H.—l9.

16

Land Transfer Surveys. Mr. C. W. Adams will continue at his work until his services are required elsewhere. When Mr. Maitland has completed the surveys he is now doing, I think he would be able to continue the main standard road traverse for giving starting points to the Lands Transfer Surveyors in places where triangulation cannot be re-established. In conclusion I am glad to report that I have been, during the past year, ably assisted by my Inspector in the field and by the various officers in charge of the different portions of the office work. John H. Baker, Chief Surveyor.

No 4. OTAGO. Survey Office, Dunedin, N.Z., July 23, 1879. This return consists of tables of different kinds of surveys finished by the staff surveyors and contract surveyors, from July 1, 1878, to June 30, 1879. From it the actual field work of the department in this district will be seen to be: — £ s. d. Minor triangulation 20,150 acres; cost per acre, l-2d. 102 18 0 „ „ with topography, 93,450 „ „ l-4d. 548 0 0 Rural section survey ... 204,23s 1- „ „ B*d. 7293 310 Town allotments ... 392 lots, each 18/5 361 0 4 Gold mining surveys ... 526 acres; cost per acre, 12s. 2Jd. 321 8 9 Water races, roads, <fee. ... 57^ miles; cost per mile, 89s. 7d. 256 6 8 Other work ... ... ... 1620 1 6 Total ... £10,502 0 1 Add cost of office work ... ... ... 4,505 8 10 Making a total for both field and office of ... ... £15,008 711 In reviewing the work done by the staff surveyors, during the past year, I find that nine parties have been at work; but, including three contract survey parties, there were in all twelve parties for a considerable part of the time actually engaged in the field. The triangulation finished and sent In includes the whole of Bannockburn District, with topographical map ; also the unfinished parts of Leaning Rock District, Fraser, Fraserside, part of Benger, South Wakatipu, and revision of part of Coneburn. The surveyors engaged at these surveys were Messrs. Strauchon, Park, and Wilmot. The rural section surveys completed embrace land in Kurow, Dunback, Waikouaiti, Silverpeak, Waipori, Table Hill, Tuapeka East, Maniototo, Blackstone, Leaning Rock, Tarras, Lower Hawea, Lower Wanaka, Cairnhill, Teviot, and Benger District, besides numerous other smaller and scattered surveys. The average cost per acre (B_d.) must not of course be understood as any indication of the actua"' cost of ordinary rural sections from 50 to 320 acres, for a veiy large proportion, viz.: about 100,000 acres, have been laid off into Pastoral Deferred Payment Sections of from 1000 to 4000 acres, which system naturally reduces the cost per acre. On the other hand, the country which has been surveyed in this way, the Waikouaiti, Silverpeak, Benger, and Leaning Rock districts, is nearly all so exceedingly broken and mountainous, as to cause greater expense by the extra time and labour necessary. In the whole provincial district Ido not know a more difficult and troublesome country to submit to sectional survey than that included in Waikouaiti and Silverpeak districts. This country was finished by Mr. Edie, and by Mr. G. M. Barr, contract surveyor. The checks by triangulation on this work shew a minimum error of 1 link per mile, and maximum eiTor of 8 links per mile, the average being considerably within the limit. Bearing in mind the unusually rough character of the ground, I think the results satisfactory. The country surveyed by Messrs. Strauchon, Allan, Murray, and Mackay, on Mount Benger, the Old Man Range, and Moutere, into pastoral deferred payment sections, is not quite so inaccessible and difficult as that just referred to; yet it attains a great altitude, and is so liable to be covered with snow at all times of the year, as to render work on it trying and hazardous. On two occasions Mr. Murray was driven oft' the Obelisk by snow storms in the summer; but, by perseverance and skill, he succeeded in the feat of scaling the Obelisk Rock, fixing an iron rod on the top, and running bearings in all directions from it. Although its ascent had been attempted, no one has ever been known to have previously reached the summit of this rock. I would add, that the approach of winter compelled Mr. Murray to use great exertions to get this work completed ; and I am glad to say that he succeeded, though details as to cross roads could not be fully carried out. In this connection I may mention that it would be an encouragement to the stall* surveyors, were the general annual reports, printed at Wellington, to have in, say the Appendix, a line devoted to the name of each, shewing the amount of work done for the year, and its cost. I would not venture to have drawn your attention to this were it not that I am aware the staff surveyors of Otago feel the omission. The gold-fit Id surveys, and other spotting surveys, continue, as you will see, to be expensive. This, as you are awsre, is due chiefly to the smallness of the areas applied for, the scattered positions they occupy, and their distances from the surveyor's head quarters. Frequently, applicants for small areas, or for portions of original sections in out-of-the-way places, grumble, personally or through the Land Board, at not getting their land surveyed so soon as they desire. Wherever the efficiency of the general service will not suffer, I remit the matter to the local surveyoi-, to do at once; but, in all cases, I allow him to decide whether or not he can leave his more regular work. This is the best I can do ; but the public do