board for specially-selected areas, averaging 165 acres each, to be surveyed and thrown open for selection. Although Ave have executed sectional surveys to the extent of 103,000, &c, acres, we have not kept pace with the amounts deposited by the Land Department, as some surveys Avere for issue of long-delayed Crown grants. It is the intention in the summer to prosecute surveys of the swampland near Matata, and some of the Crown land abutting on the Opotiki-Gisborne Road leading to Motu. There will for certain be a considerable amount needed "in the Waingaroa District, and several blocks north of Auckland will also be taken in hand. In every instance the Land Board has been-led to believe that their occupation will certainly follow. The survey for the Native Land Court will be very heavy also, as for a" certainty almost numberless subdivisions of the King-country blocks will be made by the Court, and a large number has been already applied for.

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I Avould again suggest the desirability of laying out and surveying main roads through these lands, especially as so much subdiA"ision is hoav going on. The roads Avould doubtless in many instances be made to form boundaries of the partitions. I propose to give attention to the survey of roads through lands thrown open as " unsurveyed," and have already made arrangements for their being put in hand—notably in the Eaglan County, where the land is being extensively taken up by bond fide settlers under deferred-payment and perpetual-lease systems. Office-work. —The energies of the office staff have been taxed to the uttermost during the past year to keep pace Avith the heavy demands caused by the large amount of settlement survey which has been going on in all parts of the country, and also on account of the very large amount of Native Land Court work, which has been submitted to rigorous check. The correspondence, instead of abating, has increased : 1,337 marginal plans have been placed on 460 Crown grants, and certificates of title in lieu of grants, representing 66,957 acres ; 710 plans have been drawn on 245 ordinary leases and licenses, representing 52,891 acres; and 232 diagrams on 102 Native Land Court titles, for 172,074 acres. The sale of lithographs has amounted to £109 10s. during the year. In February last the business of the Survey Department Avas transferred from the old buildings near the Supreme Court to the new, handsome, and commodious one in Custom Street. The change has proved a very great convenience to the public on account of the building being in the business part of the city. Twenty-one county maps, coloured up to date, are now hung up in the long corridor of the building, and all day long persons are found inspecting them with a view of selecting lands for settlement. During the year the staff has been increased by the transfer from the Nelson District of Assistant Surveyors J. McKay and T. K. Thomson. Mr. E. Galbraith has also been promoted from cadet to the grade of assistant surveyor; and lam pleased to report that the work done by these young surveyors has been very creditable to them. There are now no survey cadets in this district. At the close of this, my first departmental year in the Auckland District, I desire to express my entire satisfaction at the manner in which the officers, both field and staff, have met the great strain of the past year, and my appreciation of their Avilling services and hearty co-operation. Thos. Humphries, Chief Surveyor.

TARANAKI. Bural and Suburban. —-The bulk of the work has been the subdivision of ninety-two sections of Crown lands for settlement, comprising an area of 27,943 acres, thus giving an average area per section of 304 acres, at a mean cost of l-245. per acre, which I think compares very favourably with that of previous years, when it is considered that each new block, as a rule, lies further away from settlement centres. Native Land Court Surveys. —Under this heading 8,607 acres have been surveyed into sixtytAvo sections ; and in this area there are five partitions, containing 297 acres, of West Coast Commission reserves : 1,240 acres are also included, being the resurvey and subdivision of old Native reserves in and around New Plymouth, for which grants have never issued, and which were brought under the provisions of the Native Land Act and orders made in June, 1887. Owing to considerable discrepancies having been revealed bet.veen the areas ordered and' those included by the fences, some unavoidable delay was occasioned in the resurvey of the Puketotara and Moturoa Subdivisions. These have now been amended by the Court, and the plan of Puketotara has been received. Moturoa and one or tAvo others will be finished shortly. The balance of 7,070 acres comprises the Pukengahu Block, a partial resurvey of which has been made at a cost of £60. Native Land Purchase Surveys. —The survey of the Taumatamahoe and Whitianga Blocks, situate on the Upper Wanganui Eiver, are in progress by Mr. John Skinner on contract; but, as they lie far back in rough country, the survey cannot be completed for several months. The completion of the southern boundary of Taumatamahoe will also complete the survey of Pahatuhia Block, estimated to contain 6,000 acres, and, as this block lies betAveen the Mangaotuku and Taumatamahoe Blocks (Crown land), it should, I think, be acquired by the CroAvn, more particularly as Mr. Skinner's report upon it is more favourable than previous ones. Boads, Baihoays, do. —With reference to the 148 miles returned under this head, it should be explained that 144| are included in Mr. Skeet's reconnaissance survey to connect Avith the Main Trunk line, 29^ miles of Avhich Avere graded and chained. Three miles have been surveyed through the Ngaere Block (Avhich is leased by the CroAvn) to give access to the Mangamingi Block, now in process of subdivision for settlement. Other Work. —This includes back-pegging of old work, laying doAvn a few standards at Inglewood and Stratford, the survey of a few sections at the latter town, the periodical soundings at the breakAvater, and some scattered surveys about the tOAvn and district. Land Transfer Surveys. —Mr. Bird, Chief Draughtsman, has examined forty-eight plans, comprising 32,780 acres, and surveyed into ninety sections, all of Avhich have been approved, and the Avork of this branch is up to date. Field Inspection. —I have during the year inspected the work of one staff surveyor, one contract surveyor, and eight Land Transfer surveys by licensed surveyors in different parts of the district. I have also inspected, prior to survey, the grading of two road-lines by Mr. E. H. DaA'ies—namely, through the block subdivided by him near Urenui, and the line he is iioav surveying between Ngatimaru and Tikorangi. - Office-work. —Mr. Bird reports that the office staff has checked 18 surveyors' plans, prepared 19 neAv block-sheets, 41 plans for Native Land Court, 8 for the Department of Justice. 286 tracings

NATIVE LAND SURVEYS ROHEPOTAE,

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of various kinds; that the staff has also checked 164 traverse-sheets, and prepared 6 tracings for photo-lithographing ; also 199 Crown grants and leases, comprising 680 sections. In addition to this 21 plansnof Native titles, including 48 sections, and 157 plans, including 890 sections, have been drawn on Land Transfer certificates of title. Work for other departments has been executed amounting to £218 19s. 3d., and outstanding liens on Native Land Court surveys amount to £1,355 ss. 9d. Work for Next Year. —Mr. Skeet will survey two or three West Coast Commission reserves on the Upper Waitara, for which the owners have been pressing for some time. He will then subdivide the Crown land available in and adjoining the Makara Valley, between Ngatimaru and Tikorangi. The unsurveyed portion of the road to connect these settlements is now in hand by Mr. Davies. Mr. Skeet might afterwards continue the Mimi Valley Eoad eastAvards, and cut up some of the land there for settlement. Mr. Dalziell will continue subdividing in the Huiroa district, between the Makino and Makuri Eivers, including, possibly, the survey of a town-site on the latter stream. Mr. Buckeridge will continue the subdivision of the Mangamingi and Mangaehu Blocks, and afterwards survey a road through the Toko, Huiakama, and Mangaere Blocks to connect Avith the East Eoad. The standard and alignment surveys of some of the principal towns should be undertaken as soon as a staff surveyor is available. The extension of the standard survey into the suburbs of New Plymouth is likewise much needed. In the office w7e have still a large amount of arrears to workup in the preparation of blocksheets and Land Transfer record maps, although a commencement of the latter has been made, The folloAving table gives the result of the chain-closures in this district during the year : —

Sidney Weetman, Chief Surveyor.

HAWKE'S BAY. Minor Triangulation.- —Early in the summer a contract was made with Mr. A. Teesdale for the triangulation of a block of Crown land in Motu and Ngatapa districts, in order to govern the settlement surveys now in progress. The actual area included in the survey was 113,634 acres, and the cost £473 9s. 6d., or Id. per acre. 15,000 acres of Crown land in the Nuhaka district have been triangulated by Mr. A. D. NeAA'ton at a cost of Is. Bd. per acre, or £112 12s. 9d. for the AA'hole. The total area under this class is therefore 128,634 acres, at a total cost of £586 2s. 3d. Topographical Surveys for Selection under the Land Act of 1887. —31,100 acres have been dealt with under this system at an average acreage rate of 7'9d., or a total cost of £1,023 3s. 9d. Bural and Suburban. —25,567 acres have been divided into fifty-tAvo sections, averaging 491 acres, at the rate of Is. 3-6d. per acre, or £1,663 16s. 3d. for the whole. In addition to this, about 7,000 acres in Wakarara district, which were offered as unsurveyed land under the Act of 1887 some months ago, have been finally surveyed into sections, and a village settlement has been laid out at Motu; but, as the plans are not yet lodged, the w 7ork will have to be returned next year. Boad Surveys. —The mileage return for the year is 87-8, of which 67-5 miles are in Poverty Bay district. The average cost per mile Avas £15-75. Mr. G. J. Winter, Engineer to Cook County, surveyed 7'75 miles of road, under the authority of the Survey Department, for the purpose of completing a gap betAveen Waiomatatini and Eahui, in the Waiapu district; but this has not been included in. the return, because it Avas done under the direction of the county.. In addition to the foregoing, about 25 miles have been surveyed, but not mapped : this brings the total mileage up to 120. Most of these roads are through forest-country, and will give access to about 100,000 acres of Crown land. Napier and Wairoa Boad. —Late in the autumn if was decided to have a trial-survey of this line made, for the purpose of ascertaining whether it would be possible to find a practicable route, which Avould avoid the defects of earlier surveys, Avith a view to connecting Napier and Gisborne by a main road, which would enable travellers to pass betAveen those places, via Wairoa, but without risking the delay contingent upon having to depend upon coasting steamers, whose trigs are liable to interruption through stress of weather, unfavourable bars, &c. For this service Captain A. C. Turner was temporarily engaged, and commenced his survey about the middle of May; and, although the weather has been very unfavourable, he has graded and located about 25 miles, and explored a considerable extent of country. Mahicir-Gisborne Boad, via Nuhaka. —The unsatisfactory state of the old track, Avhich folloAvs the telegraph-line between these places, has long been the subject of complaiut by travellers and the local bodies concerned : but since the Crown lands at Nuhaka have been partially surveved it 2—C. 5.

Surveyor. Number o£ Closures. Number of Traverse-lines. Total Length, in Miles. Mean Difference of Closure per Mile, in Links. [. M. Skeet '. A. Dalziell I. W. Buckeridge '. K. Skinner (contract) 16 11 3 7 272 1,139 284 92 37 57-5 6 9-8 1-12 1-15 2-4 0-9 Totals and mean 37 1,787 110-3 1-39

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has been ascertained that a good line can be found by leaving the Wairoa-Mahia Eoad near the Native village of Nuhaka, passing through the .Crown lands referred to above, and emerging upon the present track in a valley some 5 miles south of Muriwai. An additional inducement for regarding this 'as a main road will be found in the fact of several thermal mineral springs, containing valuable medicinal properties, having been discovered in the Crown lands close to this line, for there seems to be no reason why this place should not become a small sanatorium, very Conveniently situated for all residents on the east coast of this land district. Land Purchase Surveys.- —The only transaction to record under this class is the cutting-out of a CroAvn interest in the Tauwharetoi Block, the area being 5,057 acres, and the cost £150. Native Land Court Surveys at Cost of Owners. —Forty-one blocks, aggregating 56,382 acres, have been surveyed, and plans of twenty-seven of these blocks have been approved. Field Inspection.- —The duties connected with land-administration continue to be so onerous as to leave little time for this Avork, but the field-parties are visited as often as possible, and the Inspector at Gisborne has sent in eight diagrams of surveys, aggregating 6,926 acres. Other Work. —Of the miscellaneous services included under this heading the principal items are: Erecting and repairing trig, stations, by the District Surveyor, Gisborne ; grading roads for construction, and inspecting formation, checking and redefining old boundaries, and general office-work during the wet Aveather, by Mr. Armstrong ; superintending removal of standard blocks at Napier, revising old surveys at Norsewood, inspecting and reporting upon selectors' improvements, and general office duties, by Mr. W. T. Neill; making observations for the purpose of ascertaining the variation of the compass at Napier, by Mr. J. Hay; redefining old boundaries, by Mr. G. A. Beere; restoration of trig, and standard points iu Heretaunga district, by Messrs. Hallett and Laing, &c. Land Transfer Surveys. —Mr. Dennan, Chief Draughtsman, has examined and submitted for approval fifty-five plans, containing 356 lots and 30,388 acres ; and Mr. Buscke, of the Gisborne office, has dealt in the same manner with fourteen plans, of 82 lots and 9,154 acres; the cost being £86 2s. Bd. and £41 2s. respectively. Boad Plans examined for Local Bodies. —Mr. Dennan has examined and submitted for approval plans of 17-75 miles of roads closed and deviated by Eoad Boards and County Councils. Crown Grants and Titles. —Plans have been placed upon 1,547 grants, leases, and the various other instruments of title, at a cost of £109 19s. The greater part of this Avork was executed by the ordinary office staff. Lithographs, &c. —Six photo-lithographic plans were prepared for the purpose of providing saleplans of lands opened for selection during the year. Eight maps of survey districts have been compiled, and five of these have been copied and forAvarded to the head office for publication. Topographical maps of Poverty Bay and HaAvke's Bay, on the four-mile scale, corrected to date, and containing much information useful to the general public, have been compiled and forwarded to the head office. Supplementary information for the land-tenure map has also been furnished, and further instalments of the lin. map of Cook County are in progress. Miscellaneous. —The usual services have been rendered to other departments and to the local bodies. Chief among the former may be named the Native Land Court, the Land Transfer Department, and the Education Department, including the School Commissioners. All these offices are debited with the actual cost of the services rendered, but this is not the case as regards the Crown Lands Department, where the line which divides the duties is not always clear; but it may be stated that the officers of the Survey Department habitually render those of the Lands very considerable assistance—as, for instance, in the matter of selection of unsurveyed land, issue of titles, returns, &c, and on more than one occasion draughtsmen here have been required to undertake the duties of Eeceiver of Land Eevenue. Standard Survey of Napier. — l_ correspondence Avhich has been going on between the SurveyDepartment and the Napier Borough Council has resulted in an agreement being come to to resume the standard survey commenced some years ago, and to carry it to completion as soon as circumstances will permit, in order that certain vexed questions connected Avith titles may be finally settled, and that property-owners may be able to avail themselves of the provisions of the Land Transfer Acts. The basis of the arrangement is, that the department w 7ill supply the professional skill and the borough the labour and material. Financial. —The total cost of this branch of the department for the year Avas £8,399 2s. lid., but, as £1,722 18s. 2d. has been received as survey-fees, and credit is taken for services rendered to other departments, &c, to the extent of £313 175., the net cost is reduced to £6,362 7s. 9d., so that these credits are sufficient to cover the cost of the two extra parties placed in the field at the beginning of last summer, as well as two large amounts paid on contracts. Future Operations. —Unless some of the Native land in the Seventy-mile Bush is speedily acquired, settlement must very shortly come to a standstill in the southern part of the district, and the surveyors will have to be transferred to Poverty Bay, Avhere it is proposed to prepare the Crown lands at Motu and other localities for settlement. As regards roads, these have been so energetically proceeded Avith, in order to avoid lapse of rights by effluxion of time, that the urgency may be said to be over, although a considerable mileage has yet to be done. Changes in the Staff. —Mr. Tone's retirement early in the year, through his salary being reduced under the retrenchment scheme, leaves me to regret the loss of a most able and industrious officer, whom it Avould not be easy to replace. Pie has since been appointed to entire charge of lands and surveys in British North Borneo, where I understand he is initiating the New Zealand system of surveys. Mr. F. A. Eich retired at the end of last December. Mr. J. G. Wilson has been transferred from Gisborne to Napier, and Mr. W. T. Neill vice versa. Mr. James Hay was transferred from Canterbury to this district early in June last. G. W. Williams, Chief Surveyor.

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WELJMNGTON. Minor Triangulation. —The 11,000 acres returned by Mr. Ashcroft covered the coastal lands included*in the Wellington-ManaAvatu Railway Company's No. 1 Allocation Block, between the Manawatu and Rangitikei Rivers. Topographical Si/rveysfor Purposes of " The/Land Act, 1887." —FolloAving up the practice introduced in 1887, eight members of the staff executed the necessary surveys and maps representing an area of 92,415 acres of bush-lands, with a view to throwing them open for selection as " unsurveyed lands" under " The Land Act, 1887." The blocks which make up the total comprise Mr. J. R. Annabell's South Maungakaretu, Mr. Lowe's Oroua-Coal Creek, Mr. Ashcroft's Otamakapua, Mr. A. Seaton's Mangahao, the Messrs. Climie's Middle Puketoi, Mr. Hughes's South Puketoi, and Mr. Lewis's Kaivvhata Block. Each of these blocks has been thoroughly explored, and provided with a system of roads and " back-lines " suited to the character of the land ; and, with a due consideration of the requirements of the surrounding country, township- and village-sites have been picked out and reserved, river-banks have been conserved, and reservations have been made for schools, gravel, traArelling stock, and other public purposes. Preliminary surveys have sufficed to define all these essentials, as well as numerous others, such as homestead-sites, water-frontages, and patches of valuable timber-trees. The maps have been made as full of detail as possible, the practical outcome being the notification for sale of extensive areas, with full and accurate descriptions, and "sale-plans " for the information and guidance of intending selectors, Avhose interests are considered in every possible manner; and, at the same time, paramount public interests have been conserved as far as possible. A specimen map on a reduced scale is appended. Free selection, wherever exercised without the foregoing safeguards, has resulted disastrously to the Crown's interest. A notable instance will be found in one of the Australian Colonies, where indiscriminate free selection is about to be supplanted by a system similar to that in vogue in this district: this has been determined upon because " many selections have been injuriously intersected by roads," causing " much annoyance and dissatisfaction," and, in consequence, " demands upon the Treasury for compensation." Bural and Suburban. —The surveys under this class have been unprecedentedly extensive during the period under review7, and the cost of Is. an acre (on hilly forest lands) is less than in any previous year, and would be so even if the whole of the cost of the preliminary surveys were added. Of the total area of 105,470 acres, the staff executed the surveys of 62,216 acres, and 43,254 acres was surveyed by contract. The difference in cost is accounted for by the fact that the staff surveys only averaged 215 acres per section, whilst the contract Avork averaged 592 acres per section. Moreover, the contractors had, as a rule, more straightforward work, and greater advantages in the way of completed traverses on their blocks. The general character and quality of the latter surveys are being tested by the Acting-Inspector, Mr. LleAvellyn Smith, and detailed reports of the result shall be forwarded to you. These settlement surveys are the most practical and useful from the settlers' point of view, as they place him in possession of his holding, and serve as the basis of his title. This class of work is becoming more elaborate and difficult, in consequence of the greater care bestoAved upon the road-surveys, the additional Avork of back-line survey and pegging, and owing to the fact that the blocks are generally distant back lands of a hilly or broken character, covered with dense forest and scrub. I append particulars showing the qualitv of the traverse surveys in the Wellington Land District from the Ist July, 1889, to the 30th June, 1890 :■—

Native Land Court Surveys. —-In addition to the 261,697 acres surveyed at the expense of the Crown, private surveyors surveyed and prepared eighty-four plans, of an area of 183,436 acres, in 223 divisions, making a total of 445,133 acres. The duty of inspecting the surveys, examining the plans, attending to Native Land Court requirements, and issuing titles, has severely taxed the energies of the office staff, and taken the inspector aAvay for months from urgent settlement-survey inspections. The principal blocks included in the return are Awarua, Mangatainoka, Oruamatua, Uruokakite, Otairi, Whaharangi, and Pungataua; the other blocks are scattered throughout the district. Boad and Railway Surveys.— -The 78 miles of road-surveys include lines outside, settlementblocks in the Waitotara, Otamakapua, Mangamarhu, and Pohangina districts, and the PahiatuaPalmerston Eoad. The cost, as given by the surveyors, is very moderate. I have again to

Name of Surveyor. HH o _ u « q H X 'o a; o S-jJ to © O 3 I? Total .5 - FUrror. Total per a _ Error Mile. Remarks— Nature of Country. I J. D. Climie John Annabell R. P. Greville H. J. Lowe J. P. Prith G. T. Murray C. A. Mountfort D. R. Annabell H. J. Lewis 11 13 G 5 1 16 5 1 4 793 421 267 ■420 109 525 346 74 48 29-0 16-1 15-45 14-0 4-0 37-1 16-5 3-75 7-9 25-3 40-5 24-7 5-7 120 53-9 30-6 3-2 1-3 54-6 30-3 40-3 20-1 7-1 26-7 11-8 12-3 3-6 0-88 2-5 1-6 0-4 3-0 1-45 1-8 0-8 0-2 1-88 1-9 2-6 1-4 1-8 0-7 0-7 3-4 0-4 Rough. Rroken. Part bush. Hilly bush. Rough, hilly. Plat bush. Rough hilly bush. Pair country. Hilly. Means and totals 62 1-4 62 3,003 143-8 197-2 206-8 1-3

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recommend that several surveyors should be employed to lay off and legalise roads through alienated lands, and to carry standard surveys along roads in use where the original surveys are defective,^ or in cases where no preA 7ious survey has been made of such roads. Other Works. —Under this heading are classed the duties of a miscellaneous though very useful character performed for other departments and the public—such as, back-line pegging of sections" sold in former years and under different conditions from those now prevailing, the supervision of road-w 7orks, providing guides for intending selectors visiting lands open for selection, valuations, inspections, estimates, and reports on matters of public interest and importance. Land Transfer Surveys. —Plans representing 20,400 acres were tested and passed through the office. I had several of the surveys tested by staff officers, and in the present year I hope to attend to this duty systematically, with Mr. LI. Smith's assistance. In connection Avith this class of work there are three fundamental operations demanding immediate attention—namely, (1) the extension of standard traverses throughout those districts which have long been in occupation, and in which, consequently, property is proportionately valuable ; (2) the execution of standard surveys in new townships and suburbs; (3) the construction of standard record-maps to represent all the more recent surveys under this system. General. —The following is a summary of the work executed during the year : — „, . ,», , Number Area, Class of Work. of p]ans in Acr^ Minor triangulation ... ... 1 ... 11,000') Settlement survey ... ... 75 ... 197,885X. ~R , Native Land Court 84 ... 445,133f 0'1 '418 aeies Land Transfer ... 104 ... 20,400j Public Works ... ... ... 33 Sale-plans ... ... ... 32 Total ... ... ... 329* As showing the result of the skill and labour brought to bear by the Wellington survey staff in furtherance of the settlement of the country, I submit the following statement of Crown lands operations for the year ended 31st March : —

The area thrown open during the year which expired on the 30th June amounts to 167,275 acres; whilst the area actually available for selection on the same date was 128,062 acres, and this will soon be increased by 108,000 acres more. To keep pace with the numerous applications for land, the field staff has been increased to sixteen surveyors, and even then it Was found necessary to let fourteen contracts, comprising an area of 47,153 acres, to authorised surveyors. Except in a few exceptional cases, the surveys have been promptly executed, notwithstanding that the large area disposed of consists of forest lands generally remote from settled districts. Office Duties. —The Chief Draughtsman, Mr. James Mackenzie, in his summary of the officework, reports that the preparation of sale-plans to keep pace with notifications under "The Land Act, 1887," formed an onerous and conspicuous portion of the work. The Native Land Court branch, in addition to the general duties of attending to requirements of the Court, reducing plans, and bringing the same up on the record-maps, prepared and issued 1,006 Court orders and copies ;in the Land Transfer branch the number of certificates and copies was 1,642. New county maps are in course of construction, and are well advanced. Owing to the pressure of work resulting from the employment of about thirty surveyors, the office-work has fallen into arrear. Letters received and despatched number 14,779; vouchers passed, 792; notices despatched, 10,103; applications registered, leases and licenses prepared, 838; warrants, comprising 687 titles and copies, 90; lithographs, posters, and Crown Land Guides despatched, 10,000; circulars to surveyors, 200. In addition to the foregoing a multitude of other duties were attended to, including the keeping of the accounts, and corresponding. The expenditure for the year is as follows :— £ s. dr. For surveys ... ... ... ... ...... 13,405 1 8 On roads ... « ... ... ... "... 22,589 12 1 Total ... ~.- ... ... 35,994 13 9

* Including those sent in by authorised and licensed surveyors.

Area thrown open Area for Selection. : disposed of. Number of Selectors. Average Area. .885 .886 .887 .888 .889 .890 Acres. Acres. 16,494 20,404 54,989 23,712 77,546 100,056 59,993 70,390 145,495 125,307 97,146 106,349 451,663 446,218 82 149 645 494 587 386 Acres. 249 159 155 142 213 275 Totals and average 2,343 190

WELLINGTON LAND DISTRICT No. 17.

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The book-keeping in connection with this amount, in addition to the time necessarily devoted to the general business, have tasked the energies of the office staff. Mr. Mackenzie and Mr. Wright and his assistants, by cheerfully giving much overtime, have materially aided to cope Avith the pressure of business. Proposals for the Year 1890-91. —My recommendations for the current year include those for last year—viz., the extension of trigonometrical and topographical surveys in the inland district. The survey of roads and legalising the same should be undertaken and carried out promptly in order to prevent compensation claims falling upon the local bodies. Standard surveys for Land Transfer purposes should be pushed forAvard in settled districts. Besides these important duties, the open-ing-up of Crown lands for sale and the survey of the areas already selected must take precedence of all other work. The office arrears should be Avorked off, and the long-required standard maps of various classes should be completed. In order to accomplish all this effectually the field and office staff should be increased. I have once more to place on record my sense of the willing and satisfactory manner in which the staff officers have attended to their duties. J. W. A. Marchant, Chief Surveyor.

MARLBOROUGH. The work in the field during the past year has chiefly been in connection with rural and suburban section surveys, and the area returned under that heading considerably exceeds that of last year. I attribute this increased demand for land in a great measure to the favourable provisions by which the settlement of the Crown lands is noAv being carried out under the various systems of the Land Act of 1885 and the Amendment Acts of 1887 and 1888. With the exception of one mining survey, all the season's work has been executed by Staff Surveyor Goulter, with no cadet assisting; and I think, Avhen Ave review7 the different classes of surveys, tlieir dispersive character, the generally rough country dealt Avith, the traA 7erse closures, and the cost per acre, that the results of the season's work will appear satisfactory. Bural and Suburban. —Out of the 10,751 acres surveyed, 6,985 acres, in twenty-nine sections, are situated in nine different localities, and are all covered with heavy bush. In determining the boundaries of the sections, natural features have been used as much as possible, 13 miles of beach and 11 miles of spurs and ridges having been traversed. Most of the beach traverses could only be chained at low-water. 2,902 acres, in eleven sections, Avere surveyed between the Kahautara and Kihi-kihi Rivers. This block was sold many years ago, but the survey and issue of the Crown grant Avere held over pending the selection of the Main South Road. The remaining 864 acres include five sections at Kaikoura and two sections in the W Tairau "Valley, on. requisition from the Land Board : open country. There were seventeen closed traverses in connection with the above, Avhich slioav a mean closing error of 1-3 link per mile. Bevision Surveys. —l,l4B acres w7ere surveyed, into fiA 7e sections, at the mouth of the Kahautara River. A resurvey of these sections AA 7as necessary to determine the position of the adjoining block of 2,902 acres before mentioned. Mining Surveys. —Under this heading 29 acres were surveyed for a licensed holding at Jackson's Head (a remote locality, and very difficult of access), and 5 acres for special claim in the Waikakaho Valley. Other Work. —The w7ork detailed in the returns under this head comprises the rough traverse and sketching of 136 miles of rabbit-proof fences in the Awatere Rabbit District, in accordance Avith your instructions, and Mr. Goulter was engaged one month at this work. A survey of the road-line over Torea Neck, Queen Charlotte Sound, was made ; and the Tuamarina Land-plan Survey, for the purpose of exchanging old for new road, was commenced. Office and Land Transfer Work. —The Chief Draughtsman (Mr. G. Robinson) states that during the year seventeen surveyors' plans have been received, checked, and plotted on their respective block-sheets, ten of which were constructed for this purpose, and one new CroAvn-grant record-map was compiled and brought up to date. In the Land Transfer branch 11 plans have been examined and passed. These represent dealings with 11 original sections, subdivided into 82 allotments, and embracing an area of 539 acres. Twenty certificates in lieu of grants, and 60 ordinary certificates, representing in all 180 marginal plans, w Tere prepared; and 4 leases, 85 transfers, 87 mortgages, and 5 applications were examined. In consequence of the illness of Mr. White, Receiver of Land Revenue and Clerk to CroAA-n Lands Office, and subsequent pressure of Avork in that department, a good deal of the attention of the office staff has been devoted to Crown lands duties, in addition to the usual class of Avork done for that department, such as placing diagrams on the various kinds of leases and licenses, descriptions, tracings, &c. Other routine work, such as correspondence, accounts, tracings, and returns for head office, attendance on surveyors and the general public, and other items which cannot be presented in tabular form, also occupied a considerable amount of the draughtsmen's time. Proposed Operations. —To begin the season with, we have in hand the following Avorks : 7,970 acres of section surveys in the Pelorus Sound, and one mining survey, Wakamarina Valley; observations for determining the proper variation of the needle at the chief port in the district; survey of bridle-track, 1 mile, through Sections 6, 12, and 130, Waitaria Bay, Kenepuru Sound ; land-plan survey of Tuamarina-Kaituna Road, 5 miles, and bridle-track, 2 miles, Watamonga Bay, Queen' Charlotte Sound, under Public Works Act, for exchanges of roads ; exploring and grading stock-driving track through the forest country betw 7een Tennyson Inlet and the main line of road

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up the Rai Valley, about 18 miles, and about 6 miles through similar country from Nydia Bay to connect Avith the above. I was in hopes of completing these tracks during the past year, but OAving to the large increase in section surveys, and other pressing demands upon the small staff at my disposal, I have been unable to accomplish it; and lam afraid, unless I get the services of Mr. FitzGerald or some other assistance, it will have to give way to some more pressing work. The above, and requisitions for surveys as they come in from the Land Office, will keep my present staff fully occupied. Henry G. Clark, Chief Surveyor.

