H.—l

17

APPROXIMATE RETURN showing the state of Surveys in the various Provinces of the Colony. NOTE.—Surveys, conducted under the Inspector of Surveys, in Auckland, Hawke's Bay, and Wellington, are shown by Return H. 1, page 4.

Area or Province. Lands Alienated. Major Triangulation. Minor Triangulation. Amount Province. Sectionally Surveyed. Survey not yet completed. ' Finished. SANCE. Provincial Legislatures poi current tear. Forest. Open. Lake. Totals. Totals. In progress. Finished. In progress. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. £ Auckland (a) 17,000,000 1,174,027 404,444 1,575,471 50,000 1,000 Taranaki 1,927,000 210,000 2,137,000 167,775 17,700 185,475 12,000 8,000 280 Hawke's Bay (b) 499,700 2,517,100 33,200 3,050,000 1,032,750 28,450 1,061,200 384,000 36,000 320,000. 1,375,800 1,200 Wellington 5,700,000 1,270,000 30,000 7,000,000 789,921 430,857 1,270,778 2,496,000 1,420,800 2,000,000 426,240 12,500 Nelson 4,936,000 2,000,000 64,000 7,000,000 (c) 985,000 985,000 (d) 20,000 7,000,000 3,000 Marlborough ... 750,400 2,224,000 5,230 3,000,000 201,883 319,225 521,108 (e) 39,045 1,000 Westland 2,843,141 172,800 29,759 3,045,760 12,235 11,085 44,591 554,160 100,880 1,536,000 (/) 2,700 Canterbury 270,000 (g) 8,320,000 100,000 8,690,000 1,093,000 97,000 1,190,000 2,890,000 100,000 (h) 5,800,000 14,935 Otago... (0 1,228,800 14,521,600 228,000 16,038,400 (J) 2,297,633 100,000 1,853,109 358,400 6,379,520 11,000,000 6,717 (a) This Eeturn merely embraces a period from 1856 (the date of the general transference of lands to Provincial administration) to 1872. (f) Since last session of the County Council (31st December, 1872), the departmental staff has beer reduced to two officers, and the system of contract sectional survey initiated. No provision is likely to b( made for any other description of surveys. (b) It is very probable that the Provincial Legislature will provide for the financial year 1873-74 not only sufiicient funds to work off the arrears of surveys, but likewise to extend them considerably. (g) Mountainous, 6,320,000 acres ; plains, 2,000,000 acres. (c) The land being surveyed in all cases before purchase, there are no arrears in respect of land sold. (h) This includes 100,000 acres returned as under minor triangulation. (d) A trigonometrical survey was commenced about seven years ago, but was discontinued through want of funds. (i) Salaried surveyors disbanded, and district surveyors paid by fees ; otherwise by contract. Minoi triangulations are, in bearings, governed by standard observations carried over their respective circuits in distances, on separate base lines for each district. (e) The minor triangulation is confined to two sheep runs, with natural features for boundaries, and the stations were not of a permanent character. (j) Area sectionally surveyed greatly in excess of that alienated.