H.—l.

[Price 9i.]

By Authority : Geobsx Diesbumy, Government Printer, Wellington.—1873

APPROXIMATE RETURN showing Total Cost, Cost per Acre, Relative Cost in Forest and Open Country, &c., of the Triangulation executed under the Chief Surveyors of the various Provinces, and under the Inspector of Surveys.

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TSIANOULATION. Chief Sfkveyob op Area over which it has been systematically applied to the Connection, Correction, and Determination of the true Position of ordinary Block and Sectional Surveys. Cost per Acre. THE PeOTIKCE OP Total Area executed. Total Cost. Date of CommenceNumber of Grants of Erroneously Surveyed Lands, the defects in which have been disclosed thereby. Forest. Open. Major. Minor. Major. Minor. Major. Minor. Major. Minor. Auckland ... ' (a) Acres. Acres. 50,000 £ 527 Acres. Acres. 50,000 d. d. 25 d. d. 1871 None as yet issued within area of tho triangulation. Taranaki ... (b) Hawke's Bay (c) Wellington ... (d) 384,000 2,496,000 12,000 320,000 2,000,000 25 3,666 7,800 384,000 2,000,000 320,000 2,000,000 t V25 t'5 to -75 •5 *l-25 18R8 1858 1866 Thirty-five. 2,400 (beinj the number issued up to 1866 ; since 1866 there have been 1,258 grants issued altogether, based upon the triangulation). Nelson Marlborough (e) No triangulal ,ion executed 39,045 650 f 11,799 I 1,072 1867 2,265,520 624,480 } vi] Eighteen. Canterbury ... 2,890,000 1849 All sectional surveys have been connected with and determined by the triangulation. A few trifling discrepancies only have been discovered. Westland ... (/) 654,160 100,880 2,603 554,160 100,880 •8 11 1868 There are no sectional surveys in Westland requiring correction, owing to their having been based upon the triangulation. No sectional survey allowed without connection with trig, points on true meridian, and results always mathematically reduced or meredian and perpendicular by way oJ check. No defects have been disclosed. The whole of the compiled sectional surveys have been found more or less distorted. Otago ... (g) 358,400 6,379,520 40,618 2,300,000 ■5 1-5 1856 Inspector of Surveys (A) 6,067,640 10,262 6,067,640 t'46 * Average major and minor. (a) This survey was conducted over a portion of country which, is densely wooded and difficult of access. (b) The triangulation was commenced in 1868 and carried on throughout that year, but from various reasons has not been continued. Although its connection in many places with the block and sectional surveys proves their incorrectness, it is not sufficiently applied to them to determine and connect the faultily surveyed sections ; a re-survey in connection with the triangulation will be necessary to do so. (c) The land triangulated is all open, and the cost of the major and minor triangulations, which have been carried on simultaneously without keeping distinct accounts for each, is at the rate of ljd- per acre. The work has been done principally in 1858, 1859, and 1860, and a small portion in ]8fi5 and 1866. It could be carried out much cheaper now. On discovering errors in existing surveys and Crown grants, the boundaries erroneously marked out were only altered where the error was of a certain magnitude, that is, about 1 per cent, of the area of the block or Crown grant. Where the error is less,''the boundaries as originally given are not altered, but notes are taken of the error. The number of grants rectified (35) gives a very inadequate rate of the advantages conferred by triangulation. t Average open and forest. (d) The cost per acre is for triangulnt on performed over a mixture of bushed and open land. (e) This triangulalion refers to a block of open hilly country comprised within the boundaries oi two runs, a portion of which had been erroneously surveyed ; ami the cost per acre, 4d., includes the traverses of the boundary creeks, and a complete topographical map of the block, showing tho natural features, with seclional divisions delineated thereon, for the purposes of sale. (f) The total cost comprises mnjor and minor triangulation and circuit traverse. The latter system of survey (at 2'5d. per acre) was had recourse to when the nature of the country did not admit ol minor triangulation. The difficulties of carrying out a system of triangulation are probably greater in Westland than in any other part of New Zealand, owing to the densely wooded nature of tlie country. (ff) Cost of minor triangulation varies from jd. to 2id., according to country and size of sides, from 1£ to 4 miles. (A) A9 every considerable survey embraces both forest and open land, it is impossible to distinguish the relative cost, as they are never separate. In heavily wooded country the cost would probably be double that in open.