NELSON. Minor Triangulation and Topography. — The total area returned as completed amounts to 552,575 acres, at an average cost of l-03d. per acre. Of this area 75,000 acres only has been completed during the present year; the rest has been executed in previous seasons, but the plotting had fallen into arrear owing to the pressure of other work required by the Government. Mr. Billiard completed 200,000 acres up to the main range in the Buller district, and Mr. Greenfield 103,790 acres in the Wangapeka district, in order to control mining, mineral, and settlement surveys. This triangulation has a circuit of 82 miles, and embraces forty-four triangles. Mr. Greenfield closed on Mr. Sadd's previous triangulation, side G-F, with a difference of 6" in bearing and 0-14 links per mile in distance, and on Mr. Carkeek's side, J-l, to 7" in bearing and 0-56 links per mile. Mr. Bullard's close on Mr. Sadd's Avork, side Mt. M-B, was 9" in bearing and 0-78 link per mile in distance, and on Mr. Greenfield's Avork, side O-C, 17" in bearing and 0-98 links per mile in distance. Mr. Murray completed 75,000 acres from Waitapu to Tonga Island, and inland to the main range. Applications for settlement have been surveyed in the bays, old sections connected with trig., and standard points for future reference provided for on the headlands and in the various bays. Messrs. Smith and Thompson completed plans and calculations of 173,785 acres, the field-work of which was completed the previous season. This work was carried on from the Hanmer Plain base, by a series of triangles, OA 7er the main range to the West Coast, connecting Avith Mr. Bullard's triangulation brought up from the Maruia base. A close was made on the common side, C-M, with a difference in bearing, corrected for convergence, of 15", and on the length of side, 1-5 links per mile. The altitudes brought up from the datum of H. W. springs on the East and West Coasts respectively closed on Station C, LeAvis district, 4,506-4ft., Avith a difference only of 0-sft., and on Station M, 5,340-lft., with a difference of L7ft. These results may be considered very satisfactory. During the last season, Avhich was a short one, these officers have completed the field-work of 100,000 acres from Lake Sumner to the Hurunui Mount, connecting with the Canterbury triangulation. Advance stations have also been extended over 40,000 acres additional, the observations of which will probably be completed in July. Rural and Suburban Sections. —78,283 acres, comprising 260 sections, have been surveyed, at an average cost of Is. 11-6d. per acre —or, deducting the area of a grazing-run of 42,000 acres from the total, the average cost of the remainder is 2s. 4'4d. per acre., principally in bushcountry. Up to the 31st March, 46,018 acres of surveyed and 86,118 acres of unsurveyed areas Avere thrown open for selection as second-class lands ; and by the 30th June 990 acres of surveyed and 4,400 acres of unsurveyed land will be ready, making a total of 137,526. An additional 45,000 acres will probably also be available by the 30th September next. Mineral Leases. —Several surveys of this class have been made, principally in the Buller district, and have been included in the above. Gold-mining Leases. —Ninety-nine applications for licensed holdings have been surveyed, containing 3,140 acres, all in. mountainous bush-country. The number under this class is about the same as last year, with a slight increase in acreage, owing to a few special areas being granted for dredging claims on the sea-beaches and river-beds. The bulk of these surveys are in the Eeeftou and Buller districts: in the latter it has been necessary to send Mr. Bullard to the assistance of the District Surveyor, and assistance will be required in the former during next year. Land Transfer. —One hundred and nineteen certificates of title and Crown grants with 358 plans, also 139 certificates under the Land Transfer Act with 278 plans, and 157 plans have been examined, passed, and recorded on the record-maps. Two hundred certificates of title are in arrear, principally for town sections purchased at a recent sale. Office.— The general Avork of the office is in charge of Mr. Trent. During the year 284 leases and licenses, with 638 plans, have been prepared; also three Crown-grant record-maps, ten selection, and six block maps. Eight plans for road-exchanges and a large number of plans and tracings have been supplied to the Crown Lands Office, field surveyors' and district offices; 1,482 letters have been received and ansAvered; and 663 vouchers for accounts have been prepared. Two hundred and twenty-five surveyors' field-plots have been checked and recorded on block-sheets, twenty-two new block-sheets and two trig.-sheets have been constructed. This work has been done by Mr. Wright, Computing Draughtsman, Avhohas also been employed on occasional surveys in the ToAvn of Nelson. Last October Messrs. McKay and Thompson, cadets, received appointments as assistant surveyors in the Auckland district. Other Work. —This heading embraces various surveys and reports, attendance at Wardens' Courts, inspection of road-construction under Eoad Boards, &c. Proposed Work during nextfYear. —The work to be undertaken comprises 101 sections, containing 13,228 acres of settlement surveys, seventeen mining surveys of 446 acres, five mineral leases of 6,725 acres, .together with surveys for current applications for each of the above classes during the year. This will be undertaken by the staff, assisted by authorised surveyors. Applications have also been made Avithin areas set apart for selection by the Midland Eailway Company on the West

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Coast, amounting to 7,000 acres, and for two blocks in the Amuri district containing 27,000 acres. The former of these will be taken in hand by the District Surveyor, at Eeefton, who will require some assistance, and the latter by Messrs. Smith and Thompson. Mr. Murray is to complete triangulation of the west side of Blind Bay, &c. Jno. 8. Browning, Chief Surveyor.

WESTLAND. Topographical Surveys were executed by Messrs. Murray and Wilson, and comprised odd portions of inland country in the southern part of the district. The total area of these surveys amounted to 59,128 acres, and the average cost was about fd. per acre. Topographical and Trigonometrical Surveys.— l>2,96o acres Avere surveyed, at a cost of about |-d. per acre. Several of the valleys of the southern rivers which lie within the area reserved under the Midland Railway contract, and within which applications for lands have been lodged Avith the company, required to have the minor triangulation extended to them, so in the case of the purely topographical surveys the work was combined with settlement surveys, which had the effect of reducing its cost very considerably. Rural and Suburban Section Surveys. —Comprising isolated sections distributed over the whole of the district. The total area amounted to 7,217 acres, and the total number of sections Avas eighty. In connection with many of these surveys long traverses connecting with trigonometrical stations had to be made, and, taking into consideration that the sections comprised forest lands, and that in most cases the traverse connections referred to had to be taken through dense bush, the comparatively high cost, 2s. 2fd. per acre, is fully explained. Under the authorised scale of survey-fees it will not pay a private surveyor to undertake the surveys of small scattered allotments in a densely-timbered country like the West Coast, and such expensive work will, therefore, of necessity always fall to the lot of the staff surveyors. It was with the view of reducing the cost of these spotting settlement surveys, as well as to facilitate future surveys, that I combined, wherever it could be done, the section survey with extension of minor triangulation and topographical surveys. The total amount of bush-cutting effected during the year in connection with the surveys done by Staff Surveyors Murray and Wilson is 334- miles —namely, Murray, 23; and Wilson, 10-|- miles. Town Section Surveys. —Comprising the last few blocks (forty-seven sections) in the Native portion of the Town of Greymouth, which completed the whole of the sectional survey of the Greymouth Native Reserve, at Which Messrs. Roberts and Murray were engaged during the previous year. The standard survey of the Town of Greymouth, and the resurvey of the divisions and subdivisions of the Native portion of Greymouth (originally cut up by private surveyors) were carried on together, and hence the comparatively high cost per allotment. Gold-mining Surveys. —994 acres were surveyed, costing 6s. 1-J-d. per acre. They consisted principally of quartz-mining leases, and river- and beach-dredging claims. All but one of these surveys were executed by contract surveyors Smythe, Lord, and Wylde : the cost of these surveys is in every case defrayed by the applicants. I regret to say that the quartz-mining industry in this district has not deA'eloped as was expected; and likewise that the number of dredgers at work is exceedingly small as compared with the number of dredging claims taken up during the year. In regard to the erection of dredging plants, however, allowance for delay must fairly be made, seeing that this particular and neAv branch of mining is but passing through its initiatory stages, and the most suitable dredgers for the various descriptions of ground have by no means been determined on yet. There are now eight different kinds of dredgers on trial on the Coast, and not one of them has proved to be altogether suitable. There is every prospect, however, that the difficulties connected with this class of mining will shortly be overcome, and that before long dredgers will be at work on all the auriferous beaches and rivers of the West Coast. Road Surveys. —Twenty-five miles of this class of survey were done, at a cost of about £18 per mile, covering surveying, levelling, preparation of longitudinal and cross sections, &c, ready for contract. Twenty-two miles of these, comprising the extension of the Main South Eoad from Cook's Eiver to the Mahitahi, and from Arawata to the head of Jackson River, were done by Staff Surveyor Murray; and 3 miles, comprising two deviations on the Christchurch Road, by contract surveyor Smythe. In every case these roads traversed forest lands throughout their entire length. Other Work, amounting to £56 12s. Bd., consists principally of work done in connection with the compensation payments under the Mines Acts to settlers in the Arahura and Teremakau River Valleys, and of sundry surveys for the Native Trust Department; it also includes assistance of one the staff surveyors at pressing office-work. Office Work. —I am pleased to report that the arrears have been Avell-nigh overtaken, and that I hope to be able soon to furnish the remainder of the survey district maps for photo-lithographing. These lithos are much Avanted, and, in view of the taking of the census returns in the early part of 1891, tlieir preparation should no longer be delayed. General Remarks. —Work done for other departments amounts again to a considerable sum during the year. Field Operations, 1890-91. —It is proposed to complete the settlement surveys still on hand, and certain circuit and road traverses, as opportunity offers. Mining surveys and surveys of lands disposed of by the Midland Rsilway Company will, as heretofore, require first attention. Ido not propose to extend our minor triangulation : that which has been completed up to date will probably suffice for'many years to come; but I shall embrace any good opportunity to complete the topographical work and fill up the few gaps that still remain on_our maps. Gerhard Mueller, Chief Surveyor.

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CANTERBURY. Minor Triangulation and Topography. —But one District Surveyor, Mr. T. N. Brodrick, has been employed on this work during the year. Starting from the triangulation of the Pukaki district, completed by Mr. Maitland in 1884, and connecting with the stations near the foot of Lake Ohau, which were erected by Mr. J. A. Connell in 1873, Mr. Brodrick extended the work to the head of the lake, and thence up the valleys of the Dobson and Hopkins Eivers as far as the triangulation could be carried, completing the topography of the sources of both these rivers and their main tributaries by traverse lines run up the river-beds, the intervening country being carefully filled in by cross bearings taken to the principal peaks on the adjoining mountains. Whilst up the Pluxley Eiver Mr. Brodrick found a saddle in the Southern Alps at an elevation of 5,308ft., which he crossed, and thence descended to the Landsborough Eiver. This is marked on Mr. Mueller's topographical survey of this river, but it is now found not to lead over to the headwaters of the Hunter River, Avhich must rise somewhat further south : it is a connecting saddle between the Huxley and Landsborough Rivers. Mr. Brodrick has written a detailed and interesting account of his climb over this and Sealey's Pass at the head of Godley River, w 7hich, with sketch-plan illustrating his route, I enclose.* So far as lam aware, he is the only person who has actually crossed the main range betAveen Whitcombe's and Haast's Passes, though Mr. Sealey, from the Canterbury side, ascended to the top of the pass named after him. Mr. Brodrick has completed about 90,000 acres of triangulation at under fd. per acre, and 189,000 acres of topography at 0.37d. per acre. Sectional Surveys. —Mr. Welch has been engaged nearly the whole season in subdividing the various Native reserves on Banks Peninsula, iu connection with the divisions made by the Native Land Courts, to enable the Natives to obtain titles to their holdings. Mr. Mathias has been engaged on similar work in the south part of Canterbury. In both cases the work has proved very costly, owing to delays in the survey caused by disagreements amongst the Natives, their nearly interminable meetings anent the position of the land allotted to them by the Courts, and consequent references to the Native Land Court Judge before the rights of the rival claimants could be settled. Mr. McClure subdivided one reserve of 1,805 acres on the south side of the Rakaia, but, as the subdivisions were considerably larger than in the other reserves, and as he was not delayed in any way by Native disputes—the subdiA'isions having been previously settled by the Natives at my office —the work was done at a very moderate cost. In all, fifteen reserves, containing 5,258 acres, have been laid off and pegged on the ground into 271 holdings, at a cost of 2s. 9f d. per acre. Mr. Welsh also completed the survey of one of the blocks selected by the Midland Railway Company, containing 7,146 acres. Messrs. L. O. Mathias and G. H. M. McClure were both engaged in marking the boundaries, laying out roads, and making topographical surveys of blocks of pastoral lands, to be opened under " The Land Act Amendment Act, 1887." 66,567 acres have been so completed, at a cost of under 2d. an acre. Mr. Mathias also made a complete survey of the Station Peak Block, containing nearly 14,000 acres, at an average of 4-37d. per acre, which includes the cost of the topographical survey, which he had first to make in order to open the land under the Amendment Act of 1887. Mr. Hay Avas occupied the wffiole season in laying out various blocks of the Lake Ellesmere Trust land into suitable-sized sections for sale. In all, he has divided 9,250 acres into seventy-two sections, at a cost of Is. 0-1-d. per acre. Mr. Hay was, at his OA-vn request, transferred to HaAvke's Bay in May, after a service of twelve years and a half on the Canterbury staff, during which time he has executed a large area of trigonometrical and sectional surveys of various kinds, including some intricate and troublesome revision surveys on Banks Peninsula. His surveys have always been systematically and accurately done, and his plans clear and exceedingly well drawn. General Surveys. —-Owing to the demand for pastoral lands to be opened for settlement, very little general survey has been completed this season, and consequently a great deal of work has accumulated, which must be overtaken during the ensuing summer. Land Transfer Surveys. — Mr. Monro, the officer in charge of this work, reports as follows : " The amount of work which has been passed through this office during the year ended the 30th June, 1890, has been approximately the same as that during each of three previous years, there being an increase in the number of plans deposited, and a further decrease in the number of certificates in lieu of Crown grants issuing. The amount of work passing through this office is perhaps best indicated by stating the proportion which the total amount of work passing through the Christchurch office of the Laud Transfer Department bears to the total amount of Avork passing through that department in the whole of the colony. From a tabulated statement extending over several years compiled by the District Land Registrar from gazetted monthly returns, the amount of Avork performed by the Christchurch office of the Land Transfer Department is about two-fifths of that passing through the whole of the Land Transfer Department of the colony, both as to value and as to number of documents. During the year three new subdivision plans have been compiled—viz., Town District of Geraldine and adjacent rural sections, and Town Districts of Temuka and Arowhenua and adjacent rural sections, by Mr. Cane; and subdivision, of rural sections at New Brighton by Mr. W. C. Leversedge. Forty-six plans have been deposited and checked, containing 534 allotments, being the largest number of plans received since the year 1883. Eight hundred and ninety-eight ordinary certificates of title and 277 certificates in heu of Crown grants have been issued, the former requiring one and the latter two copies before they could issue. Out of 1,689 transfers received by the Land Transfer Department, 337 had to be checked as to area, &c~ and out of 129 leases received thirty-five required checking. Two hundred and ten applications to bring land-under the Land Transfer Act have also

* See Appendix No. 4, page 53. _-

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been passed. Eighteen road-diversion plans haA 7e been verified and returned to the Eoad Boards concerned. Office-work. —The following are some of the principal items of work done during the year, viz.: Twelve tracings for lithography of Crown lands to be opened for sale; four new districts traced for the public map-room ; thirty-nine large and thirty-two small plans received from the surveyors have been checked or are in course of check; 277 certificates of title covering 446 sections, and eight Crown grants, were prepared and handed over to the Land Transfer Department; and fiftyfive perpetual leases in triplicate were prepared (this class of work, owing to press of other work put upon the officers lately, is somewhat in arrear, but I expect to have most of the leases issued during the present year). During the current year I also hope to get a larger number of the survey districts forwarded for photo-lithography, as this part of our work is also very much in arrear, about one-half only of the Canterbury District having yet been done. I must not forget to mention that, in addition to the year's work above outlined, two large plans, one of the Mueller, Hooker, and Tasman Glaciers, near Mount Cook, and the other of the Godley Glacier country, were prepared by Messrs. Haylock and Styche respectively, each plan in different style, the former obtaining a certificate of the first-class order of merit at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition held recently at Dunedin. These are excellent specimens of draughtsmanship, and, as they were both done by gentlemen trained entirely in this office, reflect credit not only upon them but upon the department itself. Proposed Operations, 1890-91. —A considerable area of land has been purchased for cash during the early part of the present year, which, with land taken up on perpetual-lease conditions under the Amendment Act of 1887, has largely augmented the acreage remaining on hand for survey, which now amounts to 262 sections, containing 85,935 acres. About 3,700 acres of the Lake Ellesmere lands will require to be laid off into sections in the early spring, and I may anticipate that the Midland Railway Company will apply for title for several large blocks during this year, which, with the blocks already applied for, will give more work than I can reasonably expect to get through in the current year. Early in the season I purpose to send Mr. Brodrick to complete the survey of the Murchison and Tasman Glaciers, in connection with his previous surveys, so that an absolutely correct map of this most interesting district can be issued for the use of tourists and others visiting the locality. He will afterwards finish the topographical survey of the Ahuriri and Hunter Rivers, which will complete the topography of the country actually occupied. John H. Baker, Chief Surveyor.

OTAGO. The permanent field staff remains the same as last season—namely, six surveyors, and there is only one cadet in the field. In January last two surveyors were engaged temporarily to assist in completing the settlement surveys in Glenomaru district, and they are still at work in that locality. The office staff is the same as last year—namely, eight draughtsmen and the. accountant; but one cadet entered the office in October last. In order to keep the settlement surveys in advance of the demand, two or three survey parties in addition to those already engaged, and two or three survey cadets in the office, will be required. Topographical Survey. —Only 287 acres are returned under this head, at a cost of 2d. per acre. Rural and Suburban Surveys. —Over 32,000 acres have been surveyed during the past year, as against 20,000 acres for the previous one. The cost per acre is a little under Is. 9d., as against Is. 7Jd. for the previous year. It must be remembered that in the Otago Survey District the greater part of the land for settlement is in dense bush. The bush has to be explored for every road, and this often necessitates going over the ground several times before the road is finally graded and pegged. Some excellent roads have been found in AA-hat at first appeared to be almost inaccessible country. Town Section Surveys. —One hundred and nine quarter-acre sections were laid off at Nenthorn Township, at a cost of 10s. per section. Native Land Court Surveys. —Two Native reserves—at Waitaki and Moeraki—comprising 1,147 acres, were subdivided into fifty-eight allotments, at a cost of 2s. lljd. per acre. The work of allotting the ground between the various applicants, especially at Moeraki, was very difficult and tedious, and required great tact and patience on the part of the surveyor. A large part of the Moeraki Block was bush-land. Gold-mining Surveys. —There has been a greatly-increased demand for mining areas this season as compared with the last, nearly three times the area having been taken up this year. The figures are 307 sections, comprising 10,424 acres, as against 109 sections, comprising 3,667 acres, last year. The cost per acre is less this year, being 4s. 7-|d. Of the above total, 6,300 acres was surveyed by the staff surveyors, and 4,100 by authorised surveyors on the fee system. Roads, Railways, and Water-races. —Under this head the totals are 14-4 miles, costing £96 19s. 6d., or £6 14s. BJd. per mile. Other Work. —The chief item under this is the contract survey and land-plans made by Mr. George Mackenzie of 6J miles _p_ railway reserves, comprising 414 acres, at a cost of £130. Survey Inspections. —Of sixteen field inspections made during the year, four we're road-inspec-tions and two of land before survey. As there were four surveyors at work during the greater part of last season in the neighbourhood of Catlin's Eiver, most of my inspections-were in that locality. I visited the surveyors in their camps on seven different occasions, and inspected tlieir work, besides 3—c. 5.

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three visits to the " unemployed "at the road-works, Catlin's Eiver. I also made both field and office inspections in the Lawrence and Queenstown Districts. Besides the above, I was for fourteen days in December inspecting and classifying runs with Messrs. Maitland and Clark, and I also visited the road-parties at work in the Arthur Eiver and Clinton Valleys, and traversed the whole of the track frem the head of Milford Sound to Te Anau Lake. District Offices. —Lawrence office is still in charge of Mr. M. McLean; Queenstown office is noAV in charge of Mr. G. Mackenzie as Crown Lands Ranger and Assistant Draughtsman, the late Ranger, Mr. H. M. Adair, having been found drowned in Lake Wakatipu on the 9th December, 1889. The Naseby office is in charge of Mr. David Barron, District Surveyor, as there is no resident draughtsman. Dunedin Office. —Mr. George Edward Darton joined on the 21st October, 1889, as a cadet. During the year Mr. Skey—who had six months' leave of absence on account of ill-health— prepared and recorded, with the assistance of Messrs. Wadie, Marsh, and Morrison, 252 Crown grants and certificates of title, 80 run and small grazing-runs licenses in duplicate, 117 perpetual leases in triplicate, 33 deferred-payment licenses in. duplicate, 32 occupation licenses in duplicate, 3 coal leases and 2 agricultural leases, both in duplicate; and examined and recorded 286 special-claim grants and licensed-holding certificates, besides other incidental work. Mr. Nicolson, Avho has charge of all the records and lithographs, furnishes field surveyors with tracings and data for new surveys, makes copies of all new surveys for the Land Office, and attends to the public that come to the office for information. Mr. Wadie keeps the records of railwaly land-plans, records road-improvements to open up Crown lands before sale; collected information and prepared plan for New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, showing factories and industries generally in Otago; records Land Transfer surveys on county maps, and constructed topographical map of coast and country around Dunedin, besides doing various other duties. Mr. Fynmore records all surveys of new and closed roads on working plans, and road district and county maps, reports on road matters, supplies descriptions of school districts for the Education Department, compiles returns of sold lands monthly, and attends to the public in connection with road matters : has made and compiled a new map of Clutha County and Glenomaru district. Mr. Thompson checked the following plans : From staff, 179; Land Transfer, 67 ; road and railway in duplicate, 19; mining leases, 256 ; and surveyed and fixed disputed boundary-line between the properties of Mr. John McCartney and Mr. John Kerr in Block IV., Portobello Bay district. Mr. Marsh, besides the work done on Mr. Skey's list, examined and recorded all gold-mining surveys on compiled and record maps, compiled information for eighty-chain maps, and plotted all work in connection with the West Coast explorations. Mr. Morrison, when not engaged on lithographic work, assisted Mr. Skey in the preparation of grant leases, &c. Mr. Euncie, besides assisting with the correspondence, recorded a precis of and indexed 3,612 letters received and sent out, receives and numbers all plans, compiles the monthly survey and road report, keeps the departmental accounts and stores, pays all salaries and Avages, despatches all correspondence, plans, and parcels, and attends to affairs in connection with the clerical work of the office. Land Transfer Work. —Mr. Thompson's work under this heading has been already detailed under the Dunedin office-work. Mr. Treseder, whose time is wholly taken, up with this kind of work, examined and checked 39 applications, 946 transfers, 583 mortgages, 279 leases, 170 transmissions, 305 draft certificates, and put plans (in duplicate) on 615 certificates. Lithographic. —Mr. Morrison reduced and drew two plans for photo-lithography, and eighteen plans on transfer paper. Mr. Bain put down eighteen, lithographs, from which he pulled 5,050 copies, and also printed 200 circulars and mounted 267 maps. The " Unemployed." —I had about forty of these men under my charge till near the end of January in this year, during which time they were employed in clearing and forming the road at Catlin's Eiver. By your instructions they were paid off in January, and I handed over the road they had been engaged on to Mr. F. Wither, Assistant Engineer, who has had charge of the road since. Proposed Operations for 1890-91. —As the demand for land in the Catlin's and Woodland districts still continues, I propose that Mr. Strauchon, as soon as he has finished subdividing part of Eun 177a for the Southland Survey Office, shall triangulate Woodland district, and carry standard bearing into Tautuku and Eimu districts. I think four surveyors should be kept steadily at Avork on the settlement surveys in Glenomaru, Catlin's, and Woodland districts. Messrs. Barron and Wilmott will probably be kept fully employed in their own districts. A standard survey of Dunedin city is urgently required, and the want of it is keenly felt in regard to Land Transfer surveys. There are some bush reserves in Warepa and Clarendon districts to be subdivided, also several Native reserves along the coast; and, as the present staff cannot undertake these, it will be necessary to engage two extra surveyors if the work is to be done during the coming season. There are also applications awaiting survey in the Taukupu Valley, amounting to 1,550 acres, and a third surveyor could be fully employed in cutting up this and the adjacent land during the next tAvelve months. C. W. Adams, Chief Surveyor.

SOUTHLAND. Field Work. —During the'*year there were fifty-three sections, comprising 7,920 acres, surveyed under the head of " Rural and Suburban Surveys." Under the head of " Native Land Court Surveys" there Avere four sections, comprising 255 acres, executed; whilst under the head of " Goldmining, &c, Surveys," there were executed 102 sections, embracing 4,563 acres.

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In addition to these, we had a trigonometrical and topographical survey made of some 55,000 acres in Stewart Island. This latter survey comprises a network of triangulation extending from Port Pegasus to near Port Adventure, one of the chief objects of the triangulation being, in addition to procuring a more accurate and complete map of the country, to connect the tin-mining areas applied-for at Port Pegasus and at. Kopaka Avith the geodesical trig, at Breaksea Island, and, again, to connect the areas at Pegasus and Kopaka with each other. It will be remembered that the tinmining "fever" at Pegasus broke out soineAvhat suddenly, and at a time Avhen the nearest trig, station was at Breaksea, some twenty-three miles distant. To delay the surveys of the mining areas until the triangulation Avas extended would, I think, have been a most unwise course, and would have led to endless complications in respect of boundaries, and to endless disputes on the part of applicants. The dense bush and scrub-clad nature of the country around Pegasus made the process of "pegging " claims and of following up the pegs by survey no easy matter, and that Ave were able to push the surveys through, practically without dispute, reflects credit on the care and skill of the surveyors engaged—namely, Messrs. John Hay (staff), and T. S. Miller and H. R. Dundas, authorised surveyors. Owing to the absence of connection, the surveys were started and carried on on an assumed bearing, a uniform correction being applied to the bearings Avhen the true bearing had been carried down from Breaksea by the triangulation. The triangulation includes the paring and measurement of a base-line, and, having been conducted over country most of which is covered Avith dense scrub, it has been a Avork of considerable labour. The work is now finished on the ground, but, owing to the inaccessibility of the Lord's River locality, and the want of regular communication, the plans have not yet come to hand. The tin-mining areas at Kopaka, some seven in all, were surveyed by Mr. James Blaikie. Having also been started on an assumed bearing, a correction will have to be applied to the bearings when the triangulation is complete. The work under the head of "Rural and Suburban" comprises a considerable number of saAvmill-areas and several isolated purchases, many of which were in bush. An unusually large number of sawmill-areas Avere surveyed during the year. Some of these were applied for during the previous year, but, owing to the demands made upon the department in respect of the survey of the tin-mining areas at Pegasus, the surveys had to be delayed until the bulk of the mineral areas had been overtaken. The surveys of these sawmill-areas are now well up to date. The demand for fresh areas has slackened very much of late, and this is readily to be accounted for by the fact that, in the form either of sawmill-areas or of reserves thereto attached, the most of the forest-land that is at present readily accessible has been taken up. There can only be a temporary lull, hoAvever, because the great forests of Longwood and Tautuku still remain nearly intact in the hands of the Crown, and will afford scope for the sawmilling industry for a long time to come. In regard to the tin-mining industry, there can be no doubt that the excitement in connection with the field reached high-Avater mark a considerable time ago, the demand for mineral areas having suddenly dropped down to nothing. It is clear that the areas will not be worked in the individual forms applied for, and many of them, in fact, have already been abandoned. There can be little doubt, however, of the presence of tin in considerable quantities over the field, and if a large company possessing experience and capital could be induced to " set in," the mineral wealth of the place might soon be turned to profitable account. Ido not think that fortunes will be made, but the chance of a fair return for steady industry seems very good. The industry (tin-mining) is new in the colony, and its profitable prosecution will involve considerable preliminary expense. Apart from the necessity of capital, a practical experience of the tin deposits occurring, and the modes of working pursued in other countries or colonies, would be an indispensable factor towards success. The presence of some old tin-workers on the ground Avith capital to invest in smelting, machinery, &c, might change the whole character of the place and be the means of establishing a hive of successful industry in a locality which is iioav occupied by a few prospectors. The newness of the industry, the necessity of securing both experience and capital, and the money that has already been spent on the field are strong arguments for a lenient administration, meanwhile, of the regulations in respect of compulsory acreage labour. I do not think that further areas are likely to be applied for for some time. In regard to gold-mining, there has been considerable demand during the past year for special claims, &c, situated on creeks, rivers, and ocean-beaches. The Welman dredge on Waipapa Beach and its success to date haA 7e pioneered the way for dredging and dredging claims throughout the district. Matters have now come to a lull, a good many areas having been applied for; but the success of the subsequent dredges ordered might at any time revive the dredging excitement and cause still further areas to be taken up. We have numerous auriferous beaches and rivers where dredging, if proved payable, would find abundant scope. The surveys of land applications throughout the year have not been very numerous, though, perhaps, more so than usual, owing to some unsurveyed land being gazetted under " The Land Act Amendment Act, 1887." The perpetual-lease system, owing to the small payments required, is the favourite tenure applied for; but in bush-clad country, &c, care requires to be exercised in parting with land on this principle, the payments being trifling, and the desire to secure, cheaply, bush suitable for milling and fencing, &c, being considerable. In regard to the Avork of the staff surveyors, it will be seen that Mr. John Hay has been engaged during the year partly Avith the survey of tin-mining areas and partly w7ith the minor triangulation (and topography) above referred to in Stewart Island. The work in both cases has been extremely rough and trying. Mr. Strauchon has during the year been chiefly suiweying in the Otago District, but has now entered upon the°subdivisional survey of a block of land in Waikawa District. As the block is partially scrub- and bush-clad, the survey will necessarily occupy more time than Avould otherAA 7ise be the case. Office-work. —During the year, in addition to the usual routine duties of the office Avhich are incapable of being tabulated. 105 certificates of title in lieu of grants, involving the preparation of

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315 plans, were prepared. In connection with the Land Transfer work, 257 certificates of title, involving the preparation of 514 plans, were issued during the year. One hundred and eighteen leases ami thirty-seven applications to deal with land under the Land Transfer Act were also examined. In addition to these, thirty-seven plans were examined and passed. These plans embraced thirty-eight original sections, subdivided into 275 allotments, containing 4,617 acres. A number of Land Transfer record-maps were also prepared. We have done very little in the way of preparing maps for lithographing during the year, but have been busy in other directions. The only lithos prepared in this office during the year were those of Pegasus mineral areas, and of Wrey's Bush Township. As you are aware, a large number of district lithos were prepared by Mr. Deverell some years ago, and, as the most of the survey districts were included, the necessity of preparing others was not very urgent. The extension of the land district, however, and perhaps the growing scarcity of the issues already sent out, may necessitate during the coming year the preparation of several fresh district lithos. In carrying on the work of both field and office I have been very ably and faithfully assisted by the officers under me, and it gives me pleasure to bear testimony to their merits. The Departments of Lands and Survey require occasionally to assist each other, and this mutual assistance is rendered in the heartiest way, thus expediting the work of both branches of the department. John Spence, Chief Surveyor.

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APPENDIX No. 2.

DETAILED REPOETS ON THE ROAD-WORKS UNDERTAKEN BY THE SURVEY DEPARTMENT.

AUCKLAND. Eoads to Open up Croavn Lands. Okaihau to Victoria Valley. —Opens up about 7,000 acres. Works done on this road during the season are : 14 chains of formation 6ft. wide, 20ft. of bridging, and some general repairs on already-formed portion of road (chiefly of damages caused by fire) ; and, in addition, about 4 miles of grading and pegging has been executed by Mr. Grut at the northern end of the road, from which end it has been decided to begin opening the road, as being a Avork more immediately useful to settlers than that of continuing nortliAvards from Avhere it at present ends at the Native settlement of Mangamuka. Mr. Menzies has charge of the southern end, and Mr. Grut of the northern portion. Ahipara to Herekino. —Opens up about 6,000 acres of Crown land. The work done consists of 22£ chains reformed and metalled, 14ft. of bridging, and about 160 cubic yards of slips removed. Mr. Grut has charge. Herekino to Whangape. —Opens up about 7,000 acres of Crown land. A distance of 4-|- miles of road has been graded, commencing at the Puhata Bridge and ending at the mouth of a creek known as Murray's, on the Awaroa. In the channel opposite to the end of the road there is about 10ft. depth of water at loav tide. The formation done consists of 145 chains formation, averaging Bft. wide. Mr. Grut, who also graded the road, has charge. Herd's Point to Takahue and Kaitaia. —Opens up about 20,000 acres of Crown land. At the southern end the following works have been executed: 25J miles of overgrowth cleared half a chain wide, 40 chains widened and repaired, 296j chains widened from 6ft. to 14ft., 12ft. of bridging, and 73 chains of Avater-tabling. At the northern end the following Avorks have been carried out: 86 chains formed 28ft. Avide betAveen ditches (of which 57-J- chains haA 7e been metalled 10ft. AVide), Bft. of bridging and one 20ft. bridge redecked, together with 4 miles of overgroAvth cleared half a chain wide. Mr. Menzies has charge of the southern end, and Mr. Grut of the northern. Waimamaku to Pakanae. —Opens up about 5,000 acres of Ci-oavd land. Works completed during the season are: 3£ miles graded and pegged, 269! chains formation 6ft. to 9ft. Avide, 63ft. of bridging, 9 chains of embankments, and 1| chains corduroy. Mr. Menzies, avlio also graded the road, is in charge. Kaihu to Punakitere.—o])e_\_ up about 100,000 acres of CroAvn land. x\t the northern end the folloAA7ing works have been completed: 275 chains formation 14ft. Avide (in forest), 100ft. of bridging, 12 chains of embankments, and about 8 miles of grading. At the southern end one contract about 2 miles long (formation) lias been let, of which 40 chains 7ft. wide have been completed, and about II miles have been graded. Mr. Menzies is in charge of the northern end, and Mr. A. B. Wright of the southern end. Wairua to Helena Bay. —Opens up about 2,000 acres of Crown land. The Avorks completed during the season are : 4 miles widened from 6ft. to 9ft., and 54ft. of bridging. Mr. A. M. Sheppard is in charge. Opuawhanga to Whananaki. —Opens up about 2,000 acres of Crown laud. Nothing has been done to this road during the season, owing to the difficulty of getting the title therefor arranged with the'Native owners of the land through Avhich a great portion of it passes, and the principal one of whom lives at the Great Barrier. This man lately, when finally interviewed, demanded such exorbitant compensation that matters with respect to the road are at present in a state of deadlock. Whangarei to Kawakawa (main road). —During the season 37-| chains of deviation 12ft. wide (to avoid a dangerous hollow scoured out by the floods near the Waiotu Bridge) have been formed, and about 7 chains have been metalled lift. Avide between Whakapara and Waiotu Bridges. Mr. Sheppard is in charge. Wairua Bridge and Boad. —Opens up about 10,000 acres of Crown land. During the season a bridge of 127ft. span has been constructed over the Wairua Eiver, together with about 2 chains of embankments; also, about 2 miles of levelling and pegging-off for road-Avorks has been done by Mr. A. M. Sheppard, Avho is in charge. Whangarei through Taheke. —Opens up about 1,500 acres of Crown land. Works completed are: '_§_- chains formation 6ft. to 9ft. Avide, I.Bft. of bridging, and 2 miles of forest cleared 1 chain Avide. Mr. A. M. Sheppard is in charge. Paparoa to Waikiekie. —Opens up about 1,200 acres of Crown land. The works done are: 103 chains formation 6ft. to 9ft. Avide, 30ft. of bridging, and about 70 chains of remainder of road benched continuously ready for letting by contract. Difficulties Avith respect to obtaining a title for part of it prevented this road from being completed this season as far as surveyed. Mr. P. Russell, under Mr. E. Fairbuxn's super vision, was in charge. Matakana to Te Arai. —Opens up about 5,000 acres of Crown land. Works completed this season arfe : 255 chains formation 6ft. to 12ft. Avide, 93ft. of bridging, 33 chains of embankments with ditching, and 120 chains of forest cleared one chain wide. Mr. A. V. Harington has been in charge, and the AA'hole of the deviation surveyed is completed.

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Avondale South. —Opens up part of the suburban Crown lots in the neighbourhood. The works constructed have been : Nine stone pipe-culverts, and H> chains formation 18ft. wide. In addition te and in connection with this work, about three-quarters of a mile of road has been constructed by the Avondale Road Board. Mr. T. Grange, together with Mr. E. Fairburn, has had chaise. Awaroa Swamp Drains. —Open up about 3,000 acres. The works carried out during the season consist of 45 chains widening drains, 125 chains cleaning out drains, and 25 chains clearing channel of Otaua Creek. The Waipipi Eoad Board, through their Inspector, Mr. J. T. Mellsop, has charge. Akaaka Stvamp Drains. —Opens up about 3,000 acres. During the season Mr. A. B. Wright has had about 9! miles of lines cleared in swamp, and soundings taken, besides 5! miles levelled and pegged. Two contracts (one let by this department and one let by the Waiuku Eoad Board) are in operation in the Akaaka Swamp, in which during the season the following works have been completed : For that let by this department, 92 chains of clearing out and straightening bed of Akaaka Stream 10ft. Avide at bottom, and 63 chains of old ditching widened to 4ft. extra width by 7ft. in depth; for that let by the Waiuku Eoad Board, 80 chains of ditch sft. to 6ft. wide and 4ft. deep, and 29 chains of similar ditching partly done. Mr. J. T. Mellsop, under supervision of this department and Waiuku Eoad Board, has charge. Waerenga to Whangamarino. — Opens up about 3,000 acres. Works completed during the season are : 128! chains formation Bft. wide, 52 chains 15ft. wide, 186 chains of track cleared 20ft. Avide, and 71ft. of bridging. Mr. T. Grange was in charge. Te Aroha Drains. —Open up 600 acres. Works done during the season are: 94 chains of drains made 4ft. in depth, 126 chains deepened from 3ft. to Sift. Mr. T. Grange, under Mr. A. B. Wright's occasional supervision, Avas in charge. Waingaro to Akatea, or Firewood Creek Boad. —Opens up 6,000 acres. Works done during the season have consisted in improving the present bridle-track by widening, ditching, and forming flat portions Avhich were only cleared and stumped previously, and substituting permanent bridges and culverts for original temporary ones. This road is likely to be an important one in the near future, and has excellent gradients, but will require a good deal more expenditure on it before it will be available as a cart-track. The works completed during the season are : The construction of 148! chains formation 9ft. to 12ft. wide, 20 chains of ditching, 25ft. of bridging, and 16 glazedstone pipe-culverts (12in. to 24in. diameter). Mr. T. Grange Avas in charge to about middle of April, and at present Mr. W. P. Cogswell is in charge; both under Mr. E. Fairburn's occasional supervision. Akatea to Papakauri. —Opens up 5,000 acres. The works carried out Avere : 56ft. of bridging, and about 755 cubic yards of embankments. This work was finished early in the season, under the superintendence of Mr. F. H. Edgecumbe. Whaingaroa to Mangapiko. — Opens out 10,000 acres, and has good gradients. The Avorks completed during the season are : 120 chains formation 6ft. to 12ft. wide, and 20ft. of bridging. Mr. W. P. Cogswell is in charge, under Mr. E. Fairburn's occasional supervision. Whaingaroa to Waitetuna. —This is a continuation of the Waingaro-Akatea Road, and, like it, has excellent gradients throughout. Opens out 3,000 acres. The w 7ork done during the season, consisting of a feAV improvements and repairs, are : 15ft. of bridging and 400 cubic yards of Avidening and removing slips. It is a pity that this road, together with that of the Waingaro-Akatea, could not be Avidened into a narrow cart-road, as it is worth such improvement. Mr. W. P. Cogswell Avas in charge. Eaivhia to Waipa and to Raglan. —The Avork on these two roads has consisted of improvements and repairs. Works clone during season are : The removal of 300 cubic yards of landslips and fallen trees ; 29! miles of road repaired, Avith parts widened and sharp points rounded off. Mr. J. CoAvell, under Mi"- E. Fairburn's occasional supervision, has been in charge. Waitomo Caves Boad.— -The survey of this road was made in October last, and the tender of John Mercer, of Auckland, for £577 10s. 4c1., for the construction of three bridges was accepted on 3rd January. The formation of the rest of the road (5 miles 36 chains) was let in small contracts to the Natives resident in. the neighbourhood. Good progress has been made, and the works are almost completed. This road has been constructed under the supervision of Mr. Hursthouse, of the Public Works Department. Boads in Bay of Plenty District. —These roads were formerly under the charge of Mr. S. Crapp, but as his services were dispensed with on compensation in November last fresh arrangements had to be made, and the folloAving roads are now maintained at a slight cost to the Government by the Whakatane County Council, viz.: Road, Matata to Te Puke, Whakatane to Opotiki, Whakatane to Ohope, Opape to Torere, road at HaAvaikinarae-nui. Village-settlement Roads. Herekino. —Open out 10,000 acres. Work done during the season consists of 90 chains of formation widened from 6ft. to 16ft., and 28ft. of bridging. Takahue. —There has been no Avork on the branch-roads in this settlement during the season. That on the main road passing through it is included in the return given for the Herd's Point-Takahue-Kaitaia Road. Fern Flat. —Open out 3,000 acres. Not much has been done on these roads this season. The works completed are : 51 chains of 6ft.-wide road wudened to 10ft., 4ft. of culverting, and 2,200 cubic yards of landslips removed. Mr. D. A. Grut, under Mr. E. Fairburn's occasional supervision, has had charge of this and the two next-preceding mentioned roads. MotUikaraka. —Open out 3,000 acres. Works -completed during the season consist of the construction of a horse-and-footbridge 6ft. Avide and 240ft. span, together AA 7ith 9 chains of embankments w 7ith double ditches. This bridge is a most useful work, as, besides being of substantial

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build and forming a connection betAveen the two halves of the settlement, it also serves as a pier from which boats can leave at any time of tide. The nature of its design also admits of its being easily wf&ened into a cart-bridge. Settlers have had work on the Herd's Point-Takahue Eoad. Punakitere. —Nothing except repairs to tAvo culverts, a few other small repairs, and construction of-1 chain of fascining has been done on this road during the season. The village-settlers have been provided with work on the Kaihu-Punakitere Road, so that their necessities, in one way, have been provided for; but Mr. Menzies, the local Inspector, reports that some of the branch roads in this settlement badly need repairs, some of the homesteads not being accessible Avithout danger since wet weather has come on. Waimamakit. —Open up 4,000 acres. Works constructed during the season are :6! chains Avidened from 6ft. to 10ft., 1! chains of road corduroyed, and one wire foot-bridge converted into a horse-bridge. Mr. G. G. Menzies, under Mr. E. Fairburn's occasional supervision, is in charge of this and the two next-preceding mentioned roads. Hukerenui. —Open up 3,000 acres. Work done during the season consists of 48ft. of bridging. Whananaki. —The Avork done since last season has been 10 chains of 4ft.-wide road Avidened to 10ft., and about 500 cubic yards of landslips cleared away. Parua. —Open up 1,500 acres. Work done consists of 3 chains of breast-cutting 12ft. wide by 3ft. deep, and 3 chains of metalling 12ft. Avide. The village-settlers, as to road work, have been chiefly employed on the Whangarei through Taheke Road, Avhich is a continuation northerly and westerly of Parua Main Road. Mr. A. M. Sheppard, under Mr. E. Fairburn's occasional supervision, is in charge of this and the tAvo next-preceding-mentioned roads. Omaha. —During the season the Avork done has been 18 chains of Bft.-Avide road widened to 14ft., 15 chains sft. wide widened to 7ft., 38ft. of bridging, and construction of one 50ft.-span foot-bridge. Mr. A. H. Vickerman has had charge. Sioanson. —Work, done during the season consists of 3 chains formation 16ft. Avide, 18 chains Bft. wide, and Bft. of bridging. Mr. E. Fairburn has charge. Firewood Greek. —The works on these roads have been confined to the main one, and have already been given under the head of Waingaro-Akatea. Oropi Special Settlement, —The landslips ha\-e been removed on that portion Avhich passes across the deep gully, and also a distance of 1,056 links of new road has been made. Eoads maintained by Government in the Counties of Piako, Tauranga, Eotorua, East Taupo, West Taupo, and Hawke's Bay. Oxford to Botorua (30 miles). —This is the most important road in the district, as so many tourists travel on it, and nearly all the goods used in Eotorua are brought over it, thereby making the road a feeder to the railway. No new AA 7orks have been done during the season. Five surface-men have been employed, and all their time has been taken up iu keeping the roadway in good order, last year being the first of the heavy traffic. It is very much cut up now, as the greater part of the Sanatorium contract materials are being brought over it; consequently it has been found necessary to put all hands into the bush to fascine the worst places. Notice also has been given to the carters using the road, Avarning them not to overload their wagons when furnished with narrow tires, Ac. Kaiwaka via Taupo to Maungaiti. —During the season this road, comprising a distance of 128 miles, has been maintained, eleven surface-men and three horses having been employed on the Avork, which also includes repairs to Mohaka fencing, twelve culverts at Pohui, and reshingling overseer's house at Taupo, besides repairing and painting Taupo Bridge. The road at Turangakuma Hill has also been widened in the most dangerous places. Tauranga, Botorua, Atiamuri (56 miles). —During the season the Avorks done have consisted in maintenance, on Avhich four surface-men have been employed tAvo-thirds of the time. The roadAvay has been kept in fair order, although for four months only one man could be kept on owing to funds running low. Also, tAvo bridges with stone abutments, of 37ft. and 42ft. spans, have been constructed, and 20 chains of road metalled. One 20ft. defective bridge has been removed, and replaced by two sets of 24in. pipes and 300 cubic yards of embankment. Also, tAvo others bridges have had defective sleepers removed, and have received new decking. Maketu and Te Puke to Botorua (38 miles). —Instructions were given last spring to have this road repaired, as nothing had been done upon it since the eruption. The £260 allowed has opened the road fairly well, and it is now in good order, requiring only occasional maintenance. Tikitere Boad (2! miles). —This is a neAv road formed, for tourist-traffic. The work has been done by contract, Native labour being employed. Botorua to Waiotapu, (22 miles). —Only a short distance—about 2 miles—has been formed to continue the road towards Taupo; but the road has been properly maintained, and tracks cut through the valley between different points of view, and the whole has been well patronised by tourists. Some 2,200ft. of totara is ready to build into culverts. Two surface-men have been employed at times. Botomahana (7 miles). —This is a road designed to enable tourists who cannot endure the fatigue of a journey via Te Wairoa to drive out to the " ashfield" and see the Botomahana country; but, it having been found impracticable to maintain the portion thereof passing through the volcanic mud, except at considerable expense, it has therefore only been made passable for buggies to Avithin 5 miles of Rotomahana. Taupo to Wairakei (5! miles). —The work done during the season has been general maintenance and the following works : One 48ft.-long 36in. by 30in. culvert renewed ; and replacing two stringers^ in Waipuwerawera bridge, of 27ft. span, with new ones ; also redecking that bridge. Also, a survey of a short deviation to miss the Geyser Valley. Four surface-men haA 7e been employed during three-fourths and one man during one-fourth of the time. Taupo via Tokaanu to Wahna.rino. —During the winter of 1889 the road around the cliffs on the shore of Lake Taupo Avas blocked for Avheeled and dangerous for horse traffic. During the season

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a sum of £27 has been expended in removing slips and clearing out water-tables, and now the road from Taupo to Tokaanu (35! miles) is in fair order for light wheeled traffic. Wat&r--supply, Whakarewareiva Village. —A length of 2,125ft. of piping has been put down, with proper connections, to alloAv the Natives the use of the water-supply, and two horse-troughs have been erected in Ohinemutu, which have proved of great benefit. Signposts during the season have been put up at the junctions of all roads in Mr. J. C. Blythe's charge, as far as Tokaanu. Boss's Boad, Taupo. —This road, 2f miles long, has been graded, and a contract let for 2 miles of it. Native obstruction has prevented the remainder of the road being gone on with up to the present, but it is anticipated that before the winter is over this difficulty will have been got over. Galatea to Te Kapu. —The landslips in the valley of the Kopikopiko Stream have been cleared away at a cost of £4 16s. This amount is all that has been spent on this bridle-track since it was completed in July, 1886. Outlets from Botorua Lake (Closing new and reopening old one). —A contract was let to E. Ainsley, for £56, to close the new channel and reopen old one, and the work is nearly completed. The Natives made a little trouble, but that has been got over by agreeing to plant willows along the bank of old channel to prevent tlieir land being Washed away. The whole of the above Avorks have been under Mr. J. C. Blythe's charge. 10th July, 1890. Thos. Humphries, Chief Surveyor.

Summary of Roads and Bridges constructed or maintained in Auckland District for the Year ending the 30th June, 1890.

•ote. Item. Name of Road or Work. Roads constructed, maintained, or improved. Bridle-- Cartroad. I road. a . -o o ©.rH >._ Cti _. 53 _ a a_ ©'C 1 HH O 0 g g Area 6 *j r. opened. o a 78 79 80 1 1 2 1 2 3 5 7 8 Miscellaneous Boads and Bridges. j Miles. Roads and Bridges North of Auckland (repairing flood-damages .. .. .. .... Oxford to Rotorua (maintenance) Tauranga to Napier -via Taupo (maintenance) Maungaroto to Tokatoka AVarkworth to Kawakawa .. .. .... Raglan to Waipa (maintenance) Katikati-Te Aroha (Thompson's Track) .. .. j 9-1 Rotorua to Rotomahana (maintenance) .. .... Tauranga, East Cape, Whakatane, Te Teko, and j sundry roads Bay of Plenty (maintenance) Roads and bridges in the Native districts (maintenance, fencing, and sundry works) Maketu to Rotorua (maintenance) Rotoiti to Tikitere .. .. .... To Waitomo Caves Otorohanga to Kihikihi .. Main Road, Mangapai .. Waikomiti-West Coast , Miles. 33-0 175-0 0-4 8-25 . Miles. K 5 .. Miles. Feet. I • • Acres. 9 180-0 10 11 12 13 14 2 33-0 2-5 SO 81 2-0 0-5 82 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 26 27 29 29 2 Boads to open up Lands before Sale. Okaihau-Victoria Valley .. .. .. 0-2 Herd's Point-Takahue-Kaitaia (widening) Herd's Point-Takahue-Kaitaia (metalling) .. Waimamaku-Pakanae .. .. 3-5 Paparoa-AVaikiekie .. .. .. 1*3 Wairua-Helena Bay, widened from 6ft. to 9ft. Whangarei, through Taheko .. .. .... Puhoi-Makarau .. .. .. .. 3'0 Matakana-Te Aria.. .. .. ..2-0 Omaha (widening) .. .. . . .... Wairua Bridge and Road .. .. .... AVhaingaroa-Mangapiko .. .. .. 1-3 AVhaingaroa-Waitetuna Waerenga-Whangamarino Awaroa Swamp drains I Kawhia, Waipa, and Raglan (thirty miles), main- | tenance, &c. Waingaro-Akatea .. .. .. .... Akatea-Papakauri .. .. .. .. l'O Mata to Kauroa .. .. .. .... Akaaka Swamp drains .. .. .... Te Aroha drains .. .. .. .... Huka Palls to Puketarata (maintenace) .. : Tatarika drains .. .. .. .... Avondale South .. .. .. .... Oropi Special Settlement .. Pern Plat (widening) .. .. .... Ahipara-Herekino (reforming and metalling) Herekino, widened to 16ft. .. .. .... Herekino-Whangape - .. .. 1-8 Mottikaraka .. . . .. .. .. Waimamaku (widening) .. .. .. j .. Kaihu-Punakitere .. .. .. «•» ., 0'5 Whananaki (widening) .. .. .. . • Whangarei-Kawakawa (metalling) .. ...."" Hukerenui .. .. .. .. j Parua (metalling) .. .. .. .. j .. [ Swansea ... .. .. .... Totals ., .. .. 23-7 i 5-3 0-7 4-0 0-6 1-2 0-3 0-2 3-2 1-6 0-1 3-5 l'O 2-0 i-5 "54 18 88 127 is 25 56 66 1 15 10 1 1 1 1 5 7,000 20,000 5,000 1,200 2,000 1,500 5^000 10,000 10,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 6,000 5,000 3-1 2-0 '_ 3,000 600 '• ! ! ■• b-5 0-8 0-1 0-8 0-3 1-1 i-25 83 0-1 0-1 3-5 0-2 0'6 240 12 3,000 6,000 10,000 7,000 3,000 4,000 i 100,000 3,000 15-0 17 48 ; ! I 2 0-2 i '' i j 3,000 1,500 I | ] i •• '• 400-25| ! 21-5 7-85 - I I 737 ! I 1 I 68 ] I 225,800

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Statement showing the Amounts paid to Local Bodies in Auckland District during the Twelve Months ended the 30th June, 1890, as Thirds of Perpetual-lease and Deferredpayment Lands, and as Fourths of Small Grazing-runs.

HAWKE'S BAY. Waiomatatini to Hicks Bay. —The formation of this road Avas started immediately after commencement of survey in March last. £300 was voted for the purpose, out of which £112 19s. 6d. has been expended in forming 4-25 miles of bridle-track 6ft. Avide, including all necessary bridges and culverts, with a width of 33ft. cleared in the forest portions. The object in opening this line is to give access to Crown lands in the Waiapu Valley, and to afford better communication betAveen the places mentioned above. Tologa to Mangatokerau. —A continuation of this road has been graded froth Bun No. 44 to its junction with the Ormond-Waiapu inland road, a distance of about 7! miles, and a contract has been let for forming that length into a bridle-track for the purpose (inter alia) of giving access to the TatiAvhareparae Block, containing some 50,000 acres, and vested in the Gisborne Harbour Board. The cost to date has been £167 14s. 6d. Tologa to Arikihi. —This line has now been completed as a bridle-track to its junction with the Ormond-Waiapu Eoad, enabling travellers and stock to pass from the coast to any of the inland settlements. The total cost is £540 2s. 3d. Ormond to Waiapu. —Five miles and three-quarters of this line have been formed as a bridletrack to its junction with the Tologa-Arikihi Eoad, at a cost of £150 13s. Gisborne to Opotiki. —The vote taken for this road has not been more than sufficient to cover cost of maintenance. This much has been fairly effected at a cost of £446. Since November, last the Avhole length doAvn to Opotiki has been under my charge. Wairoa to Botokakarangu. —The Wairoa County Council received a subsidy of £200 for Avidening a portion of the bridle-track for the purpose of cart-traffic, and I inspected the Avork shortly after sending in my last report. Several appeals have been made for further subsidies, but it is understood that there is no money available for the purpose. North Makaretu (Makaroro Boad). —It Avas proposed to continue the formation of this road into the block Avhich Avas thrown open for selection some nine moTitlis ago, but, as there has not hitherto 4—C. 5.

Awhitu Road Board Bay of Islands County 3-ordon Special Settlement ... Eobson County tiokianga County ... Eunua Road Board Karaka Road Board Fiomokoriki Road Board Mercer Road Board Matakohe Road Board ... ... ... Mangonui County ... Matakana West Road Board DneAvhero Road Board [.potiki Road Board Dtonga East Eoad Board ... 3maha Road Board 3hinemuri County. ■■ Dpaheke Road Board Dtamatea Road Board Pirongia Road Board Puhoi Road Board... Parua Road Board... Pukekohe East Road Board... Pokeno Road Board Raglan County Rodney County (including LoAver Mahurangi and Tauhoa) rauranga County ... rauhoa Eoad Board I'e Puke Road Board Victoria Valley Road Board... Whangarei County Waitoa Road. Board Waitemata County Waipipi Road Board Whareora Road Board Whakatane ... ... ... £ s. d. 6 0 7 21 9 7 71 3 0 12 15 9 38 10 9 1 15 5 2 15 5 3 3 0 19 0 4 9 3 6 17 6 7 18 6 138 11 6 79 19 6 2 8 11 7 14 10 16 1 6 1 15 5 6 5 11 3 7 4 1 10 6 2 18 11 20 12 1 6 14 2 55 12 2 29 19 4 51 18 7 5 6 11 72 9. 10 1 17 9 142 0 1 78 11 1 58 12 3 13 1 10 18 6 10 3 2 £988 i 6

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been an active demand for this land, it was considered well to defer further expenditure until it was seen Avhether the land would be occupied or not. Daimcirke to Wainui. —The two formation-contracts in progress at the time of last report Avere taken over early in the spring, and these, together with various Avorks carried out by the local bo.dy by means of accrued land revenue, have greatly facilitated settlers' operations—that is, during the fine weather ; but hitherto sufficient funds have not been available for erecting the three bridges W'auted betAveen Dauevirke and Weber. The total expenditure for the year upon maintenance, formation, inspection, &c, Avas £544 6s. lid. In addition to this a subsidy of £500 has been paid to the Danevirke Eoad Board in aid of the new bridge just erected over the ManaAvatu River; but this bridge has not yet been opened for traffic owing to certain complications which have arisen with the Native owners of the Kaitoke Block as to the legality of a road Avhich Avas taken many years ago under the Governor's warrant. The three Road Boards within which this road lies have been notified that they must in future provide for its maintenance. Expenditure for Year. —The total expenditure upon all roads within the district out of direct road votes for the year ended 30th June last Avas £1,803 12s. sd. Since the first votes to open up Crown lands were taken in 1880 to the present time £37,224 os. 9d. has been expended upon roads giving access to lands which have been or are being prepared for settlement. Land Revenue handed to Local Bodies for Expenditure oil Road-ivorks. —During the period under review the revenue handed to local bodies was £3,559 Bs., which, added to last year's total, gives £30,742 10s. 3d. since the commencement of the system. In addition to this, a sum of £500 has accrued, and is available for expenditure as soon as the necessary proposals are made and approved by the Land Board. The instructions to furnish a statement of the mileage and character of the roads made or improved by the local bodies came to hand too late to enable me to furnish any trustworthy information on this head. It may, howeA'er, be said that there is a tendency to use revenue from this source largely for the purposes of maintenance —a course Avhich the Land Board deprecates, seeing that these funds are a diminishing quantity under the operation of the existing land-laws, and by the process of purchase of the fee-simple by selectors. Loans to Local Bodies. —So far as I am aware, the only operations in this district which come under this category are : £1,000 borroAved by the Maharahara Road Board for the purpose of completing roads in the northern portion of WoodA-ille district, and £3,000 obtained by the Danevirke Road Board for the purpose of opening up a more direct road to Wainui from that settlement. The greater part of this amount Avas expended upon the erection of the bridge over the Manawatu River before referred to. G. W. Williams, Chief Surveyor.

Summary of Road-works &c., executed in Hawke's Bay Land District for the Year ending 30th June, 1890.

TARANAKI. Mokau Punt. —At the Mokau Eiver, opposite the Native settlement about one mile from the Heads, a punt has been constructed for' the purpose of establishing a ferry over the river. At this point the river, when the tide is in, is about 12 chains in width, and when the tide is out the width is reduced to 6or 7 chains, according to the season. As steamers trade regularly up the river to the coal-mines, it w 7as deemed undesirable to have an overhead cable Avith which to work the punt in the usual way, as it would have to be lowered and raised each time a steamer passed in or out, necessitating strong straining-gear and two men to work it. The punt is therefore Worked by winch-gearing, and on a chain lying across and on the bed of the river, and secured to posts on each side. The punt is a double pontoon, with a carrying-platform on top 35ft. by 10ft., and is suitable for shipping stock as well as for ferry purposes. The establishment of the ferry benefits and renders more accessible thj Crown lands lying to the north of the Mokau River. Cost, £220. Pukearuhe to Mokau. —The vrork during the year on this section of road (16! miles) has been the repairing or renewing some of the old horse-bridges, improving the width and grades of some of the cuttings, and general surface-work. A contract has lately been let for excavating aroaddoAvn the Rangimitimiti cliffs, which, when completed, will avoid "the old track around the Mokau Heads and the dangerous track down the cliff. Cost, £151.

Name of Work or Road. Roads coi impr or mair Cart-road. nstructed, •oved, itained. Graded Contracts , in in Alea, "Bridle-^" Addition. force. I °Penedroad. I" i Miles. Miles. ' Acres. 4-25 ... ... 1,020 Miscellaneous Boads and Bridges. /ote 80, item 19. —Waioniatatini-Hi-cks Bay Boads to open up Lands before Sale. fate 82, item 30. —Tologa-Mangatokerau „ 82, „ 32.—Ormond-Waiapu (main road)... „ 82, „ 31. —Tologa-Arakihi „ 82, „ 33. —Ormond-Opotiki (maintenance) „ 82, „ 37. —Danevirke-Wainui I ! 60 1-73 1-50 8 l! ,„ 1m 5-78 | > 49 >lo° 4-06 ... ... : 20,300 14,000 Totals 61-73 61-73 15-59 8 84,470

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Pukearuhc Inland. —Nearly six miles of the road running up the Mimi Valley from the Main North Road near the Mimi Bridge has been let in ten contracts, the work including bush-felling 1 chain 'vpde, clearing and stumping a 16ft. track in the centre, and grading, forming, culverting, and bridging a 15ft. roadway. At 5-J miles the road reaches a large block of Crown lands, some of which is of excellent character, and will be available, for settlement purposes. Up to the Crown lands the road runs through Native lands which have been Crown-granted, and will now be available for settlement. The road will be a very good one, the grades being easy, and first-class gravel is obtainable at fair working-distances. The present contracts will probably be completed by about November next. Cost, £174. Junction Road, Huiroa District. —The only w7ork done on this road during the year was the completion of contracts for formation of road between Oapui and Mataro Roads in progress on the 30th June, 1889 ; the removal of slips, which fell across and blocked up some of the hilly parts of the road ; and the screwing-up and painting the Tarata Bridge prior to handing it over to the County Council. Cost, £220. Tourist Track to Mount Egmont. —Over 4 miles of the continuation of the Egmont Road, Egmont District, through the Mount Egmont Forest Reserve, has been felled half a chain wide, and a bridle-track cleared 9ft. wide, and about 5 chains of swamp has been drained, formed, and metalled. There is now a- good summer-driving road to the forest reserve line (14 miles from New Plymouth), and a good bridle-road the remaining 4 miles to a small clearing where tourists usually camp, enabling the tourist to ride to an elevation of over 3,200ft., from whence the ascent to the summit of Mount Egmont is usually made in three hours. A large iron hut, divided into rooms, will probably be erected at this point before next summer for the convenience of tourists. A large number ascend annually by this route (some seasons over 300), and the number will probably increase as greater facilities and conveniences are afforded. Cost, £86 7s. 6d. Warea to East Road, Cape District. —This road has been felled 1 chain wide, and a eartway stumped and cleared 12ft. wide, from the open land to the junction of this road with the Newall Road, a distance of 129 chains. The local Road Board is now culverting and grading the road out of deferred-payment thirds, and it will soon be available for traffic. Cost, £64 19s. 9d. East and Wawiri Roads, Ngaere District. —About 94 chains of the East Eoad, from the Ahuroa Eoad to the Gordon Road, and 73 chains of the Wawiri Road, have been felled 1 chain wide, and a cart-road stumped and cleared 12ft. A\ 7ide in the centre. This work is the commencement of opening up the block of Crown lands recently sold in the Ngaere, Huiroa, and Ngatimaru Survey Districts, containing oy7er 6,000 acres. The East Eoad also leads through the Toko and Huiakama Blocks to large areas of Crown lands in the Mangaere and Mangaotuku Blocks, much of which is suitable for settlement purposes. Its improvement should therefore (apart from|its importance as a future main road to Auckland) be pushed forward as rapidly as possible to open up these blocks for settlement purposes. Cost, £100 15s. 3d. Eltham Boad, Kaupokonui District. —A cart-bridge has been erected over the Otakeho Stream, in Block X., Kaupokonui. The bridge is of a total length of 83ft. 6in., in three spans, the centre oiie being 55ft. It is built of heartwood of totara and maire, on concrete piers, and will prove to be one of the most durable bridges erected in the district. A bridge over the Mangawhero-iti is in progress (the Hawera County Council contributing part of the cost), and will be completed about September. It will be 91ft. in total length, divided into three spans, the centre one being 50ft. It will be constructed entirely of heartwood of totara and maire, and will rest on concrete piers. Cost, £423 ss. 6d. Botokare and Branch Roads, and Boads inland of Mokoia, in the Ngaere and Hawera Survey Districts. —Over 12! miles of the Rotokare, Whareroa, Makino, Morea, and Meremere Roads have been felled 1 chain wide, and a cart-road grubbed and cleared in the centre 12ft. wide. This work opens up 9,600 acres, and leads to over 7,000 acres of land in the Ngaere, Hawera, and Opaku Districts. Cost, £653 19s. Id. The total cost of the various works for the year, including supervision, &c, Avas £2,203 3s. 6d., and the contracts w7ere thirty-two in number. The works in hand include seven contracts on the Mimi Road (a further contract for bridgeAvork is now7 ready for letting), one contract —earthwork—at Mokau, and the erection of a bridge on the Eltham Eoad. The works enumerated herein have (as for several years past) been in charge of Mr. G. F. Robinson. Sidney Weetman, Chief Surveyor.

Statement showing Road-work performed by Local Bodies out of Deferred-payment and Perpetual-lease Thirds and Small Grazing-run Fourths for the Year ending 30th June, 1890.

Nature of Work. Length in Miles. Number. few metalling .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. I 3| laintenanee of metal (part of cost)* .. .. .. .. .. ,. | 158 load formation, improving, draining, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. 30J load felling .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 few bridges (part of cost) t .• •■ ■• •• •• .- .. .. 2 * Towards this only £22 4s. has been contributed from deferred-payment funds ) r,, ■, , , , „ ~.~ i. £163 Hi * -j-j-0\\aras a TOiiai cost OT i4yy.

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Summary of Road-work executed in the Taranaki District under the supervision of the Survey Department, 1889-90.

WELLINGTON. Taumaranui-Karioi, Ohakuuc-Pipiriki. —These roads have been maintained by a small gang under Mr. Nicol, supervised by Mr. G. T. Murray. The work done comprised felling and clearing the bush, forming 6ft. in width in the worst pfaces, repairing and placing culverts, and maintaining the whole length of 85 miles, at a total cost of £470 6s. These roads intersect and open up the Waimarino, Atuahae, and Eangataua Blocks, benefiting an area of about 200,000 acres of Crown lands. Wanganui-Murimoiu, Field's Boad. —The bush was felled along 6 miles of this road 1 chain to 2 chains wide ; the felled bush was burnt off, and the area sown with grass-seed as usual. Culverts were renewed to a great extent throughout, and the formation widened and improved in many places. Of the 65 miles comprised in this road, 25 are available for dray-traffic, and the remainder consists of a bridle-road about 6ft. in width. The cost for the year was £384 9s. Id. This road leads to the remote Crown lands in the Eangataua and Waimarino Blocks. Napier to Karioi, Moawhango to Waitangi Section. —A small contract was let to improve the road at Tikirere sideling, near Moawhango, at a cost of £18. Plans and specifications Avere prepared by Mr. G. T. Murray for 11 miles between Moawhango and Waitangi, for which tenders have been invited. When the works comprised in these contracts have been completed, Karioi will be accessible from Napier by dray and coach. The expenditure for the year was £37 ss. 7d. This road connects Hawke's Bay with the Waimarino, Eangataua, and other Crown-land Blocks. Hunterville to Turangarere. —Mr. G. T. Murray surveyed and prepared plans and sections for a distance of 1 mile 14 chains, and Mr. Charles Field and party were employed on this road between Poukiore and Pawerawera. The Avork consisted of dray-road formation, 18ft. in width, over a length of 1 mile 11 chains. The party also felled, stumped, and cleared 3 miles 15 chains, formed 20 chains near Makohine, and repaired the Avhole length of road, at a total cost of £800 9s. This road also leads to Waimarino and other Crown lands. Wanganui to Murimotu, Hales's Boad. —The only work carried out on this road with funds proA 7ided by the Crown consisted of 57! chains bush-felling and horse-road formation. The work was under the direction of and carried out by the Upper Wangaehu Eoad Board. The amount advanced by the Government Avas £100. This road served 20,000 acres of Crown lands in the Maungakaretu Block. Ngutuera Boad. —The Government advanced to the Waitotara-Momohaki Eoad Board £400, which the Board expended in constructing a dray-road, from 12ft. to 16ft. in width, for a distance of 3 miles 30 chains. This road leads to about 10,000 acres of Crown lands in the Omahine-Wai-totara Block. Mangaivhio Boad. —Mr. Murray executed the engineering survey, and prepared plans, sections, and specifications for 5 miles of this road: the work«to comprise bush-felling, stumping, clearing, and formation for a horse-road. Tenders were called for, without resulting in a suitable offer. Steps are being taken to obtain fresh tenders. This road is a continuation of the Ngutuera Road. The cost for the year was £40 13s. 6d. West Waitapu and Otamakapua. —Mr. Charles Field and party executed the following works: Rangitikei Valley Road, felling, stumping, and clearing 174! chains, and the formation 6ft. in width on 132 chains on the same length, at a cost in all of £350 13s. The Mangatutu Road was repaired at a cost of £15 6s. Mr. Murray executed the engineering survey and prepared plans and specifications for 3 miles of the Tapuae Road, for which tenders are being invited. The total cost of these three works was £383 Is. 6d. These roads served about 20,000 acres of CroAvn lands in the Otamakapua Block.

Roads ( proved. .otistructed, imor maintained. or. S3 . -3 — 3 'u ° ° «.g« o a a -s a _o «; d _ o a ~&, . rH a—* c. o O ■? s a" o a> > S Name of Road or AA 7ork. •a a _ o 0-rj . d ctj§ w _ 1= i • a a a ■Sg 3h?° X rX 80 18 Miscellaneous Roads and Bridges,— Miles. Junction Road—completing contracts ; also 3 miles of 5-5 surfacing, removing slips, &c. Miles. Miles. Miles. Ft. Acres. Ft. 82 ! 41 43 45 147-49 48 50 51 52 Roads to open up Lands before Sale, — Pukearuho to Mokau—repairs to bridges and surfacing 16-5 Roads east of Stratford .. .. .. .. j 2-0 Eltham Road —bridges .. .. .. ,. j Rotokare and branch roads, and Inland Mokoia— felling East and Wawiri Roads—felling .. .. Mokau Perry, acros Mokau River .. .. .. i Pukearuhe Inland-Mimi Road—formation, culverting, I 0-0 bridging Egmont Road, tourists' route to Mount Egmont Warea-East Road—felling 30-0 12-5 2-1 .. LI.., i .. '.'. .. 83-6 1 .. 9,600 .. L .. .. 6,000 .. j 1 .. ..! .. 7 i'e 4-15 4-15 ! 1 83-6 9 15,600 16-2

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Oroua Branch. Boad. —-The Kiwitea Road Board were intrusted with £300, with which they formed 1 mile 2! chains of this road, from 12ft to 14ft in AA'idth, for dray-traffic. This road leads to the Fejlding Special-settlement Block and to the distant Crown lands at the back, estimated to contain 15,000 acres. Palmerston to Pahiatua. —Mr. Murray executed the engineering survey of 4 miles of this road, commencing on Andrewatha's Road, at the end of the present dray-road, and tenders are being invited. The cost for the year was £45 14s. 4d. On the Pahiatua side Mr. Reaney executed the engineering surveys and plans, and prepared specifications for 34/ miles, at a cost of £38. A contract for the sum of £199 55., comprising 1934/ chains of bushwork and horse-road formation, is in hand. The only Crown lands on the route are included in the Forest Reserve. Otaki to Manukau. —The Horowhenua County Council Avere granted the sum of £156 to metal the road from Otaki to Manukau, but up to the present date only the specifications of the proposed work have been submitted for my approval. No Crown lands are benefited by these works. Manawatu Gorge Boad. —The gang on this road cleared 45 slips, comprising 1180 cubic yards, opened and cleared side-drains for 1175 chains, the full width of the road was remetalled for a distance of 55 chains, and the Avheel-ruts for 197 chains, 13 old bridges were repaired, and also 22 platforms, the timber used being 23,660ft., and the weight of iron used being 8601b. The total cost for the year was £624 7s. 9d. Mr. R. H. Reaney carried out the whole of these works without inconvenience to the public who used the road. Pahiatua Village Settlement. —The Pahiatua County Council were intrusted with the sum of £150, with which they formed 73 chains of dray-road, and put in culverts for the same. The works benefit the village settlers. Mangaramarama Overflow. —The above-mentioned body were also intrusted with the sum of £200 for the purpose of deviating and improving the course of this stream. The proposals of the County Engineer have been approved by me. This work is for the benefit of the village settlers in the locality. Makakahi Bridge to Mangahao. —They also were intrusted with the sum of £75, Avhich was expended in felling the bush 66ft. wide, stumping and clearing 20ft. wide, for a distance of 76-5 chains. A contract was also let comprising 1 mile 60 chains of bush-felling 66ft. Avide, stumping and clearing 20ft. AA 7ide, at a cost of £77 2s. 4d. Both these works Avere completed under the supervision of Mr. R. H. Reaney. This road leads toAvards the Mangahao Crown lands, comprising about 5,000 acres. The following works Avere also executed by Mr. Reaney, or under his supervision:— Tutaekara Boad. —The engineering survey, with plans and specifications of 2! miles; 1 mile of bushwork and bridle-road formation 6ft. wide were completed by contract. The total cost was £178 16s. 4d. This road leads to the Mangahao Block also. Hawera Kakariki Boad. —The engineering survey of this road, with plans and specifications of 4J miles, was completed at a cost of £56 Is. 9d. A contract has been let for a distance of 2 miles 59 chains, Avhich comprises bushwork and dray-road formation, and which is well advanced toAvards completion. This road leads to and serves about 5,000 acres of Crown lands on the Mangahao River. Mount Bruce Boad. —A day party under Mr. J. Barron felled the bush 66ft. Avide, stumped and cleared in the centre 20ft. wide for a distance of 4J miles, at a total cost of £381 17s. 6d. This roads serves about 5,000 acres of Crown, lands. Mangamahoe Boad. —The same party felled the bush 66ft. wide, stumped and cleared 20ft. Avide, and formed a bridle-road 6ft. wide for a distance of 4 miles, at a cost of £464. This road serves about 10,000 acres of Crown lands. Mount Marchant Boad. —The engineering survey, with plans and specifications of 3J miles of this road, were made; three contracts Avere let and completed for the Avorks, comprising bushfelling 66ft. wide, stumping and clearing 20ft. Avide, and formation of a bridle-road 6ft. wide, at a total cost of £617 18s. 6d. These roads serve about 7,000 acres of Crown lands. Makuri Valley, Gorge, and Aohauga Roads. —A day party under the supervision of Mr. ,1. I). Climie felled the bush 66ft. wide, stumped and cleared 20ft. wide, and formed a bridle-road 6ft. wide for a distance of 12 miles, at a total cost of £1,167 12s. 7d. These roads serve about 20,000 acres of Crow 7n lands in the Puketoi District. Tiraumea Bridge. —A wire-cradle bridge Avas erected over the Tiraumea River, under Mr- J- D. Climie's supervision, at a cost of £119 os. Bd. This work also benefits the Crown lands in the Puketoi District. Mangaone Valley Road. —The bush on this road was felled by contract 66ft. wide, stumped and cleared 33ft. Avide in the centre, and a day party under Mr. R. P. Greville's supervision made it passable for horses for a distance of 2 miles 5 chains, and erected four small temporary bridges, the total cost being £179 14s. lOd. This road benefited an area of 15,000 acres of Crown lands which haA 7e been sold since it was made. Hast'well Village Settlement. —The village steward, Mr. A. R. Mackay, was intrusted with the sum of £19 18s., with which an area of 13 acres 1 rood and 6 perches of road-lines was cleared of bush, burnt off, and soAvn in grass. This work was done by the village settlers in the locality. Ngaturi and Makuri Townships. —The bush on the sites of these two townships was felled and burnt, and the area comprising 67 acres was sown in grass, for a total cost of £137 12s. 6d.

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Summary of Road Works executed in Wellington District during the Year 1889-90.

Amounts granted to Local Bodies in Wellington District during the Year 1889-80.

Statement showing Payments to Local Bodies from 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890, as Thirds of Perpetual-lease and Deferred-payment Lands, and Fourths of Small-grazing Runs.

NELSON. Sandy Bay Boad (Grant of £250 to Eiwaka Eoad Board). —Contracts Nos. 4, 5, and 6 have been let for widening the present horse-track into a dray-road, and the work is now in hand. The area of land benefited by the work is 5,000 acres. Biwaka Valley Boad (Grant of £300 to Riwaka Road Board). —£200 of the sum available is required for compensation for land required for the road. The specifications of the work to be done with the balance have not yet been forwarded by the Road Board.

Vote. f Item. I Name of Road or Work. Roads constructed, improved, or maintained. Cart-road, j Bridle-road. <6 © o 'in o _ » _ ° si o ah o o Area of land benefited. I 79 3 Main and Miscellaneous Roads, etc. — Taumaranui-Karioi Ohakune-Pipiriki Village settlements Hunterville-Turangarere ] M. oh. | 2 2 0 73 4 20 M. oh. o'ao Acres. 200,000 83 103 2 3 Totals .. 7 21 7 21 0 20 0 20 200,000 82 55 56,62 57 58 59 61 63 64 65 69 72 73 76 80 Roads to open Lands before Sale— Mangamahoe Makuri A7alley Gorge and Aohanga Hawera-Kakariki Tiraumea River Tutaekara Mangaone Valley Mount Marchant Makakahi-Mangahao Mount Bruce Oroua Branch Wanganui-Murimotu Rangitikei Valley Maungakaretu.. Ngutuera Valley | 2 56 i 4 20 [ 1 2 6 0 .. 3'.30 4 0 12 0 1 0 3 20 0 57 3 66 2 31 "l 4 1 10,000 20,000 5,000 5,000 15,008 7,000 5,000 5,000 15,000 20,000 20,060 1 10," 000 Totals .. 19 33 27 14 137,000

Name of Local Body. Name of Work. Amount. ipper Wangaehu Road Board .. Vaitotara-Momohaki Road Board [.iwitea Road Board lorowhenua County Council 'ahiatua County Council £ s. d. Formation of Hale's Road .. .. .. .. 225 0 0 Formation of Ngutuera Valley Road .. .. .. 400 0 0 Formation of Oroua Branch .. .. .. .. j 300 0 0 Metalling road, Otaki to Manukau .. .. .. 156 0 0 Formation of roads in village settlement .. .. j 150 0 0 Improvement of Mangaramarama Stream .. .. 200 0 0 Clearing of Bridge Road, Mangahao .. .. .. 75 0 0 Purchase of road through Section 9, Block __., Kopuaranga 170 0 0 lasterton Road Board

Road Boards. On account of Deferred-payment Lands. On account of Perpetual-lease Lands. On account of Small-grazing Runs. Total Payments. ,-e s. d. 840 9 8 14 13 9 14 9 7 34 18 8 2,172 17 4 820 14 10 61 7 6 28 19 5 132 7 9 105 8 5 21 18 1 £ s. d. 88 7 7 7 10 £ s. d. £ s. d. 928 17 3 21 14 9 14 9 7 70 0 11 2,913 13 8 918 10 7 107 2 2 57 9 1 243 17 8 199 1 5 75 14 0 [iwitea lotoroa lasterton .. tangitikei County .. 'ahiatua Iketahuna .lfredton lauriceville Vaitotara-Momohaki Vaitotara County .. Wrokino 14 18 5 740 16 4 97 15 9 45 14 8 28 9 8 111 9 11 12 11 6 53 15 11 20 3 10 81 'i 6 Totals 4,248 5 0 1,201 0 9 101 5 4 5,550 11 1 J. W. A. c: Marchant, rief Surveyor.

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Little Sydney Boad (Grant of £177 7s. 6d. to Riwaka Road Board). —£30 has been paid to Mr. J. Duncan as compensation for taking land for the road. 72i chains of clearing, stumping, and formation of horse-track have been made, sft. wide, at a cost of £78 Bs., and l-\ miles continuation of the above work at a cost of £82. The area benefited is 2,000 acres. Neudorf to Dovedale Boad (Grant of £50 to Upper Moutere Road Board). —48|- chains of drayroad have been improved, and other works are in progress. The area benefited is 1,000 acres. Pigeon Valley to Stanley Brook (Grant of £250 to Stanley Brook Road Board). —The horsetrack has been widened to a dray-road for 4! miles. The clearing and forming is 14ft. wide, and the Work Avas completed in March, 1890. The area benefited is 3,000 acres. Pigeon Valley to Dovedale (Grant of £100 to Waimea County Council). —The work, which consists of 43 chains of bush-felling and the formation of a dray-road, is in progress. The area to be benefited is 2,000 acres. Wakefield to Dovedale (Grant of £100 to DoA7edale Road Board). —31 chains of horse-track have been Avidened to a dray-road, with formation 16ft. wide. The work was completed in January, 1890. Wairoa Gorge Boad Carl-bridge (Grant of £185 to Spring Grove Road Board).- -This amount was a subsidy to the Board. A dray-bridge, consisting of two 20ft. and one 80ft. spans, with approaches, has been constructed. The total cost of the bridge A\7as £405. Pretty Bridge Valley Boad (Grant of £60 to Waimea Road Board). —The Avork, AA'hich consisted of 60 chains of clearing, stumping, and levelling dray-road, with formation 14ft. Avide, was completed in November, 1889. The area benefited is 2,000 acres. Wairoa Gorge Boad (Grant of £200 to Spring Grove Road Board). —No. 1 contract is in hand for 40 chains of dray-road, with formation 12ft. wide, or Bft. on solid ; also with 220ft. retaining-Avall. The contract-price is £147. No. 2 contract, in continuation of the above, is estimated to cost £123. • 25th June, 1890. John S. Broavning, Chief Surveyor.

Statement showing Moneys paid to Local Bodies from Thirds of Deferred-payments, approved by the Nelson Waste Lands Board, during the Twelve Months ended the 30th June, 1890.

Summary of Road-works executed in the Nelson District during the Year 1889-90.

John S. BkOwning, Chief Surveyor.

liwaka Road Board Stanley Brook Road Board ... Vaimea Road Board )ovedale Road Board Ipring Grove Road Board ... Jpper Moutere Road Board ! ... i ... ! ... j £ s. d. 13 8 1C 19 16 8 20 17 8 91 1 £ 9 6 C 26 7 g I Total 180 18 6

Roads constructed, I improved, Length , or maintained. i of j Contracts Name of Road or Work. : Bridges j in n . -a -ai con- Force. ' ] Area o£ Land 1 benefited. M. oh. M. oh. ' ft. Acres. liscellaneous Eoads and Bridges— Vote 80, item 20, Sandy Bay Eoad .... ... ... 3 „ 80, „ 22, Lyell-Westport Road ... | ... ... 225 loads to open up Lands before Sale — Vote 82, item 84, Little Sydney Eoad 2 12 „ 82, „ 85, Pigeon Valley to Stanley Brook 4 40 Eoad „ 82, „ 86, Pretty Bridge Valley Eoad ... 0 60 „ 82, „ 87, Wakefield to Dovedale Eoad... 0 31 „ 82, „ 88, Neudorf-Dovedale Eoad ... 0 48 „ 82, „ 88, Pigeon Valley to Dovedale Eoad 0 43 „ 82, „ 89, Wairoa Gorge Eoad .... ... ... 120 „ 82, „ 91, Wairoa Gorge Eoad... ... ... 1 1 ■ I j. • 5,000 2,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 2,000 Totals ... ... ... | 6 62 2 12 345 4 6 62 2 12 345 4 15,000

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MAELBOEODGH. Watamonrja to Port Underwood Track. —Stock-track, to enable settlers to drive their stock out to the Waiks-wa Track, connecting with Pictou. Future requirements will consist of widening in places where vertical hard batters cause present width of 4ft. to be insufficient, and felling bush on both sides, to admit light and air. So far, the track has stood admirably, and been found most convenient. Rai Valley Boad. —This work is all gravelling. The valley is 7 miles long, and of this the worst places, 4 miles 4 chains in length altogether, have been gravelled. Of the balance, about 3 miles, nearly all must some day be gravelled, as occasion requires. The three bridges over Flat Creek, Alfred Creek, and Brown Eiver must some day be made. This road is part of the Blenheim-Nelson Main Eoad, and is within the Pelorus Eoad Board District. Kaituna to Tuamarina Boad. —This road has just been finished, and is generally in good order. Moat of it is hard, but the class of rock is too soft for traffic in wet weather, and it must some day be gravelled throughout. This is its only requirement. About half the road is in the Pelorus Eoad Board District, and the balance in the Picton Eoad Board District. The former have taken over their portion. The latter have at present declined, but will be obliged to do so when the title is cleared. Length recently formed, 5 miles 3 chains. Kenepuru to Manama Track. —This track, 4ft. wide, 4 miles long, was some time ago constructed, half out of parliamentary vote, and half out of accrued thirds of deferred-payment lands. Eecent operations within the year consist of felling bush on both sides on north end, and on lower side only on south end. Funds expended were accrued thirds as before. Future requirements will be widening in places to a small extent, and felling bush above track on south side. This track is exceedingly useful to the settlers. Torca to Kenepuru Track. —This is really a small road 8ft. wide, connecting the Queen. Charlotte Sound with the Kenepuru arm of the Pelorus. It was constructed some time back in the same manner as the preceding. Present operations have consisted in providing and laying drainpipes to carry off water. The track amply satisfies present requirements, and no extension is required. Work executed as in the preceding. Grove Boad. —This road is the connection between Queen Charlotte Sound and the new diggings at Mahakipawa. Present operations consist of gravelling only, with light formations, executed by the Pelorus Eoad Board, under subsidy of £1 for £1. Future requirements are more gravelling. Whangamoa lioad. —This is a continuation of the main road from Blenheim to Nelson, and adjoins the Eai Valley, previously mentioned. It is all within the Waimea County. Present operations are gravelling, which was about one-third completed on the 30th June. Length of gravelling is 7 miles, which is the whole of worst portions. Future requirements will consist of more gravelling as required, and a small bridge over the Graham—an exceedingly rough little creek. Hope Boad. —This road is the main coach-road connecting Motupiko Eoad Board District with Inangahua County at Hope Junction, on the Nelson-Westport Eoad. Our operations for year consisted of maintenance generally, and the road was left in capital order when it was handed over to the Waimea County Council. The only special work was the Hope Bridge. Future requirements will consist of general maintenance, 16^ miles. Topiiouse Boad. —This road runs from the terminus of the Nelson Eailway at Belgrove to Tophouse. It has been lightly maintained to suit requirements. There is very little traffic, and future requirements will consist of little more than keeping it open. Twenty-eight miles now handed over to Waimea County Council. Upper Butter Boad. —This road connects Tophouse with the Hope Junction. Length, 22 miles. It was kept open and lightly maintained till the 30th June, when it was handed over to County Councils. The lower half is in the Inangahua County, and the upper in the Waimea. There is very little traffic, and future requirements need be nothing more than keeping it open. Just at present the road is washed away at the " Slips," opposite Mr. Kerr's station, and reconstruction is for the time impracticable. Geeald Fitzgeeald, Assistant Engineer.

Statement showing Road-works executed in Marlborough during the Year ending 30th June, 1890, by Local Bodies, out of Thirds of Deferred Payment and Perpetual Leases, and Fourths of Small Grazing-runs.

Name of Local Body. Amount paid to Local Body out of Deferred Payment, Perpetual Lease, and Small Grazing-runs, approved by Land Board. Kernarks. Pelorus Boact Board ... £ s. 1 14 a. o Improving main road on which sections front, metalling, &c. Improving existing roads leading to the sections, metalling, ditching, &c. Raikoura County Council 5 16 0 ■i

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Summary of Road-works executed in the Marlborough Land District for the Year 1889-90.

WESTLAND. Pounamu to Teremakau (Vote £200). —Length about 4|* miles, making accessible about 1,200 acres of good agricultural land on the northern bank of the Teremakau Eiver. A mile and a half completed, .1 mile now under contract: clearing 33ft., formation Bft., and metal sft.; contract price £162 is.; payments made up to date, £125 ; will probably be completed in about a month. Cook's Biver Flat (Vote £1,200). —Length about 8 miles, traversing a block of about 3,000 acres of very good land, and making accessible about 4,000 acres of second-class land. A contract for 54; miles w 7as let in February, 1889, and completed in December last: clearing 33ft., formation 7ft., metal 4ft.; contract price, £906 18s. The remaining 2f miles, Avhich required clearing only, were let for £64 13s. 6d., and also completed in December last. A balance of £228 Bs. 6d. for extension of Cook's River Flat Road southAvard remains in hand ; this extension will tap another 1,200 acres of very fair settlement-land between Cook's River and the Kara.ngarua River. Hunt's Beach to Makawiho (Vote £500). —Length 3 miles, traversing and making accessible about 4,000 acres of good agricultural land. A contract was let in March last : clearing 33ft., formation 7ft., and metal 4ft. ; contract price, £450 ; the work is progressing Avell, and will probably be completed in October next. Makaiviho to Mahitahi (Vote £300). —Length 7 miles, traversing about 3,000 acres of very good land, and making accessible another 2,000 acres of second-class land. Survey of road completed, and plans shortly ready for calling for tenders for construction of the first 2! or 3 miles of this road. In addition to the above road-works, I had under supervision a number of tracks subsidised by Government, and the maintenance of the Hokitika to Christchurch Road, and of the Haast Pass Road. Gerhard Mueller, Chief Surveyor.

Summary of Road-works executed in the Westland District during the Year 1889-90.

5—C. 5. •- -■'_.'

Roads constructed, ! improved, Length or maintained. _ ° Bridges Area of Name of Road or Work. Land Cart- 1 Bridle- - t „„„i.i , . structed. roads. roads. benefited. tiscellaneous Roads and BridgesVote 80, item 24, Kaituna-Tuainarina Road . „ 80, „ 25, Kaikoura-Clarence Road „ 80, „ 26, Watamonga-Port UnderAvood M. oh. 5 3 4 3 M. oh. 5 61 Total 9 6 5 61 loads to open up Lands before Sale— Vote 82, item 95, Rai Valley Road 4 .4 Total 4 4 loads constructed or improved out of Deferred-payment Thirds— Kenepuru-Manaroa Track ... Torea-Kenepuru Track Grove Road 2 "66 4 0 1 20 Total ... ..: 2 66 5 20

Name of Road or Work. Roads constructed, j improved, or maintained. Contracts _ in Area of Land benefited. Cartroad. I Bridleroad, Force. loads to open up Lands before Sale —- Vote 82, item 100, Pounamu to Teremakau „ 82, „ 99, Cook's River Elat Road „ 82, „ 96, Hunt's Beach to Makawiho Road M. ch. ... 1 40 ... ; 8 0 ... : 3 0 Acres. 1,200 7,000 4,000 "l Totals _.■■ i 12 40 i 3 12,200 I I I

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Statement of Advances made by Government out of Road Votes to Local Bodies in the Westland Land District during the Year ended the 30th June, 1890.

CANTERBURY. Practically no new road-works, except a few tracks cut at the Mount Cook glaciers, have been done under my supervision this year. I have tabulated the particulars of a few balances I have paid on account of various road-works previously undertaken. I have no knowledge of any loans under "The Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1889," being paid to local bodies in this district. 29th July, 1890. John H. Baker, Chief Surveyor.

Road-works in Canterbury.

John H. Baker, Chief Surveyor.

Report on Roads, by the Assistant Engineer, Christchurch. Kaikoura to Clarence Boad. —This work Avas proceeded with up to the end of November, 1889, when all the " unemployed " were paid off, and this work was closed. The formation of the road was completed from 5 miles 50 chains from the Clarence Bridge up to 1 mile 47 chains from the same bridge, and the greater part of it was metalled. Construction in Bealey Valley. —The formation of a new road in the Bealey Valley, to avoid the numerous crossings of the Bealey Eiver, was proceeded with up to the end of November, 1889, when the work Avas stopped, as all the "unemployed" in Canterbury were paid off. A small deviation, beginning at 46 miles 52 chains from Springfield, and ending at 46 miles 68 chains, Avas formed. This deviation, saved two crossings of the river. Another deviation, Avhich starts at 47 miles 19 chains from Springfield, Avas continued, and the formation of a length from 47 miles 40 chains to 47 miles 70 chains Avas finished, and from 47 miles 70 chains to 48 miles 20 chains was partly done. The bush vjas all cleared off, and the road-line graded and mo_st of the light work done. At 48 miles there is some heavy rockwork, and Avhen the Avorks were stopped this rock-cutting Avas in hand. Catlin's to Waikawa Boad. —ln January, 181)0, the supervision of the road-construction on the Catlin's-WaikaAva Eoad Avas transferred from the Chief Surveyor, Dunedin, to me. When I took charge the bulk of the formation was completed up to about 25 chains from the Catlin's Eiver, and between that point and the river the swampy ground had been drained -by means of tAvo side ditches,

._ 1 ocal Body and Work. Clearing, formation, and metal. Amount of Contract. Subsidy paid by Government. Dray-roads. | Bridle-roads. i Westland County Council— Bald Range Road, construction... Tucker Elat Road, construction Kumara to Hokitika, maintenance 3-rey County Council— Grey Valley to Teremakau Track, construction ... Baird's Terrace to Lake Brunner Track, construction Ahaura to Kumara Road, maintenance ... Miles. Miles. 1-34 0-56 19-00 I & s. 641 19 170 19 1,200 10 d. 0 6 0 & 250 85 100 s. a. 0 0 9 9 0 0 4-00 947 6 0 900 0 C 1-75 46-00 290 15 1,885 6 0 4 125 960 0 c 0 c

Road. Expenditure during Year 1889-90. Remarks. Upper Ashley, over Kuku Pass £ s. d. 75 0 0 32 0 0 Further payment on account of work reported on last year: a small balance is still due, waiting until T can inspect the work. Balance of amount due on work previously reported Mount Grey Downs (Loburn to Kowai) jlentui Forest 15 0 0 on. Balance of amount due on work previously reported Mount Cook glaciers 55 10 6 27 15 9 on. Mr. Wither reports about 330 chains of tracks have been cut at a cost of £55 10s. 6d.; but the expenditure, including preparation of plans for foot-bridge, advertising same, and travelling-expenses, amounts to £79 11s. 9d. Done by Waitaki County Council; correspondence not passed through this office. < Eeserve 1263. About 70 chains of road-formation in the village settlement at Pighunting Creek. Dhau Bridge Village and deferred-payment blocks

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the excavated stuff being wheeled on to fascines laid on the ground to form the roadway. No more work has been done on the north side of the river, but as soon as the Catlin's Bridge is finished the formation?, on the north side will be made up with stuff from a clay terrace on the south side. Between the Catlin's Eiver and the Mackenzie Creek the bush had been felled and cleared, and some of. the formation done when I took charge. Up to the 30th June, 1890, the AvJiole of the formation betAveen the two streams had been finished, the length being about one mile. From where the road-line crosses the Mackenzie Creek the bush has been felled 1 chain wide, and a roadAA-ay 40ft. wide cleared for a distance of about 4 miles 63! chains up the Mackenzie Valley, over the saddle, and a little past the crossing of the North Parakanui Stream. Also the bushfelling 100ft. Avide and clearing 50ft. Avide a distance of 4 miles up the Catlin's River from the bridge-site, Avhich w;as begun before I took charge of these Avorks, are practically finished. Catlin's Biver Bridge Contract. —A contract has been let for the construction of a timber bridge of five spans of 30ft. each over the Catlin's Eiver. The work at the bridge-site is not yet begun, but the contractor is in the bush getting the logs. Tourist Tracks, Mount Cook Glaciers. —About 330 chains of tracks have been formed in the neighbourhood of the " Hermitage " at the foot of Mount Cook, so that tourists can easily walk about and see all the most interesting sights. Frederick Wither, Assistant Engineer.

Payments made to Local Bodies out of Thirds and Fourths between the 1st July, 1889, and the 30th June, 1890, and Statement showing how the several Road Boards are spending the Moneys received by them in the Canterbury Land District.

John H. Baker, Chief Surveyor.

OTAGO. Truck, Milford Sound to Te Anau Lake. —The Avhole of this track has been cut and formed afresh, or Avidened and improved, including 1 mile and 10 chains from the beech huts to the waterfall. There are now four huts between Milford Sound and "the Sutherland Waterfall, and two huts in the Clinton Valley, besides one at the foot of Lake Ada, east side, Avhich is not now used. The total length of bush track—viz., 26 miles and 50 chains—is made up as follows :■■

Road Boards, &c. Amount paid by Treasury. Amount paid by Receiver. Total Amount paid to Board. Particulars of AVork approved by the AVaste Lauds Board. Vrowhenun. Town X s. a. 21 17 11 £ s. a. 32 15 8 1 £ B. d. 54 13 2 Form and shingle streets in the Arowhenua Village Settlement; fill hollows and place foot-planks over the creek. Improve the Main South Road north of Chertsey, Alford Forest Road near 35820, &c, and roads bounding lots in Reserve 350. Improve the Main Lowecliff Road and Main South Road, west from the Hinds Township. Formation and metalling roads through the Orari Village Settlements and Railway Reserves 349, 389, &C, near Orari. Formation of roads as moneys accrue, round Reserve 1261 near Ashburton ; and build culverts across waterchannels. Improve the road-formation fronting Rural Section 35754, near the mouth of the Ashburton River. Form and shingle streets in the Fairlie Creek Village Settlement, and surface-formation of road through Ashwick Flat. Form road fronting Lots 5 to 17, subdivision of Reserve 1824, situo,ted near Springfield. Repair roads fronting on lots of Reserve 1935 near Springfield, and roads forming the frontage of Annat Village Settlement lots. Improve the roads near the Coalgate Railway-station, and fronting upon the lots of Reserve 1288 adjacent. Form and improve the road on the east side of the north branch of the River Ashburton, abutting on Section 35795, &c. Repair, shingle, and improve fords, &c, on Depot, South Eyre, Esperanza, and other roads through Reserves 2331 and 2332. Metal Hardy, Johnston, and Ulundi Roads, in the Rakaia Village Settlement. Improve roads in the South Mayfield Settlement, and road north of the Hinds Township, fronting on lots of Reserve 1381. Improve the roads abutting on lots in Reserves 283, 1371, 1381, situated near Winchester and South Rangitata Railway-stations. Improve the roads fronting lots in Reserves 264 and 1497, situate between Chertsey and Dromore, and road in Village Settlement of Dromore. Ashburton Upper : 26 18 4 34 6 6 61 4 10 Coldstream 15 0 12 4 1 13 9 1 jeraldine j 92 4 5 182 12 4 274 16 9 3ampstead Town 2 5 10 2 5 10 "jongbeach 1 2 8 1 2 8 2 5 4 tlackenzie County Council j 9 8 0 12 15 6 22 3 6 Halvern 1 18 8 7 8 0 9 6 8 East 11 10 2 12 8 10 23 19 0 South .. 1 19 7 5 18 9 7 18 4 ilount Hutt 10 7 0 9 4 9 19 11 9 )xford .. 357 18 11 137 18 8 495 17 7 ftakaia South 31 18 1 39 15 2 71 13 3 Rangitata 19 17 9 10 11 5 30 9 2 20 18 10 5 14 10 26 13 8 Vakanui 4 3 2 4 9 4 8 12 6 Vaipara 55 3 10 55 3 10 Totals .. |613 8 6 566 15 9 1,180 4 3

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M. oh. Track below Lake Ada ... ... ... ... ... 2 0 From landing aboA7e Lake Ada to beech huts ... ... ... 5 40 Beech huts to Sutherland Waterfall ... ... ... ... 1 10 Beech huts over saddle to Mintaro hut ... ... ... 4 60 - Mintaro hut to Half-way Camp ... ... ... ... 6 40 Half-way Camp to Te Anau Lake ... ... ... ... 6 60 Total ... ... ... ... ... 26 50 Of the above, the track below Lake Ada is narrow, and should be widened and improved. The remainder of the tracks in Arthur Valley are in fair order for pedestrians, including the track up the Roaring Creek to McKinnon's Pass. This is not a " pass "in the ordinary acceptation of the word, but a rough hog-backed ridge, clear of bush, along Avhich the track is marked by guide-poles for about a mile. The descent into the Clinton Valley is very steep, and too narrow for a permanent track, This, and the upper part of the track in the Clinton Valley, about four or five miles in all, should be widened and improved. The remainder of the track to Te Anau is fairly good, with the exception of tAvo rocky bluffs which require some rock-blasting to avoid a steep climb on both sides. The track in the Clinton Valley requires the erection of three huts for the use of tourists—namely, one at Te Anau, one at Half-way Camp, and one at Lake Mintaro. This track cannot be said to open up Crown lands, except to a small extent; but I have no doubt, if the tourist traffic increases, there will be a demand for a few small holdings, both in the Arthur and Clinton Valleys. Maniototo County. —The first item, "Roads in Blocks XL and 111., Gimmerbum," is given in the report of the County Engineer; but I have no advice from your office of the money (£100) having been advanced. In reference to the work done by the Waihemo County, the tAvo sums of £73 and £227 make up the £300 voted by the Government; but the £85 lis. was obtained out of land revenue, and also spent on the road. The two items, " Wakari to Waitati Eoad," and " Eoad up Leith Valley to Blueskin," are for £50 each, and were granted as subsidies of £1 to £1 to the local bodies interested. The improvements on the road up the Leith Valley are completed, but Ido not know if anything has been clone by the Waikouaiti County on the other side of the saddle. The other items in the schedule do not call for special remark, with the exception of the Catlin's-Wai-kawa Eoad through Block VIII., Glenomaru, on the north side of Catlin's Lake, and through Block 111., Woodland, on the south side. This was cleared and made partly by the "unemployed" and partly by contract. A good deal of heavy cutting was required, and where the ground was level it was generally swampy. C. W. Adams, Chief Surveyor.

Particulars of Road-improvements, &c., to open up Crown Lands in Otago during the Year ending 30th June, 1890.

Total amount paid to local bodies out of land revenue for the year, £5,210 16s. sd.

SOUTHLAND. No. 1 Road, Waikaka Siding to Waikaka Town.- —Mileage formed, &c, 3! miles; acreage rendered better accessible, 5,000 acres. This work consists of 204-f- chains of combined formation and gravelling ; also 1,400 cubic yards of gravel, which was laid down in places where it was most required. One 10ft. bridge was jilso built, and five culverts were constructed. The work is situatedon the main road up the Waikaka Valley from Waikaka railway-siding, near Gore. The roadls an important one, and at the upper end taps a certain amount of Crown lands of mixed character, No. 2 Road, Riversdale to Switzers. —Mileage "formed, See., 3! miles; acreage rendered better accessible, 5,000 acres. This w7ork consists of 275 chains formation and gravelling, Avith 3,225 cubic yards of excavation and five box culverts.

Name of Road. Mileage improved. Area of Land benefited. Pembroke to Matukituki Jetty and track, Manuka Island, Lake Wanaka .. Track, Milford Sound to To Anau Lake Roads in Blocks XI. and III., Gimmerburn Roads in Block VI., Maniototo .. Run 210, Deepdell Wakari-Waitati Road .. Road up Leith Valley to Blueskin Roads to open up blocks in Glenkenich Roads in Block VI., Rankleburn Kelso-Waikaka Road Glenomaru-Owake Roads Road in Block I., Woodlands Catlin's-Waikawa Road Catlin's River bridge Main road in Block IV., Woodlands Totals M. ch. .. I 1 53 '.'. 3(1X .. 0 34 .. ! 1 0 0 54 .. j 5 13 '.'. .1 15 .. | - 18- .. 2 74 1 20 .. 2 0 .. 3 40 - j *J° .. ! 55 41 I I Acres. 50,000 300 3,400 1,200 9,114 15,374 543 •1,500 2,000 2,000 900 5,000 3,720 95,051

n e~ \ i,~ —Qj

No. 3, Wyndhain via Mimihau to Otaraia. —This work consists of a bridge, 18ft. span, over Fortification Creek. No. _~ Boundary Creek Bridge to Makarata. —This work consists of a bridge, 26ft. 6in. span, resting on masonry piers, with approaches formed and metalled. No. S Boad, Waikawa. —Mileage formed, &c, 2! miles dray and 5 miles track; acreage rendered better accessible, 10,000 acres. This work consists of 88! chains heavy formation, 74-J chains fascining and clay blinding, 27! chains bush-clearing, 23! chains ditching, one Bft. bridge, and eighteen culverts. The work extends from the head of Waikawa Harbour some 6 miles north, to near the north boundary of Waikawa Survey District. The road is part of the main road from Fortrose to WaikaAva via Tokonui Gorge. In addition to the above work the track from Fortrose to Waikawa via the beach (for a distance of some 5 miles) Was either made or improved in places. The track previously in existence was almost impassable in one or two places. The w 7ork done has remedied this, and, the track being shorter than the dray-road via Tokonui, besides traversing auriferous country, the recent improvements will be of great service for packhorse-and passenger-traffic. No. 6, Horse-bridge, Wairaki Biver. —£lfor£l; acreage rendered better accessible, 20,000 acres. This bridge, which is being constructed for horse-traffic only, is 168ft. long and 4ft. wide. It is being built across the Wairaki River near the junction of that river with the Waiau. The cost of bridge, including approaches, will be over £200. The Avork will be finished in about three weeks, the eontract iioav being in force. The work is being done by the Wallace County, the Government giving the county a £l-for-£l subsidy. The bridge will be of great utility for horse- and passenger-traffic, the Wairaki being an awkward river, subject to occasional floods. No. 7 Boad, Centre Bush. —Mileage bush-felled, &c, three-quarters of a mile ; acreage rendered better accessible, 300 acres. This work consists of 60 chains of bush-felling and clearing. It begins on the road running east from Central Bush Railway-station, and goes due north into the unsold Crown bush, the sections having been made a village settlement. No. 8, Woodend to Bushy Point. —Mileage formed, &c, 3! miles; acreage rendered better accessible, 1,500 acres. This work consists of 20 chains formation, fascining, and gravelling, 230 chains of clearing, and 500 cubic yards of gravel laid down in places for repair. This road gives the nearest access to the Bushy Point Goldfield. Dredging operations are proposed on the beach, and should they be successful, as seems more than probable, the utility of this road Avill eA 7ery day become more apparent. As it is, the road is of considerable use for through traffic. It skirts the moss, taps the beach, and leads without interruption to the mouth of Mataura River, thus connecting two parts of the district that were formerly inaccessible the one from the other. No. 9 Boad, Appleby to Tisbury-. —Mileftge-fe-rmed-,-&e-.- > --three-tenths of a mile ; acreage rendered better accessible, 1,100 acres. The work done upon this road consists of 24 chains formation and 23 chains gravelling. This work is in continuation of the work upon the same road that was done last year. The road runs along the south side of the Seaward Bush RailAvay from near Appleby Raihvaystation toAvards Tisbury Station. The road, while of great service to present settlers in the vicinity, will also materially help to open up Crown lands at and around Tisbury. No. 10, Seaward Forest to Deferred Payment Block. —Mileage formed, _c, 1\ miles ; acreage rendered better accessible, 2,000 acres. The work done upon this road consists of 69 chains formation, double ditching and fascining, 900 yards gravel, 5 log bridges, and 7 culverts. This work is in continuation of Avork done upon the same road during last and previous years. The road will, I think, yet prove a useful one ; and even now it has induced settlement in a locality which a few years ago was absolutely shut out from all possible communication by horse or dray. When it has been extended to the beach it will open a line of through communication to Fortrose on the one'hand, and to Bushy Point, Bluff, and Woodend on the other, that will be of great service to the district. J. Spence, Chief Surveyor.

Statement showing Moneys paid to Local Bodies in the Southland Land District on account of Thirds of Deferred-payment and Perpetual-lease Lands, and Fourths of Smallgrazing Runs, during the Year ended the 30th June, 1890.

37

Local Body. Deferredpayment. Perpetuallease. Small-grazing Runs. Total. I. Southland County Wallace County Invercargill Road Board (per Southland County) .. Toetoes Road Board (per Southland County) Oteramika Road Board South Invercargill Borough Lake County Borough of Riverton Wyndham Road Board Knapdale Road Board Tuturau Road Board Mat aura Town Board Lindhurst Road Board .. .. - Gordon Town Board Borough of Gore £ s. d. 1,174 10 6 798 13 0 11 8 0 0 19 8 182 16 5 44 8 2 49 14 0 2 0 0 52 0 11 53 5 1 16 7 8 18 5 6 139 2 6 37 8 11 1 17 5 £ s. d. 118 7 2 164 9 4 12 18 5 4 13 0 13 8 6 23 14 9 £ s. d. 3 6 8 £ s. d. 1,296 4 4 963 2 4 24 6 5 5 12 8 196 4 11 44 8 2 73 8 9 2 0 0 52 0 11 94' 4 6 16 7 8 18 5 6 140 3 .8 37 811 1 17 5 40' 1.9 5 i' 1-2 Totals 2,582 17 9 379 11 9 3 6 3 2,965 16 2

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Summary of Road-works executed in Southland under the supervision of the Survey Department.

No. Name of Road or Work. Cartroad. | Bridleroad. Bridges not included in Roads. Contracts in force. Area opened. Waikaka Siding to Waikaka Town Biversdale to Switzer's Wyndham via Mimihau to Otaraia Boundary Creek Bridge to Mokoreta Waikawa Horse-bridge, Wairaki Eiver Centre Bush Woodend to Bushy Point Appleby to Tisbury Seaward Bush to deferred-payment block Stewart Island M. oh. Miles. Ft. in. Acres. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 10 0 5,000 5,000 5 18 0 26 6 8 0 168 0 5,000 10,000 20,000 300 1,500 1,100 2,000 0 60 3 40 0 24 1 40 1 Totals ... 6 4 230 6 49,900 * Bush felled only,

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Total Expenditure .. .. £86,431 4 7 Less Refunds .. .. 12,666 4 6 £73,765 0 1

No. 1.—RETURN of Field-work executed by the Staff and Contract Surveyors from 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890.

Topographic! 0 Survey. Minor Triangulation. Topographical Survey for Selection under "The Land Act, 1887." Topographical and Trigonometrical Survey. Rural and Suburban. District. Aci-es. o Acres. 3 . o Acres. ft© o Acres. © . Pip 0 Acres. r. O a© Auckland Hawke's Bay .. .. Taranaki Wellington Marlborough .. _i Nelson Westland Canterbury Otago Southland Head and Lithographic Offices d. 553,195 128,634 11,000 552,575 89^267 d. 0-72 1-09 1-2 1-6.3 0-74 31 |100 92^415 71 |402 d. 7-8 516 0*3 d. 103,672 25,567 27,943 105,470 11,899 78,283 7,217 31,678 32,046 7,920 849 52 92 362 52 260 80 162 238 53 i j s. 1-81 1-33 1-24 100 0-91 1-09 2-23 0-59 1-75 2-1 59,128 189,297 287 0-76 0-37 2-00 66!567 1-91 62 j960 0-84 •• Means and totals .. 3-33 2,200 1-03 248,712 0-46 1,334,671 089 261,484 62,960 0-84 431,695 I Town Section Survey. Native Land Court Survey. Mining Survey. Roads, Railways, and Water-races. Miscellaneous i AVork. Total Charges against the Survey A 7otes for Twelve Months. District. Acres. 6 2b °< Q a a r. P ___ tn.i. Miles Cost Per Miles. MUo I Acres. ft© Acres. U O Cost. Supervision, •_:__ _.-., Office-work, Field-work. and ! Publication. i \ Auckland Hawke's Bay .. ! Taranaki Wellington ;.» . Marlborough Nelson Westland .. Canterbury Ofcago .. , Southland Head and Lithographic Offices 71 j 147 s. 14-56 523,328 5,072 8,607 261,697 34 3 62 s. 0-17 7-2 0-66 0-22 1,828 73 s. 10-04 40-39 87-8 148-00 7600 £ s. a. 10 12 0 15 15 0 3 5 0 10 15 3 £ s. a. 1,085 3 8 481 11 0 218 8 9 2,448 5 9 89 7 0 1,087 13 0 56 12 8 216 12 5 673 1 8 £ s. a.! 15,387 14 0| 5,672 2 2; 2,103 16 2 9,414 9 3 674 15 10| 5,961 18 6! 1,460 7 9! 3,228 18 3, '; 4,887 2 11 I 1,025 3 ll! £ s. d. | 4,789 17 0 ; 2,727 0 9 ! 1,588 16 5 ! 3,990 12 5 I 1,039 14 2 1 2,823 15 2 1 1,620 12 8 ! 3,972 6 2 1 3,259 16 11 1,112 11 1 j 9,689 13 1 1 31 9 27 47 36 109 29-6 12-9 10-0 5,258 1,147 255 271 58 4 •• 2-84 2-94 106 34 3,140 ■ 994 484 10,424 4,563 2 99 23 2 307 102 15-00 7-06 6-12 1-95 463 6-3 12-25 25-19 4-13 14-4 6 18 0 7 19 11 3 10 0 6 14 8 ".. I •• 1 i Means and totals .. : 138 339 15-05 805,364 j 0-22 5-82 408-16 9 4 0 6,358 15 ll 1 : 49,816 8 9 ! 36,614 15 10 432 21,467 608 fI

C.r-5.

No. 2.—Abstract of the Surveyors employed and of the Work on Hand in each Provincial District on 1st July, 1890.

No. 3.—Crown Grants and other Instruments of Title from the Crown prepared.

No. 4.—Land Transfer Work.

No. 5.—Photographs.

40

.>■ Surveyors employed. tirveyor rs employed. Work on Hand. Chief Surveyors. Staff. Temporary. District. Trig. Settle- Native Roads, rp„„„, ment. Block, &c. &c. j lowuI Mining and Mineral Leases. Square Miles. 450 Acres. 83,660 186,563 48,880 214,507 13,500 8,350 10,644 85,935 35,025 2,700 Acres, 915,230 112 46,009 447,084 Miles. 41 4 71 6 Acres. Acres. T. Humphries S. Weetman G. W. Williams .. J. W. A. Marchant J. S. Browning .. H. G. Clark G. Mueller J. H. Baker 0. W. Adams J. Spenco 16 3 5 8 8 1 2 4 6 2 9 3 7 7 Auckland Taranaki Hawke's Bay Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland .. 200 1,518 29 225 40 4,294 24 150 2 1J583 Totals 55 28 2,168 689,764 1,408,435 376 40 6,051

District. Number. Cost. District. Number. I j Cost. " Auckland Taranaki Hawke's Bay.. Wellington .. Nelson Marlborough .. 705 199 1,150 780 119 20 £ s. a. 293 6 2 36 0 0 71 19 8 76 18 0 156 9 6 6 8 0 Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland .. 279 285 805 105 £ s. d. 23 10 8 241 5 0 485 0 0 45 0 0 Totals 4,447 1,435 17 0 I

District, No. of Plans passed. Deeds and other Instruments examined. No. of Plans! placed on j Certificates i of Title. ' Cost. District. No. of Plans passed. Deeds and other Instruments examined. No. of Plans placed on | Certificates of Title. Cost. Auckland Taranaki Hawke's Bay .. Wellington Nelson Marlborough .. 69. 48 69 104 157 11 420 1,112 157 19 524 278 60 £ s. d. 556 0 0 156 14 0 129 4 8 145 7 6 189 14 0 23 5 0 Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland .. Totals .. 383 145 67 37 2,322 361 898 615 514 I £ s. d. 35 2 '-. 339 14 2 415 0 0 75 0 0 1,090 2,742 4,538 2,065 1 11 J

Department. Number of Plates taken during the Year. Number of Silver Prints made during the Year. Department. Number of Plates taken during the Year. Number of Silver Prints made during the Year. Survey Mines Marine .. New Zealand Railways Justice Public Works Museum Lunatic Asylum Public Buildings 295 40 3 17 i 10 16 2 3 50 10 Government Printer Education Defence Crown Lands Patent Office Telegraph Geological 4 1 6 10 Si 18 6 6 • . Totals -- 483 16

41

■%jf. ;r£».

No. 6.—Lithographic Printing executed from the 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890.

No. 7. —Abstract of Lithographs printed during the Year. At the Head Office .. .. .. .. .. 982,294 impressions. Auckland .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,700 impressions, 11 plans. Dunedin .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,050 ' „ 18 „ Maps and photographs mounted at Wellington, 1,254 ; maps mounted at Dunedin, 267.

No. 8—Return showing the amount of Thirds of Deferred-payment and Perpetual-lease Lands, and Fourths of Small-grazing Runs paid to Local Bodies during the Twelve Months ended the 30th June, 1890.

6—C. 5.

,>. Number of Separate Printings. Number of ll ipressions. Department. By Machine. By Hand. Survey Public Works Railways Colonial Secretary Justice Mining Customs Defence Registrar-General Rducation relegraph .. .. 3tock .. 575 166 82 30 10 29 1 51 1 . 8 5 1 62 27 34 4 15 8 55 6 9 2 406,865 ■63,550 168,960 60,500 400 71,500 37,229 5,352 223 140 1,120 500 1,352 100 . 750 2,200 Forests .. 3-eological .. Marine treasury Native Government Insurance Drown Lands Public Buildings Property-tax Government Printing Office 575 3,600 2,000 9,900 24,4.00 13,500 4,600 13,000 5,903 59,150 8,700- , 36 1 ,345 . 81 22 (i 11 351 5,100 13,020 .3,000 Totals 1,181 926,623 62,421

Name of District. Amount paid. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington .. Marlborough Nelson Westland Canterbury .. Otago Southland £ _. a. 988 16 1 3,559 8 0 185 18 0 5,550 11 1 7 10 0 180 18 6 1,180 4 3 5,210 16 5 2.964 16 6 Total £19,828 18 10

a—s

42

No. 9.—Statement of Expenditure, &c., on Roads under the Control of the Survey Department, for the Twelve Months ended 30th June, 1890.

—- -<¥.- — - Roads, &i provec )., oonstrui 1, or maint cted, iin;ained. Work. Work. 30th June, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. Length of Bridges constructed. Area of Land rendered better accessible. Cartroad. Bridleroad. Main Roads, &c. Maintenance of Manawatu Gorge Road Roads, Bridges, and Wharves, North of Auckland Main Boads — Oxford to Rotorua Tauranga to Napier, vid Taupo Roaas along North Island Trunk Railway Nelson, Tophouse, and Tarndale Nelson, Westport, Greymouth, and Hokitika Hokitika to Christchurch Haast Pass Track £ s. d. 236 0 0 112 0 0 532 0 0 1,911 0 0 390 0 0 299 0 0 3,752 0 0 5,117 0 0 83 0 0 M, oh. 4 40 33 0 175 0 4 0 28 0 234 0 110 0 45 0 M.ch. Ft. Acres. Total (12,432 0 0 033 40 Miscellaneous Roads and Bridges. Auckland - Maungaturoto to Tokatoka Main Road, Warkworth to Kawakawa Raglan to Waipa Katikati to Te Aroha (Thompson's track) Rotorua to Rotomahana Tauranga, East Cape, Whakatane, Te Toko, and sundry roaas, Bay of Plenty .. Roaas ana Bridges in Native Districts Maketu to Rotorua Rotoiti-Tikitere To Waitomo Caves Otorohanga to Kihikihi Mangapai Block Wellington — AVaimarino to Tokaanu .. Napier-Murimotu Roaa Taranaki — Junction Roaa from Inglewood eastward to Ngatimaru Hawke's Hay — Waiomatatini to Hicks Bay Nelson — Sandy Bay Road.. Roads —Riwaka, Takaka, and Collingwood .. Lyell-Westport Road Bridges on road, Nelson to Reefton and Greymouth Marlborough — Main Road through Pelorus District and Rai Valley Road, Kaikoura to Clarence Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sound Canterbury — Christchuroh-Hokitika Road, construction in Bealey Valley .. Otago — Bridge over Clutha at Cromwell, subsidy of £1 for £1 To West Coast Sounds Taieri Bridge, subsidy of £1 for £1.. .; GeneralMiscellaneous works 93 0 0 1,049 0 0 57 0 0 542 0 0 149 0 0 878 0 0 229 0 0 318 0 0 88 0 0 861 0 0 3 0 0 150 0 0 61 0 0 74 0 0 220 0 0 0 32 8 25 9' 1 5 0 180 0 33 0 2 40 5 36 2 0 5 0 120 15 0 0 4 25 250 0 0 200 0 0 833 0 0 5,296 0 0 0 25 0 75 225 2,309 0 0 953 0 0 272 0 0 5 3 4 3 5 61 522 0 0 1 6 266 0 0 519 0 0 666 0 0 26 50 318 749 0 0 Total |17,622 0 0 262 6 36 56 063 Roads—Ghants-in-aid. Under Boads and Bridges Construction Act — Total required to meet engagements for the year Under Local Bodies' Finance and Powers Act — Moiety of balance of subsidies to Local Bodies for 1888-89 .. Contingencies — AVork for unemployed 127 0 0 74 0 0 1,180 0 0 10 0 Total 1,381 0 0 10 0 Roads to open up Lands before .Sale. Auckland — Okaihu to Victoria Valley .'. Herd's J/'oint to Takahue Waimamaku to Pakanae Paparoa to Waikiekie AVairua to Helena Bay Whangarei through Taheke ; . Puhoi to Makarau .. -5. Omaha Wairua Bridge and Road .. Opuawhanga to Whananaki 73 0 0 559 0 0 209 0 0 63 0 0 211 0 0 20 0 0 70 0 0 138 0 0 35 0 0 8 0 0 5 10 4 0 - 0 49 0 14 3 40 1 28 4 0 20 20 63 30 ' 54' 18 7,000 20,000 5,000 1,200 2,000 1,500 5,000 10,000 T 8 3' 0 2 0 88 127 Carried forward 1,392 0 0 10 67 13 77 420 51,700

43

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No. 9.-Statement of Expenditure, &c., on Roads under the Control of the Survey Department, for the Twelve Months ended 30th June, 1890— continued.

Roads, d provei ;c, constrl I, or maim icted, imiained. Work. 30th June, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. Length of Bridges constructed. Area of Land rendered better accessible Cartroad. Bridleroad. Brought forward Roads to open up Lands eepobe Sale- continued, uckland —continuea. Whaingaroa to Mangapiko AVhangaroa to Waitetuna.. Waerenga to Wangamarino Awaroa Swamp, drains and roads Kawhia to Waipa Waingaro to Akatea Mata to Kauroa Akaaka Swamp Drain, Te Aroha Hunua District Puriri to Tairua Rotorua to Waiotapu Huka Palls to Puketarata Tatarika Drains Purchase of roads to Crown lands.. Miscellaneous £ S. d. 1,392 0 0 M. ch. 10 67 M. ch. IS 77 Ft. 420 Acres. 51,700 9 0 0 163 0 0 381 0 0 100 0 0 195 0 0 340 0 0 127 0 0 258 0 0 115 0 0 10 0 43 0 0 275 0 0 73 0 0 100 0 0 20 0 0 1,808 0 0 0 16 3 2 i' 6 0 8 1 3 20 15 71 25 66 10,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 6,'000 3,000 600 22 0 5 0 0 16 i o 144 5,000 Totals, Auckland 5,400 0 0 42 35 16 0 761 85,300 iawke's Bay — Tologa to Mangatokerau Tologa to Arakihi Ormona to Waiapu Ormond to Opotiki Makaretu .. .. Tautane Reserve Manawatu Bridge subsidy Miscellaneous 64 0 0 294 0 0 151 0 0 474 0 0 181 0 0 753 0 0 500 0 0 144 0 0 60 0 1 50 4 6 5 78 20i300 49,150 1 73 14,000 Totals, Hawke's Bay 2,561 0 0 61 73 11 54 83,450 'aranaki — Pukearuhe to Mokau Roads east of Waitara (Ngatimaru) Roads east of Stratford Huiroa District Eltham and Branch Roads Roads inland of Mokoia Alfred Road Rotokare and Branch Roads Mokau Punt Pukearuhe inland Miscellaneous 151 0 0 93 0 0 289 0 0 134 0 0 510 0 0 279 0 0 16 0 0 443 0 0 220 0 0 174 0 0 345 0 0 16 40 2 0 83 _' 8 12 40 6,000 9,000 6 0 1 48 4 18 Totals, Taranaki 2,654 0 0 40 56 4 18 83 15,600 Vellmgton — Kairanga Drain Pahiatua to Palmerston North Pahiatua, Mangaone, and adjacent blocks Rangitumau, Wangaehu, Kopuaranga Mangatainoko District Tiraumea Bridge and Road Tutaekara Road Mangaone to Tiraumea Tiraumea to Makuri Puketoi Makakahi Bridge to Mangahao Mauriceville West Mount Baker Valley Tararua Road, Orua River Toritea Road Wanganui to Murimotu Otamakapua Waitapu Block Maungakaretu .. .. Waitotara to Omahini Otaki to Foxton .. .. - .. Waitotara Valley .. .. To purchase roads to Crown lands Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. .. „ 83 0 0 38 0 0 400 0 0 324 0 0 116 0 0 307 0 0 243 0 0 556 0 0 763 0 0 666 0 0 276 0 0 381 0 0 3 0 0 32 0 0 300 0 0 100 0 0 463 0 0 798 0 0 67 0 0 157 0 0 68 0 0 194 0 0 400 0 0 152 0 0 261 0 0 2 5 2 56 4 20 4 0 1 0 12 0 3 20 10,000 5,000 5,000 15,000 20,000 7,000 5,000 5,000 1 2 15,000 6-0 0 57 3 66 20,000 20,000 2 31 26 3 80 10,000 Totals, Wellington 7,148 0 0 19 33 27 14 26 137,000

e.-o.

No. 9.-Statement of Expenditure, &c., on Roads under the Control of the Survey Department, for the Twelve Months ended the 30th June, 1890 — continued.

44

--^ — — Roads, ( provi 30th June, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. (_.__. - road. :., constru [, or maim icted, imtained. Work. Length of Bridges constructed Area of Land rendered better accessible Bridleroad. Roads to open up Lands before Sale — continued. Nelson — Little Sydney Road, Riwaka Pigeon Valley to Motueka Trass's Valley Wakefield District Dovedale Wairoa Bridge To purchase roads to Crown lands Miscellaneous £ s. d. 145 0 0 172 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 160 0 0 150 0 0 107 0 0 124 0 0 M. ch. 4 40 0 60 0 31 1 11 M. ch. 2 12 Ft. Acres. 2,000 3,000 2.000 120 3,000 Totals, Nelson.. 1,058 0 0 6 62 2 12 120 10,000 Marlborough — Rai Ronga and Whangamoa Roads 266 0 0 4 4.! Westland — Hunt's Beach to Makawiho Cook's River Flat Pounamu to Teremakau Miscellaneous .. .. .. 10 0 0 1,000 0 0 125 0 0 6 0 0 1 40 3 0 8 0 4,000 7,000 1,200 Totals, Westland 1,14.1 0 0 1 40 11 0 12,000 Canterbury — To Upper Ashley over Kuku Pass Ohau Bridge, £1 for £1 .. Miscellaneous i I 75 0 0 800 0 0 77 0 0 0 30 Totals, Canterbury 952 0 0 0 30 Otago — Pembroke to Matukituki Maniototo District Gimmerburn District Run 210 Rankleburn and Tuapeka AVest Glenkenich, &c. Kelso to Waikaka Glenoamaru and Owake Catlin's District .. Waikawa to Catlin's RiVersdale, Switzers Miscellaneous 250 0 0 200 0 0 100 0 0 600 0 0 150 0 0 40 0 0 1,000 0 0 485 0 0 2,381 0 0 87 0 0 500 0 0 645 0 0 1 53 1 0 0 34 5 67 1 8 1 15 2 74 1 20 6 0 3 40, 50,000 1 ,200 3,40(1 16,288 1 ,500 543 2,000 2,000 1.020 5,000 5,1)00 8( 10 Totals, Otago 6,438 0 0 24 71 91,851 Southland — Mossburn to Manipori Seaward Forest to Deferred-payment Block Appleby to Tisbury Woodend to Bushy Point.. Wyndham, vid Mimihau to Otaraia Boundary Creek Bridge to Mokoreta Waikawa Waikaka Siding to Waikaka Town Horse Bridge, Wairaki River, £1 for £1 Stewart Island Miscellaneous 108 0 0 350 0 0 143 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 150 0 0 048 0 0 800 0 0 1 40 0 24 3 40 IS 20 8 10 168 2,000 1 ,500 5,000 10.000 5,000 20.000 5 0 221 0 0 339 0 0 14 0 Totals, Southland 2,959 0 0 5 20. 19 0 230 43,500 Totals 30,577 0 0 206 74 91 48 1,220 478,701 Village Settlements. Improvement of village settlements Roads to village settlements Assistance to village-homestead settlers 3,091 0 0 3,377 0 0 79 0 0 742 1 48 290 130,800 Total 6,547 0 0 7 42 1 48 296 130,800 Roads. Boads to give Access to Marton-Te Awamutu Bailway — North ena .. .. ".. South end Hunterville to Taurangarere .. .. _ 10 0 0 89 0 0 460 0 0 4 266*20 Total .. 4 26 559 0

INDEX TO THE STATE OF THE PUBLIC SURVEYS IN NEW ZEALAND

45

C—s

No. 10.—RETURN of Field-work executed by the Staff and Contract Surveyors, from 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. PROVINCIAL DISTRICT OF AUCKLAND.

LAND DISTRICT OF HAWKE'S BAY.

Minor Triangulation. Topogi S. " Th( -aphici .lectio: i Land d Survey for 1 under Act, 1887." Rurj tl and Sul mrban. 'own Section Survey. Native Land Court Survey. Gold-mining Survey. Roads, Ra, anc Water-r i.ilways, 1 Detention by Native Opposition or other Causes. Other Work. Total Cost of Surveyor and Party from 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1800. _ races. g Cost a Per 3 Mile. Remarks. «.>■ Surveyor and District. - . o O us .1 £ o 02 i 1 is . o 5| °a -AS +1 _ a - Q 4= _ Total Cost. So °3 _> 'P 5. Acres. <wq += g Total Cost. Acres. 00 q _g _ * 00 a? _ _ *| m _ Total Cost. Total Cost. Cost. Cost. Acres. Total Cost. Acres. Total Cost. Acres. Total Cost. Acres. Staff. L. Cussen. King Country 450,000 a. 0-6 £ s. d. 1,132 2 10 £ s. d. 51 s. 7-80 £ s. d. 20 0 0 s. £ s. d. s. £ s. d. s. £ s. d. £ £ s. d. £ s. d. 646 14 1 £ s. d. 1,718 10 11 Triangulation, West Coast, and inspection of Native surveys; tl cost of the latter being £646 14s. Id. Generally heavy forest; scattered surveys. Six months on sick leave. Engaged on city surveys. F. Simpson and Cadet. Whangarei .. F. H. Edgeeumbe. Auckland J. Barber, jun. Tauranga, &c. G. A. Martin. Waitcmata E. H. Hardy. Tokatoka, &c. .. J. I. Philips. Newcastle H. D. M. Haszard. Onewhero, &c. C. Stevens. Waipu .. W. J. Wheeler. Kaeo, &c. M. C. Smith. Matakohe A. H. Vickerman. Mahurangi A. V. Harington, Pakiri H. D. McKellar. Auckland A. G. Allom. Mangere T. K. Thompson. Otama, Ac. J. McKay. Hukerenui 23,495 25,940 1-0 1-62 97 17 11 176 0 8 9,065 240 9,730 4,629 5,424 5,837 6,606 6,329 8,063 2,677 6,015 7,677 564 870 1,758 3,694 78 9 65 82 55 34 52 92 60 75 _9 39 10 23 12 29 1-83 5-97 1-60 2-71 2-36 1-38 1-57 1-92 1-2 4-98 1-93 1-47 3-01 1-09 4-10 1-70 829 5 0 71 11 11 779 3 0 628 0 0 639 10 8 403 12 1 525 13 2 610 0 0 483 12 9 666 15 0 580 1 11 564 13 1 84 16 10 47 12 0 360 6 0 3.13 19 4 4-75 *34 23-56 40"l 4 0-83 15-0 12 8 7 25 0 0 59 1 4 96 18 0 1,046 8 0 664 10 8 689 7 11 659 7 3 642 13 6 602 11 1 578 9 0 621 5 8 579 1 1 567 14 1 593 9 0 555 15 5 155 16 10 105 1 6 377 5 0 390 19 2 7-0 12-0 84 "0 0 102 15 0 29 4 0 15 16 0 36 2 3 28 13 0 9 15 0 12 0 0 22 0 0 Scattered surveys. 9,260 21,500 1-62 1-25 6210 0 111 19 7 0-4 "3 12-6 116 0 8-75 3-06 8-75 12-0 76"il 4 37 0 0 Generally forest country, and broken. Ditto. Nearly all resurvoy of old work, very difficult to pick up. Chiefly old work ; very broken forest country. Chiefly resurvey of old work. Broken forest country. Ditto. 23^000 0-84 80 12 0 66 iio 12-6 66"o 0 6,'850 "2 0-32 110' 0 0 0-75 3-5 2-0 7-0 13-0 7-0 5 5 0 45 10 0 14 0 0 "82 1 2-06 s' 9 6 Chiefly redefining goldfield boundary-lines, 12 miles, £136 16s. Forest country. l_-5 10-55 153"6 0 15 0 Authorised Surveyors. 3. Baber, sen. Makarau C. A. Baker. Whaingaroa, &c. J. M. Cameron. Aotoa R. Campbell. Whangaroa W. F. Donovan. Whaingaroa J. Hannah. Waipu J. W. Harrison. Mahurangi, &c. N. F. J. Haszard. Maungatawhiri P. Holt. Whaingaroa A. B. Morrow. Whaingaroa .. It. Neumann. Waimate, _c. .. W. C. ONeil. Mongonui C. 0. Otway. Moehau A. M. Boss. Opotiki.. L.Simpson. Maketu A. C. Turner. Tauranga E. F. Adams. Thames ■C.Clayton. Taupo .. J. L. Tole. King Country W. Cussen. King Country O. M. Creagh. King Country.. W. C. Spencer. King Country J. Rochfort. King Country .. J. B. Keast. King Country .. J. Skinner. Taranaki P. E. Cheal. Piako A.Wilson. Whangarei 135 6,604 58 75 2,000 428 5,280 320 1,000 2,753 1,750 1,268 200 230 24 1,223 1 8 1 1 1 3 4 2 1 7 21 11 1 1 3 7 3-49 1-21 6-9 3-0 0-85 2-36 0-66 2-26 1-33 1-25 2-8 2-41 2-50 2-18 21-67 1-98 23 10 0 400 17 4 20 0 0 11 5 0 85 0 0 50 10 0 173 15 0 36 0 0 66 13 4 172 16 0 244 15 11 152 14 6 25 0 0 25 0 0 20 0 0 121 11 0 23 10 0 356 17 4 20 0 0 1.1 5 0 85 0 0 50 10 0 173 15 0 36 0 0 66 13 4 172 .16 0 244 15 11 152 14 6 25 0 0 69 14 0 26 0 0 1.21 11 0 95 8 4 85 0 0 562 10 0 1,896 10 2 740 16 8 75 15 5 425 0 0 97 18 0 200 0 0 511 0 5 192 7 4 Broken forest land. Nearly all forest country. Mineral lease, Great Barrier. Open land. All dense forest. Forest and open land. Some 4,770 acres for Board of Education ; broken forest country All forest and very broken. All dense forest. All forest land, broken country. Generally speaking, broken country and open land. Ditto. Very broken forest land. Chiefly open land. Mineral lease, Matata. Chiefly forest, open, and swamp. Land Purchase Department. Land Purchase Department; partial definition. King Country surveys ; costs advanced by Government. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Land Purchase Department. Mixed forest, open, and swamp. 1,600 42,316 135,000 155,620 57,000 36,370 30,708 23,482 14,300 20,000 3 2 1 7 1 1 7 2 1 6 1-2 004 0'08 0-02 0'20 0'09 0-27 0-25 0-28 0-5 95 8 4 85 0 0 562 10 0 1,542 15 0 583 6 8 151 11 0 425 0 0 293 10 0 200 0 0 502 5 5 54 1,035 "l 9 3-24 2-38 815 0 122 1.5 0 Grand means and totals Work supervised by Survey Departmen t, but not paid for by Government 553,195 0-72 1,661 3 0! 103,672 849 1-81 9,375 10 10 71-15 147 14-56 107 17 4 523,328 34 0-17 4,559 16 5 40-39 10-6 428 0 11 1,085 3 8 17,106 0 6 *96,467 69 1,828 73 10-04 917 10 0 •• •- * Private surveys paid for by Natives.

Staff. E. C. Goldsmith. Poverty Bay a. W. Armstrong. Waimata, Whangara .. W. T. Neill. Motu .. 1,778 "l 0-78 6914 11 28-0 16-6 15-2 11-6 16-13 435 8 2 192 10 0j 107 16 0 241 15 0 60 4 5 391 11 10 699 11 8 471 7 2 District Surveyor, Inspector, and Land Officer in Charge 1 Gisborne. Rough forest and scrub country ; cadet assisting. Rough forest country ; about 5 miles road through open country remainder traverse graded track through forest, 1,280 acre; Village-settlement, Motu, surveyed, but not mapped. Joined, 10th December, 1889 ; broken forest country, 11 miles surveyed, but not mapped. Bough bush country ; wet season ; Nuliaka-Gisborne Road. G. A. Beere (temporary). AVaiapu 8-3 133 5 3 15 0 O I 260 19 11 A. D. Newton (temporary). Nuhaka North N. J. Tone. AVeber 15,000 1-8 112 12 9' 13,500 4-8 209 17 0 14-55 1 4-3s. 3 3 0 10-5 12 126 0 0 1 473 3 9 1,500 1-5 112 10 0 177 7 0 Retired from service on 10th November, 1889. Includes 3 montl while on leave. Retired from service on 31st December, 1889. Includes £244 16: lid. compensation. Forest country; cost includes clearing, erecting, and ohservin trig, stations. Rough back country; 10 miles surveyed but not mapped. Transferred from Canterbury District, 9th June, 1890. Exploring and grading Napier-Wairoa Road; about 25 mile located. F. A. Rich. Weber .. 16,556 19 1-34 1,106 19 7 ~~ "'--*. 592 17 1 II. G. Price. Tahoraite 12,400 9 465 0 0 *.< 24 3 4 613 16 9 J.G.Wilson. Ngatapa, &o. .. J. Hay. Napier A. C. Turner (temporary). Napier-Wairoa Road 14 28-14 394 0 0 23".3 3 -648 10 1 38 5 10 138 10 3 Contract Surveyors. A. Teesdale, Motu, &c. Hallett and Laing. Pohui, Patoka, &e. T. J. Mountain. Woodvillc .. J. O. Barnard. Poverty Bay .. J. L. Dickie. Hangaroa W. O. Ryan. Whangara 113,634 473 - 9 6 4,375 295 659 1-23 1-77 1-8 269 11 9 26 5 0 58 15 0 10-30 101 14 6 9 9 0 375 0 0 380 14 6 311 5 0 78 15 0 100 0 0 20 0 0 Al! broken forest country. Mostly forest country. All forest country, and mostly broken. Manutahi Education Reserve. Rough forest country ; paid by Land Purchase Department. Rough forest country. 1 22 1 1 5,200 l-09s. 285' 0 0 9-8 404 "l 1-0 5,057 "2 7-l'd. 150"0 0 26' 0 0 Totals .. 128,634 586 2 3 31,100 7-8 1,019 17 0 25,567 52 1-3 1,663 16 3 5071-5! 7-2d. 153 3 0 1,382 17 11 1-091 87-8 15-75 481 11 5,672 2 4

46

0.—6

No. 10 — continued. —RETURN of Field-work executed by the Staff and Contract Surveyors, from 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. PROVINCIAL DISTRICT OF TARANAKI.

PROVINCIAL DISTRICT OF WELLINGTON.

PROVINCIAL DISTRICT OF MARLBOROUGH.

r*fe Surveyor and District. Minor Trii - . ft© Acres, -w _ mgulation. I Topographical Survey for Selection under "The Land Act, 1887." md Suburban. Nati ive Land Coir Gold-l-lining Survey. RoaiSs, Rt am Water-] ilways, 1 ■aces. Other Work. I Total Cost J .i . I Surveyor and Party from 1st Julv, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. Remarks. <* Rural ■t Survey. r u <- . ao> is _ _ _i 0> . Total Cost, j Acres. -» 'S Total Cost. M _. o Acres. S ° 0 ■p S Total Cost. O Acres. to _.i •gfi o'o ia "I O Total Cost. CO © © _i °2 I. © _. 'r. <D . ~ a® 4h _ Total Cost. ™ _, O-r, o — Cost _-- per !*- .. Mile. 'total Cost. Cost. O Staff. H. M. Skeet. Cape, &c. ••! 8,331 36 s. 1-08 £ s. a. 448 4 8 297 5 s. 1-46 £ s. a. 21 15 0 145 £ 2-88* £ s. d. 1418 11 3 £ s. d. 197 15 9 £ s. d. 723 7 11 Heavy forest. " Other work " incluaes redefining boundaries of old surveys, standard survey at Inglewood and Stratford, &c. All heavy forest country ; broken. " Other work " consists of back-pegging old work. All heavy forest; broken country. Adjoining old surveys, necessitating a good deal of resurvey. Harbour soundings, and scattered work. P. A. Dalziell. Huiroa 9,121 35 1-28 586 0 2 20 13 0 623 6 2 E. W. Buckeridge. Hawera .. 7,327| 12 1-37 502 8 10 8 20 60 0 0 556 2 10 Taranaki Office 67 12 0 67 12 0 Contract Surveyors. R. H. Davies. Waitara 3,164 i/35 199 19 3 199 19 3 Rough forest country; adjoining old surveys on three sides, which were adopted. 9 Paid for out of deposits 2,171 8 2 Total charge to survey vote. T. K. Skinner A. 0. O'Donahoo. Ngaere Means and totals .. 1,240 7,070! 56 3-23 •17 200 9 0 00 0 0 200 9 0 00 0 0 Chiefly open ; adjoining very old surveys. Partial resurvey of Pukengahu Block. Heavy forest country. i 27,943 92: 1-24 1,736 12 11 8,607: 61 •66 282 4 0 148 3-23 478 11 3 286 0 9 2,431 17 2 * Reconnaisance survey»f roai Is to co: meet with Mi tin Tn ink line: a iw miles rouj shly g :aded and chained.

Staff. L. Smith. Mangahao, Mangaone J. D. Climie. Puketoi-Makuri J. Annabell. Wairoa, Omahine d. £ s. d. a. £ s. d. s. d. 2/1-6 /8§1 1/11 s. d. i 1/1-73 £ s. d. 4,727! I 5' 98 "9 7 4,928 1,530 6,963 58 5 27 525 3 4 53 13 4 655 13 0 4,316 4 247 0 5 'if 9 12 0 0 9 8 0 20 17 10 84 13 9 485 15 4' 242 4 5' 160 6 4' 695 1 8 1,109 8 9 1,172 16 4 1 Heavy forest country. Rough forest country ; difficult of access. Rough forest country; difficut of access. Selection survey cost 7'2d. last year. Cost increased by following ridges and spurs to give good fencing boundaries;. also by other special causes. ! A. E. Ashcroffc. Moutere and Mount Robinson A. E. Asheroft. Hautapu and Apiti .. R. P. Greville. Mangaone II. J. Lowe. Pohangina, &c. 11,000 1-2 55 0 0 " i 11,458 /2-5 122 16 0 18,000j 5-8 431 14 2 7^300 7,959 /io-o i/li 322 " 8 4 451 10 3 6/3-5 3 "3 0 64 11 6 14 8 10 18 2 20 0 0 43 15 0 60 0 0 25 0 0 147 8 l! 174 13 2! 89 10 6| 774 12 6 853 0 0 572 15 1 Selection survey in rough forest country; difficult of access. Heavy forest country. Selection survey cost 5d. in previous years. Rough forest country; difficult of access. Selection survey of sectional area cost 5Jd. per acre. Heavy forest country. Selection survey cost 5d. in previous years. Mr. Humphries Avas transferred to Auckland District. 12^000 5 '2 256 "5 0 "20 29 toi "l J. F. Frith. Mangaone and Kopuaranga T. L. Humphries. Maungakaretu R. H. Reaney. Mangahao, &o. G. T. Murray. Mangahao-Makuri C. A. Mountfort. Ongo, &o. .. A. Dundas. Ongo and Apiti .. J. R. Annabell. Maungakaretu, &o. .. H. W. Climie. Makuri, &c. .. T. W. Hughes. Puketoi, &c. .. H. J. Lewis. Kaiwhata-Rewa A. Seaton. Mangahao C. Finnorty. Wairoa 5,200 15 /io-o 229 13 _\ 4 10 0 0 40 0 0 367 10 8: 421 13 3 616 4 8 46 5 6 485 13 8! 627 13 8 2,541 6,080 7,850 33 53 39 1/8 1/7 /10-6 212 3 0 495 9 8 346 14 8 24-6 10 18 0 269 h 11 104 11 0! 53 17 111 286 18 6 Heavy forest country. Rough forest country; difficult of access. Work executed in year 1887-88. Heavy forest country. Rough forest country; difficult of access. Ditto. 10,910 6,858 16,500 18,420 5,000! 5-6 5 4-1 5-04 6-53 253 8 7 142 17 0 281 5 4 386 15 3 136 2 3 'k)0 "2 l/5'-67 29 18 0 2 j 273 "l /3i 33"o 0 'n 15 1 14 14 10 9 18 6 14 14 0 110 12 4 148 18 0 14 14 0 .. 9 4 0l 136 17 10 137 8 0 46 0 0 307 3 0 382 9 10 430 14 ll! 412 2 l! 346 14 4 1 100 0 0! L044 "5 1/11 ioo"o 0 Rough forest country. Selection survey cost 7'2d. in previous years. •• Means and totals 11,000 1-2 55 0 0 92,415; 5-16, 1,986 17 8 63,260 294 1-12 3,545 2 11; 0,599 /10-3 283 9 5 70 10 15 3! 817 17 4 2,448 5 9 9,414 9 3: Authorised Surveyors "paid out of deposits. E. W. Seaton. Haurangi, &c. C. E. O. Smith. Haurangi, &c. T. Ward. Maungakaretu, &c. N. H. Macdonald. Maungakaretu, &c. A. O'Donahoo. Maungakaretu, &c. F. Owen. Apiti, Ongo, &c. T. G. Mountain. Pohangina, &c. J. King. Mangaone .. J. Anderson. Apiti, &c. H. Mitchell. Ohinewairau, Hautapu, &c. 6,020 6,067 7,284 7,049 6,527 5,150 700 1,426 1,987 7 6 12 /9-06; /lOrii /9-02 /8-09 /10-0 V 8 /7-24 299 4 7! 229 0 Oi 328 15 0! 265 0 Oj 220 0 0 227 10 0 35 0 0 47 5 0 60 0 0 •• ■• 388 4 7, 217 0 0 108 15 0 150 0 0 105 0 0 157 0 0 25 0 0 35 8 9 45 0 0 Rough forest country. Selection survey cost 3d. per acre in previous years. Ditto. I Rough forest country; difficult of access. Exclusive of original cost of survey f for Native Land Court and selection purposes. Heavy forest country. Rough forest country. Selection survey cost 5Jd. in previous years. Heavy forest country. Selection survey cost 7-6d. in previous years. Rough forest country. Selection survey cost 6'0d. in previous years. The price per acre, subject to deduction for adjoining boundaries. 5 25 1 5 1 255J098 )k 2,657'"5 5 Means and totals 42,2101 68 /10-05 1,711 14 7| 1255,098; /ai |2,657 5 5 ■1,351 8 4' Grand means and totals 11,000 1-2 55 0 0 92,415 5-10; -1,986 17 81 [105,470 302 /ll-96 5,256 17 6 261,697! /2-7 2,940 14 10 70 110 15 8 817 17 4 12,488 5 9 10,765 17 7

;. F. Goulter (Staff)— Orieri, Linkwater, Gore, Hunaalee,) Mount Fyffe, Avon .. ..) .. D. Wilson (Authorized Surveyor)— Cloudy Bay Means and totals f 10,751 *1,148 47 5 /11-4 511 1 10 /7 33 9 0 9-. 29 s. 1 12-8 £ s. a.j _ 18 10 6 .. 6 19 0 .. I 89 7 o; 607 16 10' 6 19 0 Partly open, partly rugged bush country; scattered surveys (expensive). Ni cadet. * Revised. 1' 28 Special claim ; partly open, partly bush. .. I 11,899! 52j /1Q-9 544 10 10 311 2 15 25 9 61 .. 89 7 Oi 674 15 10 I -..

47

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No. 10-continued.-Return of Field-work executed by the Staff and Contract Surveyors, from 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. PROVINCIAL DISTRICT OF NELSON.

"¥=X 5. " ! : ! — : ! f -^~~ ' ' 1-! ! LX M ! I l_ !

Topographical Survey. Minor Trii igulation. Topographical Survey for Selection under " The Land Act, 1887." Rural and Suburban. Native Land Court Survey. f Detention by Native Opposition or other Causes. Town Section Survey. Gold-mining Surveys. Roadi 1, Railw: 1-8 a,ys, and AA 7ateruces. Other Work. Total Cost of Surveyor and Partv from 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. Surveyor and District. In I © . Acres. 1^3 i Total Cost. 1 o< 1 [__ ! o . a,© Acres. _ _< \p 'Total Cost. _ . p.© Acres, -o £ Total Cost. O Acres. \ °§ \Z_ 0G O Total Cost. Acres- °1 AUotm Pentj T«^ Cost- __ a - u qj 31 © . Acres X _.?- Total Acres- *_a _o Cost o o a _\ I 0Q f-l i "*-* d © . i I o o a© \ Acres. \ 6 _$ ; Total Cost. i fc © o< \ I m o 1 © 5 Remarks. Cost-1 Mill ier "Total Cost. Cost. Cost. d. £ s. d. A. £ s. a. d. £ s. d. s. d. 1/5 £ s. d. 415 15 10 £ s. a. * 1 £ s. d. £ s. d. a. it. p. 1,053 j 1 is. a. 35; 5/2-5; 4610/10-8 6 2/9-5 5 6/ J. Snodgrass. Buller and Karamea Circuits J. A. Montgomerie. Inangahua, Mawhera, Cobden . T. Sadd. Aorere, Ta.kaka, and AA 7aitapu G. H. Billiard. Owen, Tainui, and Karamea F. S. Smith. 1 . . n - -. (.. _, . mi 'Amuri Circuit F. A. Thompson, j j .. 5,870; 20; 1 £ s. d. 275 4 2 £ s. d. £ s, d. £ s. a. £ s. d. 702 18 0 One month's leave. Rough bush country; within goldfield. No cadet. Rough bush country ; within goldfield. Cadet three months. 309 8 2/9-7 43 9 0 597 13 11 38 c h 10 12 7 18 0 194 3 3 907 14 10 71,402 0-3 1,095 90 16 3 5,519 86 2/2-3 604 11 10 459 01 17 0 3 5 19 17 19 0 186 19 , 3 200,000 0-5 410 19 0 25: 699 3 8 Heavy bush. Within goldfield. One cadet assisting. i 4,894 2/5-6 603 7 9 207 80 0 0 719 13 9 157,813 1-25! 15,972 0-7 l 821 18 10 49 18 3 1 50,750: 6 High bush country ; within goldfield. No cadet. 0/9 1,903 7 0 623 14 4 I 642 18 6 513 4 5 1 140,000 acres of trig, and topography nearly completed in field. j Mountainous country. No cadet. Not in goldfield. AV. D. B. Murray. AVaitapu, Totaranui, Kaiteritori F. A. Greenfield. Wai-iti, A\ Tangapeka, Waimea Authorised Surveyors 75,000 2-251 103,790|0'9 J j 703 2 6 389 4 3 1,163 5,583; 11 60 1/8 1/4 90 18 4 372 4 0 1 7 7/10 57 6 2 862 3 0 Rough bush country; bays and inlets. No cadet. 38 25 10 0 567 14 8 j High bush country. Part goldfield. No cadet. 4,189; 1/2-5 253 2 9 1 93 13 0 8f 6 15 59 1 0 552,575 1-oil. 274 346 7 8 j Partly on goldfield. Paid by fees. Means and totals .. '2,375 2 10' 71,402 I 0-3; : 96 16 3! 78,283 200; 1/1-1 4,292 16 6! i .. j .. i 3,139 j 99! 7/0-7 I ! 1,108 8 1 121 6 18 0 84 18 0 1,087 13 0| 5,961 18 6 Tope Tri; (graphical and gonometrical Survey. PRO 1NCIAL d: STRICT OF W: istla: :d. Roal Is. Staff District purveyor. W. G. Murray. Cascade, Jackson, Arawata, Macfarlane, Okuru, Arnott, Matakitaki, Bruce Bay, Karangarua 39,240 0-53 l 87 16 4 112,900! 3-1 169 7 9 2,220 22 2/1-9 239 13 4 122-25 18 8 410 0 61 23 11 8! 835 0 91 Heavy bush and broken country within a goldfield, and the most expensive district in New Zealand. Detached and isolated section surveys ; road surveys through dense forest country. I Staff Assistant Surveyor. W. Wilson. Greymouth, Gillespies, Karangarua-, Waiho, Okarito, AA'ataroa, Poerua, AVanganui, Oneone 19,888 1-21 100 9 0 50,000 0-25 52 12 0 4,858; 40 1/llJ 474 0 4 1 9 7J 69 13 2 1 025 7 0 Heavy bush and broken country within a goldfield, and very expensive district. Section surveys isolated ana detached. 30 3 6| 47 50 0 0 lj 6/2J 15 12 Oi .. - Contract Surveyors. J. N. Smyth. Okarito, Totara, Kanieri, Waimea, Otira 7 7i 2 4/3 10 8 0 | 42 3 0 21 15 0 256 6 6 Hea\-y bush country; expensive district (goldfields). Gold-mining surveys, quartz-mining, and special claims inland, and special claims on sea-beach. Heavy bush country in a goldfield, and expensive district suburban section survey in densely-timbered country; gold-mining claims on sea-coast and beach. Heavy bush country in an expensive goldfields district. 551 3 15 14 6/4-i 170 0 6 2-94 14 6 E. J. Lord. Greymouth, Arnold, and AVaimea 62 16 24/ 74 6 0 270 0 30 5/6 74 6 oj .. 38 6 61 .. 11 6 0 125 11 0 5! H. J. Wylde. Greymouth and Waimea ■■ 121 2 -04 38 6 _\ •- 59,128 0-70| I 188 5 4 3 6/3JI Totals .. __ L . ' |62,960[ 0-84 221 19 9 7,217j 80 ' 2/23804 13 8] '30 3 0 47 1 9 1_] 69 13 2j |993 2 15 23 6/1*1 304 5 025-24 117 18 1452 3 6 56 12 8 1,880 11 9 Ti Survey i "The opofir; for Sel Land aphical lection undes Act, 1887." 'ROVINi !IAL dist: :ICT >F G nt: :rbur" Coal-mining Survej-. Joseph S. Welch. Selwyn ana Akaroa Counties 7,146 26 /4| 138 9 0 1,538 100 5/5J 419 7 6 9,250 1/OJ 481 10 7 128 17 0 695 3 11 Owing to the smallness of the subdivisions and disputes with Natives re boundaries, and consequent delays, the cost of the Native Land Court surveys is greatly increased. Subdivision of Lake Ellesmere. Mr. Hay transferred to Hawke's Bay, 31st May, 1890. Triangulation in high mountainous country. Road survey near Halden Station. " Other work:" Educational survey (cost refunded). Topographical survey under " The Land Act, 1887," entailed the re-marking on the ground of a large number of old sectional boundaries. Includes subdivision of Native pah into seventy-five town lots. Delays owing to Native disputes greatly retarded and increased the cost of the Native Land Court surveys. James Hay. Selwyn County .. •• ! 72 9 36 12/10 23 2 580 10 5 T. N. Brodrick. AVaitaki, Mackenzie, and Geraldine Counties G. H. M. McClure. AVaimate, Mackenzie, Geraldine 189,297 0-37: 291 16 7 89,267 0-74 275 5 0 I 54 _ 1/8 4 10 0 a. 8-21 4-13 70/ 14 8 9 76 14 1 741 18 6 145,296 2-3-441 12 7 1,185 20 /11-76 58 3 11 1,805 li 61 15 11 6 17 4 556 IS 8 L. O. Mathias. AA'aiinate, Ashburton, Geraldine 21,271 88 12 7 13,987 1 39 1 /4-37 42/ 254 12 1 2 2 0 l,915i 155| 2/8J 259 0 3 4 4 0 600 3 3 Contractors. Mclntyre and Lewis. Selwyn County .. W. H. Dunnage. Selwyn County 55 2/Vi 7 3 6j 484 47 0 0 1 J 54 3 6 2 2! 1-95 Means and totals .89,297 0-37 291 16 7 89,267 0-741 275 5 0J66,567 1-911 530 5 2 31,678: 162. n 946 11 1 ■■ 36| 12-9 23 2 0 5,258 271 2-841 740 3 8 -18-1-95 47 0 0 4-13 70/ 14 8 9 216 12 5' 3,228 18 3

(J.—s

48

No. 10— continued. —Return of Field-work executed by the Staff and Contract Surveyors, from 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. PROVINCIAL DISTRICT OF OTAGO.

PROVINCIAL DISTRICT OF SOUTHLAND.

Topographical and Trigonometrical Surveys. Sural and Suburban. Eoads, Railways, races. and AVaterDeti r mtion by iative aosition or r Causes. Total Cost of Surveyor and Party from 1st July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890. Town Section Survey. Native Land Court Survey. Gold-mining Survey. OtherAVork. _ Op; Surveyor and District. rj_ -gS Total Cost. I ' o< i !° 1 I OQ ® • I <D g \ -g g Total Cost. I I ° i 21 Cost g j o 2 per Allot- << \ 6& ments. \*z Total Cost. CO O < ~ *H _ . _ . ■ CO _ p,Q <g "g § -go Total Cost.! g os 3X i < o _ p,oi X *3 r._ 0< Total Cost. I I [ _ O Total Cost. othe Cost. Bemarks. Cost. Staff. John Sti-auchon. Glenomaru and South. Molyneux d. £ si d. 7,690 63 1/8 £ s. a. 642 8 1 £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 7 14 4 £ s. d. 30 17 6 s. d. £ a. d. 43 3 0 £ s. d. 655 17 6 Two months or thereabouts have been taken up with surveys for the Southland office. Heavy bush land ; ordinarily expensive to work. Not in a goldfield. No cadet. Open country. Within a goldfield. No cadet. David Barron. Gimmerburn, Maniototo, Naseby, Kyeburn, Lauder, St. Bathans, Poolburn, &c. John Langinuir. Benger, Teviot, Tuapeka W., Tuapeka E., Waipori, and Maungatua E. H. Wilmot. Shotover, Skipper's Creek, Cardrona, Kawarau, Bart, &c. D. M. Calder. Moeraki, Awamoko, AA'oodland 5,065 28 1/ 253 19 6 27 109! 10/ 54 10 0 2,184 77 3/6 382 4 0 175 12 10 883 1 7 287 * 2 7 10 4,021 32 1/lf 229 0 5 1,590 -10! 4/4} 347 12 5 7 6 5 2 43 16 0 49 10 0 657 5 5 Partly bush country. Cadet assisting. 2,552 71| 4M8 557 12 2 182 17 0 653 11 4 Rough, open country. All spotting surveys. On the goldnelds. No cadet. Native reserve. Bush, and hilly; difficult to lay off in exact areas to suit Natives. AVoodland District, covered with dense forest. No cadet. Heavy bush land. No cadet. 2,910 24| 2/4§ 344 7 1 1,147| 58 2-94 168 2 0 0 0 49 16 0 585 15 2 W. D. R. McCurdie. Glenomaru and Catlins Temporary Surveyors. 3. Mackenzie. Glenomaru .. 5,000: 41 2/2J 552 17 0 I 1-4 11 8 7 16 0 0 32 6 0 572 4 0 50 1 9 50 1 9 Mr. Mackenzie left the Department before he had finished any surveys in the field. All heavy bush. Ditto. John Edie. Glenomaru 0. 1). Price. Glenomaru 2,510 2,363 16 13 2/4| 2/7 301 6 6 305 5 5 I 9 16 10 207 19 10 199 12 10 Contract Surveyors. 3-. M. Barr. Clutha .. :i. Mackenzie. AVaipahi •• i 130 0 0 155 0 0 130 0 0 40 0 0 96 13 6 Clutha River survey. Open land. Railway Reserve. Native Reserve, AVaikouaiti. Ditto. EL W. Reid, Maniototo ,. .. 2,410! 15 '/9 I 2 3 3 0 6 6 090 X 6| Fee System. Charles Banks. Ahuriri John Cumine. Maerewhenua 3-. M. Barr. Cromwell and Bannockburn Robert Hay. Budle, Hummock, &c. .. H. AV. Reid. Maniototo and Swinburn L. D. Macgeorge. Lauder, Cairnhill, &c. L. 0. Beal, jun. Nevis, Lorn, Cardrona John Edie. Greenvale 4,887 2 11 48 21 1 3 2/4 15/7* 5 12 0 16 8 0 40 159 1,636 500 643 1,120 17 10 0 45 14 0 531 19 0 23 8 0 170 13 6 340 5 6 5 12 0 33 18 0 92 10 0 531 19 0 28 11 0 170 13 6 78 17 6 4 0 0 An application to purchase. Open country. Open, rough, broken country. Ditto. Open country. Open country ; very rough. Ditto. An application to purchase. 5 1 20/7 5 3 0 1 4 58 1 21 28 8/9 5/9 6/6 im 5/31 6/1 8 1 26"/8 4 "o 0 Means and totals .. 287! 2 2 7 10 132,040 238 1-75 |2,801 2 3 27: 109 10/ 54 10 0 1,147 5S: 2-94 168 2 10,424 307 m 2,416 18 7 14-4 6 14 8} 96 19 6^ 0 0 673 1 8 5,833 3 11

Staff. '. Hay. Pegasus, Lord's River, Mason, and Paterson District 874; 19 6/10 299 19 6 864 4 0 £186 8s. 8d. carried forward from last year. The mining areas (tin) were densely bush-clad. In progress, some 55,000 acres of minor triangulation over country largely scrub-clad, topography and measurement of base-line included; cadet assisting. Work done on ground cost to date £720 Is. 6d. Surveyor chiefly engaged in Otago District. In progress, say 10 sections, embracing 2,500 acres, Waikawa District; partly bush. Cost to date, £140 5s. 4d. No cadet. Comprising 13 special claims, &c, 1 coal area, 17 saw-mill areas, and 5 purchases. . Strauchon 20 14 7 160 19 ll| 255 vn Fee System. \ S. Miller. Invercargi.il, New River, Kingston, Forest Hill, Campbelltown, Longwood, Eyre, Nokomai, Oteramika, Otara, and Waikawa -I. R. Dundas. Pegasus, Waikawa, Longwood, Takitimo, and Oteramika . Blaikie. Toetoes, Pegasus, Paterson's, Alton, Lindhurst, Eyre, Nokomai, and Anglem -V. Sharp. Longwood, AVaikaia, Forest Hill, Invercargill, and Eyre N. Hay. Longwood, NewRiver, Mabel, Winton, Invercargill, Wyndham, &c. . Dalgleish. Eyre 4,025 357 225 22! 2 1/11-4 3/4-4 2/3-2 393 0 0 00 3 3 25 10 0 1,896 1,136 38014 38 23 7/2-7 5/8-6 6/5-7 137 4 0 542 7 2 367 19 6 1.136 4 6 607 10 5 388 14 6 Comprising 7 special claims, 31 mining sections (tin), and 4 pur- - chases. Comprising 15 special claims and gold-mining leases, 7 tin-mining areas, 1 kaoline area, 1 saw-mill area, and 1 purchase. 1,433 10 2/2-2 156 18 8 277 6/1-6 84 19 0 028 S 5 Comprising 7 special claims, 1 coal area, and 10 purchases, the latter mostly in bush. Comprising 13 saw-mill areas and 1 purchase. 1,680 14 2/0-8 174 4 0 150 14 0 200 1 1/8 16 13 4 Pees paid privately by applicant (purchase). Total .. 7,920 53 2/1 826 9 3| 25; 1/7*1 20 14 7 4,563; 102 6/3-3 1,432 9 2 3,936 15 9

49

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APPENDIX No. 3.

Reconnaissance Survey of the Head-waters of the Okuru, Actor, and Burke Rivers, Westland. On the 18th April last I left for the South by the steamship " Waipara," and landed at the Okuru River, from whence I purposed starting on my exploration journey. My object in undertaking the Avork was twofold—firstly, to complete the topographical survey of the head-waters of the throe rivers, and fill up what was marked on our old maps as " unexplored country ;" and, secondly, to settle the question about practicable passes from the coast into the Lake Wanaka country. In 1868, while surveying a toAvnship reserve at the mouth of the Okuru, a Maori known by the name of Wakatipu Jack made his appearance at my camp, stating that he had come across the Southern Alps (Dividing Range) somewhere at the head of the Okuru or oue of its tributaries, and had traA 7elled down that river to the west coast. Aware that there was no practicable pass known to exist in that part of the Dividing Range but the Haast Pass, and that the mountain-chain at the head of the Okuru, Turnbull, and Waiatoto Avas exceptionally high, I came, after severely cross-questioning the Maori, to the conclusion that he must be mistaken as to the route he came— that he somehoAV must have crossed at or near Haast Pass, and then afterwards found his way across some spur into the Okuru, and travelled down it to the coast. To this Maori incident I attached little value, and, indeed, it quite escaped my memory until, some four or five years ago, Mr. Roberts, the Assistant Geodesical Surveyor, while engaged at the trigonometrical survey of the Jackson's Bay circuit, reported to me that he had seen a low depression at the head of the Okuru from one of the highest inland trigonometrical stations of that district. The construction of the Otago Central Railway to the Wlinaka Lake, and its ultimate extension, to the West Coast, was then greatly agitated, and I made up my mind to explore the Okuru head-waters as soon as I had an opportunity of doing so, with the view of ascertaining whether an easier route for a railway could not be found down the Okuru than the line proposed —namely, down the Haast Valley. The result of my exploration in this respect has been most satisfactory. A saving in construction of at least £120,000 would be effected, as I shall show further on, by taking the line down the Okuru instead of the Haast. To return to the journey: For about thirteen miles up the Okuru I could take packhorses, and by crossing and recrossing, and slowly ploughing through heavy bush tracks cut by the lessee of the Okuru Run for the purpose of taking stock up and down the river, I reached Staircase Creek. From that point the swagging of camp-equipment and provisions had to be done on men's backs. The Okuru River is very different from the other Jackson's Bay district riA'crs: it is Avell bounded, and its bed is defined and permanent. There are practically no sand-spits or shingle-flats to be found in this river. From the sea up through the first five or six miles of flat country the primeval forest is groAving up to the water's edge, and there are no river-encroachments upon the adjoining lands, as are so common in all the other rivers, Avhich, as a rule, s\A 7ing from side to side, and not infrequently convert half a mile and more of good settlement-lands into absolute waste by stripping the vegetation and soil and changing the ground into barren shingle-beds. The Okuru lias, as stated, a well-fixed, deep, and permanent bed, and at only three places along its Avhole length are its w 7aters divided into two branches or arms, and these also are running in Avell-defined channels, and their banks do not show the slightest signs of encroachment. From the point where the flat land ceases and the ranges close in upon the river (Avhere the railway-crgssing is marked on plan) up to Princess Creek—a distance of about fourteen miles—the good agricultural lands on the banks of the Okuru vary from twenty to sixty chains in depth, and in many cases the mountain-slopes are gentle enough to admit of their being cultivated. The soil is exceedingly good, generally of a brown chocolate colour, and varying in depth from 2ft. to sft. We found it advisable in travelling up to ford the river fiv 7e or six times, in order to avoid climbing over or rounding small spurs projecting to the edge of the water; but there is really no difficulty in the Avay of taking a dray-road of easy grade up either bank of the Okuru. Before ascending to the head of the Okuru I examined the Actor River. With the intention of running out the Franklin Range to the head of the Actor, and returning by the Dividing Range and w 7estern slopes of Mount Salamis to the camp at the junction of the Okuru and Actor Rivers, I ascended Mount Glissa. After the second day's travelling along that range, however, I found myself stuck up at Howe's Knob by a tremendous gulch between it and Mount Franklin, and all attempts to cross that were in vain. The portion of the range betAveen Mount Glissa and Howe's Knob is a most remarkable one. The slope towards the Actor, though very steep in most places, may be climbed almost anywhere; but on the west —the Okuru and Franklin Creek side—it drops down almost perpendicular from 1,500ft. to 2,000ft. On the slopes and on the top of Howe's Knob rocks of enormous size—many of them as large as an ordinary four-roomed cottage —are found covering the whole of the surface. Owing to this, travelling along the range Avas exceedingly difficult —it meant either risky jumping from rock to rock, or laborious crawling through the tough scrub groAving between and under these masses of detached rock. The southern slopes of Mount Franklin, around by the two passes-into the Tumbull and Young Rivers, and to opposite the two tarns shown on the west of Dragon Peak, beloAv the dividing range, are very well grassed, and, though difficult of access now, will, I have no doubt, in years to come be put to profitable use as summer grazing-grounds. The pass into the Young River (a tributary of the Makarora) is too high to be ever of much use; the snow must, I belieA 7e, lie on it eight months out of the vear. 9—C. 5.

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I felt exceedingly disappointed that the impassable break between Howe's Knob and Mount Franklin compelled me to abandon the contemplated circuit of the Franklin Range and the Dividing Range ; but I had the satisfaction of being able to obtain several sets of observations for the fixing of all prominent features. Under any circumstances I would not have been able to do much mare than I had done, for while again descending into the Actor Valley the rain set in, and continued almost Avithout intermission for four days, causing the rivers to run bank-high, and putting a complete stop to everything in the shape of exploring. On the Ist May the flood had subsided, and Ave shifted camp to abreast Princess Creek, and on the 2nd Ave reached the top camp on the Okuru. From it I explored the Okuru headwaters and passes thereabouts. The pass, or, more properly speaking, the saddle, by which the Maori Wakatipu Jack must have crossed into Westland, separates a small branch of the Blue Eiver from a small creek running into the Okuru Eiver. It is a purely " razorback " saddle, not more than 10ft. wide om the top, and with sides dipping at an angle of 65° for about 1,500ft. into both the Blue Eiver and the Okuru. In ascending this saddle a rope had to be used, and it is a puzzle to ine how the Maori managed to get across it Avithout some such help : it seems most likely that he ascended the gentler slopes at the side of this saddle, Avhere the dense A'egetation gives every facility for climbing, and that he made his descent into the Okuru from a point at least a thousand feet higher than the saddle itself. The altitude of the Maori Saddle is 4,170ft., and it could be pierced by a tunnel not exceeding 20 chains in length at an altitude of about 2,600ft. The working up to it from the Blue River side is very easy, as far as I could see —the Blue River Valley is a nice open one, and the hills slope gently into it; but the " get-away" from the Maori Saddle down the Okuru is very difficult—galleries Avould require to be cut into almost perpendicular rocky cliffs for a mile and a half between the saddle and the Princess Creek. The other saddle—Topsy's Saddle—leading into another branch of the Blue River, is too high, and hence useless for practical purposes ; moreover, the head of that branch of the Blue River itself, and as far down as I Avas able to see from various points of observation, is very gorgy, and bound throughout by steep rocky sidelings. The Dividing Range at the sides of the Maori and Topsy Saddles rises to very great heights, and some of the peaks thereabout are visible from the sea-coast. One of these mountain-tops especially— Mount Bertha, 5,870ft. high—offered a splendid opportunity of fixing the surrounding country. From it the Open Bay Island, four miles off the mouth of the Okuru, is plainly visible, and the valley of that river is seen to extend, in almost a straight line, from the Dividing Range to the sea-coast. At the very head of the Okuru there are several grass-flats, but they are situated at such a height, and are so much shaded from the sun's rays by Mounts Argus and Actor, as to make it certain that for many months in the year these flats must remain covered with snoAV. While at this stage of my narrative I may bo permitted to digress someAvhat, and introduce a subject which, though not directly connected with topographical surveys, does still somehow dovetail into that Avork: I refer to the rabbit "nuisance," and the ferret, weasel, and stoat " blessing." During the past summer several weasels and ferrets were caught and killed at the Okuru and Waiatoto settlements. These creatures were taken close to, and some within about a mile from, the sea-coast. To the question as to where they come from there could be only oue ansAver : nobody introduced them into Westland, and hence, they must have been the progeny of those imported by the Government, and must have found their Avay across the Dividing Range from either Otago or Canterbury, or both. But, in the absence of any signs of rabbits about the coast settlements, it is difficult to understand Avhat brought these creatures over. This mystery was effectually cleared up on my exploration trip. Wo were prepared to meet with rabbits on the first day's travel inland, but we Avere disappointed. It Avas not until we got near the Actor, about nineteen miles from the sea-coast, that we noticed the first traces of rabbits, and it was not until Ave got to the very head-waters of the Okuru that we saw the rabbits in numbers. The ferrets and w 7easels, no doubt, came up to the Dividing Range with the rabbits, but as soon as they discovered our ground-birds— our kakapos, kiwis, wood-hens, blue-ducks, and such like—they followed up the more palatable game. This is Avhat brought the ferrets and weasels down to the coast settlements, and the rabbits on our side of the dividing range will henceforth be left undisturbed and be allowed to spread as they please. Past experiences have satisfied ine that rabbits neA 7er will do much mischief on the West Coast. Years ago they Avere turned out in several parts of Westland— -parts most favourable to them, open lands and sandhills—but they all died out. The climate is eA 7idently too damp for them, and they certainly will never thrive in our dense bush-country. But, as regards the ferrets, weasels, &c, they Avill thrive, and will continue to thrive until the extermination of our ground-birds, Avhich has iioav begun, is fully accomplished. That I am not prophesying evil Avithout good grounds I may prove by the following: In all my explorations on the coast, the certainty of getting a good supply of birds made it possible to keep the provision-SAvags, Avhich men had to carry, within reasonable Aveights and dimensions. On this last trip of mine rather more than the usual amount of provisions was taken, but, in spite of this precaution, the party had to be put on short rations for the last three days—namely, one scone per man per day. The further inland the more plentiful the birds, used to be the rule ; but that is reversed iioav. At the head of the Okuru and the Burke some nights passed during which we never heard the screech of the kakapo or the shrill whistle of the kiwi; and, as for blue-ducks, we saAV only three during the whole time Ave were out. In former times, Avhile camping near the head-waters of any of the rivers, the fighting of the kakapos-amongst themselves, and the constant call of the other birds around the tent and camp-fire during the night, often kept people from "Sleeping. This has all changed iioav :at least in-the southern' part of the West Coast absolute stillness reigns at night, and there is nothing now to keep a traveller from sleeping except—OAving to the absence of the birds —an empty stomach. While passing through Southland lately my attention was. directed to the Avonderful adaptation of the Australian opossum to the New Zealand climate and New Zealand forests ; and I Avould beg to

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suggest that some compensation for the evil done in exterminating our ground-birds might perhaps in some measure be obtained on the West Coast by introducing opossums to it. Opossum-furs are of considerable commercial value, and AA-ould, no doubt, in a very few years range as an article of New Zealand export; moreover, opossums as an article of food are, lam informed, by no means to be despised. To return to the exploration : I descended the Okuru from the top camp to the junction of Princess Creek on the sth May, and next morning commenced ascending that creek with the view of finding my way into the Burke country. From the ranges up the Actor River a fairly good view of Princess Creek Valley Avas obtained, and the low depression between Mount Citheron and Mount Victor seemed to indicate a possible pass; and my examination of that part of the district confirmed the correctness of my surmise, and proved the existence of one of the easiest and best passes in the south. The ascent from the Okuru to it, and the descent into the Burke from it, by one of its small tributary creeks, is quite gentle, and the pass itself is a true pass, perfectly level on the top for about 60 chains, with an average width of about 20 chains. Its altitude is only 1,820ft., or about 30ft. lower than Haast Pass, and the vegetation on it consists of about 50 acres of swamp-grass, and around the edges of that, black scrub and light birch trees. Abreast the pass, to the Avest of it, and about half a mile from the top of Mount Victor, there is one of the most imposing mountain-gateways I have seen. The Victor Range at that spot is cleft in two down to a level only about 300ft. to 400ft. higher than the pass I have been describing. The width at the bottom of this cleft is about 2 chains. The Avails on both sides consist of solid rock rising to a height of about 1,500ft., Avith an inclination very little removed from the perpendicular, for the distance of the rock-Avails from each other at that height seems to be only 5 or 6 chains. From thence the Mount Victor face continues to be steep to the very top of that mount (6,319ft. high), whereas on the other side of the gateAvay the slope toAvards the top of Mount Medeon is gentler. This gateway leads into Emu's Creek, and is, I believe, impassable. I much regret I could not, owing to our getting short of provisions, afford to spend a day or two over a thorough examination of this wonderful freak of Nature. The descent of the Burke Eiver Avas very arduous : it is a wild river, with cataracts following each other in quick succession, Avhich makes travelling in the river-bed impossible. Being specially desirous of examining the east or inland side of that river, I picked my Avay down along its western bank, Avhich is very much steeper, and hence more difficult than the eastern side ; but I Avas compensated for the extra labour by being enabled to obtain a splendid vieAv of the whole of the inland slopes, and to note special features of interest in connection Avith railway- or road-construction. At the junction of Straehan's Creek with the Burke Ave found ourselves completely blocked. Strachan's (.'reek is a large creek tumbling down in a succession of cataracts and waterfalls between perpendicular rock-walls from 100ft. to 150ft. in height. As the span from bank to bank, was too great, and there Avas therefore not the slightest chance of effecting a crossing by means of dropping a tree over the creek, Ave travelled up its southern side to an altitude of about 1,830ft. before we Avere able to descend into the creek-bed, and then, with the help of a few saplings which we managed to rest on big rocks lying in the centre of the creek, Ave effected a crossing. However, our troubles Avere not over, for another branch of that same creek, equally rock-bound, drove us up to the grass-line, Avhere, at an altitude of 3,600ft., wo camped for the night. But even in the open we found next morning that we could not cross that creek, and Ave had to folloAv it up to the very top of the spur—4,4soft. high. From that point—marked Kon the map—the range and slopes on the inland side of the Burke, along w 7hich the railway-line will have to be taken, could be seen to great advantage, and after fixing the salient points we descended into the Haast Valley at a point near the junction of the Burke and the Haast. The Burke River is one of the most remarkable rivers in Westland, and the grand caiion it passes through betAveen Strachan's Creek and the Haast junction rivals many of the famous caiions we read of in the Rocky Mountains of America. The Burke, between Strachan's Creek'and the Haast junction, falls about 400ft. in a distance of barely 1! miles, and runs betAveen rock-walls from 200ft. to 300ft. high—rock-Avails not perpendicular, but absolutely undercut by the Avear-and-tear of ages, for the width of the river at the bottom is nowhere less than 50ft., Avhereas on the top there are several places where a 10ft. or 12ft. bridge would span the terrible chasm. To look down it makes one shudder, for the depth is so great that nothing but a glimmer of the tumbling and boiling waters below can be seen now and then. I would strongly urge that a bridle-track be constructed up to this place, to give tourists coming through the Haast Pass an opportunity of seeing one of Nature's grand Avorks, the like of which is not to bo met with anywhere in NeAv Zealand. Our arrival at the Haast Valley brought my exploration trip to an end—not that I had accomplished all I intended, for I purposed also to examine the head-waters of the Wilkin, AA 7ith a vioAv of finding out whether there was a pass into the Waiatoto River. Further exploration, however, was found to be impossible, for during the night succeeding our descent into the Haast Valley a heavy fall of snow took place, Avhich proved to be the permanent Avinter coat, as it never again disappeared from the open grass-lands on the mountain-tops. I therefore spent a fe,Av days in examining the Haast Pass road, and then paid off and disbanded my party. Noav, as regards the railway route : In 1881 Mr. W. H. Clarke, an officer of the Public Works Department, under instructions from the Engineer-in-Chief, explored and reported upon the best' route for a railway from Lake Wanaka to the West Coast via Haast Pass. This report and plan is now before me, and I have sfiowii the route indicated by Mr. Clarke in red on the-map accompanying this my report. With the information about the country then at hand, I must say, at the outset, that Mr. Clarke has recommended the "best route that could be had—namely, across the Haast Pass and doAvn the southern bank of the Haast Eiver. With the data now available the route will have to be altered as shoAvn in blue on my map — i.e., after crossing the Haast Pass the

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line will contour Hutchison's Range, up the east side of the Burke, across Mueller's Pass, and thence down Princess Creek and the north side of the Okuru, across it, and on to Jackson's Bay along the foot of the* coast ranges. Prom the Haast Pass, 1,847ft. high, to Mueller's Pass, 1,820ft. high, the line will practically run on a level, and, with the exception of the first three miles near Haast Pass, where the country is rather broken by several small but deep-cutting creeks, the sideling is gentle, of good standing ground, and absolutely safe from slides, slips, or avalanches. From Mueller's Pass the line keeps along the southern slopes of Mounts Victor and Nerger Ranges, with a fall of 1 in 50, which will land it at Okuru River crossing where indicated on the map, at a place most suitable for bridging the river. From thence the route is perfectly easy and practically level to Jackson's Bay, crossing the Turnbull, Waiatoto, and Arawata at good places for bridging, especially at the Arawata, where, at the spot indicated, both banks are solid rock, with a rocky islet, as if placed there for bridge-abutment purposes, in the centre of the river. The length of the route marked out by Mr. Clarke from Haast Pass to the Okuru River crossing is 45 miles ; the length of the one from the Haast Pass to the Okuru River crossing recommended by myself is 28 miles, or 17 miles less than the other. Allowing for the construction of these 17 miles only an average of £6,000 per mile, a saving of £102,000 would be effected by the adoption of my route. But there is this in addition : that by the Haast Valley route the Burke River will have to bo bridged, two to three miles of steep rock-faces and five bad bluffs will have to be passed, and some of the latter probably by driving tunnels through them ; whereas along my proposed route there are no such difficulties. The route I have sketched out will of course not be free from rock-work, which will probably be heavier than I expect, but there is certainly not one-fourth of the rock-work plainly apparent on the surface of the country that there is on the Haast Valley route. I have now only to add a few remarks in regard to the geological formation of the country which I explored. In the Okuru Valley, from the railway-crossing to the Actor junction, the formation is gneiss—strike, N.B. : dip, 60° B. : two miles below Franklin's Creek the high cliffs are entirely composed of it. One mile up the Actor, on the Mount Glissa side, the gneiss formation merges into mica-schist—strike, N.E.; dip, 70° southerly. At the head of the Actor River several quartz reefs (one of them jet-black quart/) crop out, which are running north and south, cutting the line of strike and dip, and with hanging-walls, soft casing, &c. The formation these reefs are enclosed in is a species of very close-grained green schist. At a point half-way between upper camp, Okuru, and the Maori Saddle the rock is contorted schist —strike, N. ; dip, 50° E. In the Okuru Eiver-bed, from about a mile below the Actor junction to above Princess Creek, there are to be found boulders of granite, green slate, and porphyry, mixed with quartz and serpentine. Where they come from I cannot say, not having come across these rocks in situ. At point D and point B, in Burke River Valley, the formation is also schist rock—strike N.E., dip 50° E., at point 1) ; and strike N.N.E., dip 60° E., at point E. The river at point E is full of schist and blue, flinty, laminated quartz. At point H, at Strachan's Creek, down the Burke to junction with the Haast and up to the Wills River, the schist formation continues, and from thence up the Haast Pass Road the. Torlesse slates come in. Gebhaed Mueller, Chief Surveyor.

TOPOGRAPHICAL PLAN OF OKURU, ACTOR & BURKE COUNTRY from Reconnaissance Survey of 1890.

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APPENDIX No. 4.

Extract from Mr. Brodrick's Report on Passes over the Southern Alps. Between the point at the head of the Rakaia River Avhere Mr. Roberts crossed, and the Haast Pass, the Southern Alps have always been considered to form an impregnable barrier between the east and west coasts of the Middle Island, and I think no one ever succeeded in getting over till lately. It is therefore interesting, and may possibly be of use some day, to know that, taking advantage of the excellent opportunities we had while extending the topography of Canterbury, Ave have found tAvo places where it is possible to get over the range—one, the Sealey Pass, at the head of the Great Godley Glacier, and the other over a saddle between the Huxley and Landsborough Rivers. I will now give a short description of the road to each, commencing at the well-known lakes into which the rivers rising at the watersheds we crossed empty themselves. Sealey Pass. The Tekapo Lake, 2,321ft. above sea-level, is situated in the midst of a country the bareness of which is not relieved by a single tree, except where a few wlloavs are growing round the different homesteads of the runholders, and these are so far apart that they can hardly be deemed a feature of the scenery. Its waters are of a slaty colour, especially in stormy weather, caused by the immense quantities of fine silt Avashecl into it by the Godley Riyer from the glacier at its head. From the Tekapo Hotel, at the outlet of the lake, the road follows along its eastern shore till Richmond Station is reached; it then leaves the lake, and, traversing some low downs and flats, finally stops at Lilybank Station, situated between the Godley and Macaulay Rivers, and about twenty-four miles from the hotel. The road is a fairly good one, and wagonettes can be driven over it. It may be as well to remark that the Macaulay River, which has to be crossed, is rarely flooded so much as to be impassable, and is free from dangerous quicksands. From Lilybank the road winds over the hummocks at the back of the station till the Godley Riverbed is arrived at; and from there the river-bed is the only aA 7ailable route to the Great Codley Glacier. It is not, however, very rough, and may be ridden over comfortably enough, and here and there relief from the monotony of picking your w7ay amongst the stones will be found by getting on to the grassy flats. Eight and a half miles from Lilybank is a shepherd's hut, made of iron, and pleasantly situated amongst some trees, chiefly totara and mountain-pines ; and the remaining 6-|- miles to the glacier must be done on foot or on. horseback, because the river-bed gets so rough it is impossible to drive any farther. The terminal face of the Godley Glacier is 3,407ft. above sea-level, and about 39 miles from the Tekapo Hotel. A fairly good camp can be made on the shingle close to the glacier in the shelter of the rocks, and there is plenty of scrub for firewood on the hillsides, but no grass, and all horse-feed has to be packed. It was here we camped while doing our survey. The terminal face of the Classen Glacier is the best place to camp, as there is plenty of grass and firewood there; but it is not convenient for excursions on the Godley Glacier. It was rather late in the season Avhen we got up to the glacier (11th May, 1888), and the snow which had fallen made all our expeditions more arduous. On the 14th Ave continued our traverse along the track marked on the plan, and reached the top of Sealey Pass, which is 5,800ft. high, and 7 miles from the terminal face. The last few miles the snow was deeper, and at every step we sank above the knees. From the saddle Ave could see the bush in the Wataroa Valley, so Ave pushed on another 30 chains, to find that we were out of the snow, and had passed all the difficulties that lay between the pass and the Wataroa Eiver. As where we were could only be a few miles from a track and wire foot-bridge on the West Coast side, it was with some reluctance that we were obliged to turn back : the weather looked threatening, and a heavy fall of snow would have cut us off from our camp, and delayed our work in a manner I did not think Ave ought to risk. The route over this pass would be a very interesting one to tourists, as the scenery is unequalled, the labour not great, and the road, except the 30 chains beyond the saddle, quite safe. About 20 chains on the West Coast side of the pass we were obliged to cut our footsteps and use the rope. The ice slopes into a very deep hole, and at times is swept by avalanches from above; and here great care ought to be taken to avoid them, as, of course, to be swept into the hole would be certain death. The Sealey Pass was named after Mr. E. P. Sealey, a surveyor Avho visited it in 1871, accompanied by one man; and from that time till our trip no one had ever been there. Since then a party was organized to make the trip to the West Coast, and it succeeded in getting to the saddle, but very prudently turned back on meeting a dense fog. Mr. Sealey informed me that it was so foggy when they arrived on the pass in 1871 that they could see nothing, and only found their way back again by folloAving their old footprints. During the last part of our returnjourney the fog enveloped us, and made it very cold, unpleasant, and difficult to find our way. The scenery is very grand, but especially about the junction of the Grey and Godley Glaciers. Here huge blocks of ice have been forced up by the pressure, and the beautiful blue tints on them are surprising. The feeling of novelty is enhanced by the ceaseless thunder of the avalanches falling from numbers of different places all round. Huxley Pass. The Lake Ohau Station, situated at the north-east end of the lake of that name, is the last inhabited place on the i»ute to the pass by Avhich Ave discovered it was possible to cross the Southern Alps to the West Coast. The Ohau Lake is a very pretty one, of a deep-blue colour, 1,717ft. above sea-level, flanked by steep hills, the dull-brown colour of which is relieved by clumps of elegant "birch" (Fagus ciiffortioides), particularly along its eastern shore ; and past and through these beautiful trees the 10—C. 5.

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road winds along the edge of the lake to the station. In the summer, when the scarlet mistletoe is in bloom, a prettier drive can hardly be desired. Away to the north, looking over the six miles of flat at the head of the lake, an extensive view of the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps is seen, Avhich adds to the beauty and grandeur of scenery which, for variety of form and colour, ranks, I think, next to the famous Lake Wanaka, about which so much has been written. Although it is possible to drive to the Hopkins from the station, a distance of six miles, it is better to ride, because the road is not Avell formed, and the journey can be done more quickly and comfortably on horseback. From there to the fork of the Huxley River, Avhich is as far as horses can be taken, the river-beds, which are smooth, and free from large stones, will have to be followed ; but by taking advantage of the numerous grass-flats as they present themselves, to push ahead, the distance of sixteen or seventeen miles from the station can be done in four hours. Though I have not space or time to describe, it must not be thought that the scenery on the road is dull or uninteresting; on the contrary, at every turn something pleasing strikes the eye— now a huge grey rocky peals standing against the sky, its boldness and bareness contrasting strangely with the stunted birch bush out of which it seems to spring; then a grassy flat, with trees and shrubs dotted over it in such a manner as to suggest that the hand of art had helped nature to make it look like a pleasure-ground; and so on in endless A rariety. Having given a short description of the road as far as it is usual for people to go—though in the pursuit of wild cattle Mr. Maitland has been right up to the bend in the creek just below the saddle we went over —I will give a short narrative of our trip down into the Landsborough River to a point reached by Mr. Mueller on his visit of exploration from the west coast side of the Island in 1887. From the point marked Con the plan, on the south side of the Huxley River, looking over the pass, Ave saAV the sea on the west coast. This point is 6,930ft. above sea-level; and from there we also had an excellent view of Mount Dechen, which bears 4° 18' west of north from C. It can be seen from many places on this side of the range, and looks as if it was a peak of the Southern Alps. It is snow-capped, and surrounded by glaciers, and is one of the most purely-white and interesting-looking mountains in the great chain. On the 28th March, accompanied by Mr. Sladden, I left our camp near the fork of the Huxley, and went up on to the pass to fix its position with the prismatic compass ; but when Ave got there the Landsborough River looked so near, Ave determined to visit it if we could kill any birds for food. Good luck bringing two keas (Nestor notabilis), which we knocked over with our sticks, we then hurried on, and reached the river before dark, the journey from the camp having occupied about eight hours. Snow-grass, alpine plants, and scrub all grow close up to, and again on, the pass ; and a few wild cattle are running within a mile of it on the Canterbury side. After the first quarter-mile, going down on the West Coast side, the creek is tolerably smooth for about two miles, after which for a mile it is one continuous series of waterfalls, and we were obliged to take to the bush and climb down by clinging to the trees and scrub. The last part of the journey was much easier, the country becoming flatter and the bush more open ; and we soon found ourselves on a nice flat of blue-grass on the river's bank. There were no signs of rabbits or of anything having ever grazed on it. The grass stood in seed like a hayfield ready for mowing, but here and there through it we saAV the well-beaten tracks of kiwis, kakapos, and wekas. The bush was principally beech, though a good many of the usual West Coast trees were mixed with it; amongst others the curious neinei (Dracophyllum latifolium) was very common. The luxuriance of the growth makes a very striking contrast with the stunted vegetation on the Canterbury side. The bush is full of the green-leaved trees cattle are fond of, and in it, and on the river-flats, numbers of them could be grazed ; but they could not be got in from Canterbury, and I do not suppose grazing would be very profitable even if they could, because so many would go wild. The track over the saddle could never be made anything but a passable footpath; but, in the event of gold ever being found in the Landsborough River, it would be as easy, judging by the account Mr. Mueller gives of his route into the place, to get provisions in from Canterbury as from the Coast, and perhaps a good deal easier, for without a very large outlay a packhorse could be taken to within a mile of the pass. It appears more than likely that Mr. Mueller determined the height of the saddle we crossed, and was under the impression that it was the watershed of the Hunter instead of the Huxley RiA 7er, for his height of the Hunter saddle is 5,529ft., while I make the height of our pass 5,309ft. Mr. Mueller has marked on his plan that his altitude w 7as obtained by aneroid and clinometer measurements, so that the difference of 220ft. between the two heights may be attributed to the inexact instruments he was obliged to use. It w7ill be found that the position of our pass —43° 57' 50" south latitude and 169° 44' 20" east longitude, approximately— nearly coincides Avith Avhat is shown as the Hunter Pass on the map of Mr. Mueller's explorations, 1887." It rained off and on during the night, and Avithout shelter A\-e could not keep dry, though by keeping up a large fire we were warm enough. Having insufficient food, and being wet through, Ave thought it more prudent to return the way we went, without looking for a better track, than run the risk of having to stay out another night. The return-journey occupied tAvelve hours, as we had to work our way carefully round some dangerous places w rhich had become more slippery since we went down, and also because it is a much stiffer climb out of the river than from the Huxley to the pass. I think possibly a better track than ours could be got by keeping more to the east, after getting into the bush, than Ave did. I had the misfortune to break my aneroid, and so have not been able to give as many heights a* I would have wished. The Landsborough RiA-er is.roughly placed on my plan from Mueller's survey. No know7n points were visible from the river to enable me to fix it. _ T. N. Brodrick. [Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, nil; printing (1,700 copies), £58.]

By Authority: Georok Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB9o.

PLAN SHEWING ROUTE FROM LAKE OHAU to the LANDSBOROUGH VIA HUXLEY PASS

PLAN OF THE GODLEY VALLEY & GLACIERS SHEWING ROUTE FROM LAKE TEKAPO