H.—l9

22

if that. In ordinary work the surveyor, when he needs it, clears a few trees south of his camp, and observes elongations with his sin. instrument. The meridian of his traverses affords him the means of getting his latitude, the initial point being known ; and the convergence to be applied is based upon his perpendicular distance; two nights' observations, if carefully taken, will enable him with confidence to correct his bearing if neccesary. In no case where I have followed with the 7in. have they been out more than I', and in one instance through some clearings being made where we were enabled to throw up a standard bearing, it gave the same result. Without this the forest surveys could not have been executed with their present degree of accuracy, so that after some years experience in this practice, I can with perfect confidence commend its uses to surveyors working in forest country. One surveyor on the staff has a sin. with perforated axis and lantern, and another is about sending to England for a similar one, evidencing their great interest in, and the necessity they feel there is for it. There are at the present time 6000 acres in Ngaere Survey district approaching completion, which would have been finished had it not been for the incessant rain from the 16th to the end of June. In addition there are unfortunately 20,000 acres more at Waimate, and 7000 at Waitara, in both eases well advanced, but which have been stopped by the Natives interference ; had it not been so I have every reason to believe that it would all have appeared in this year's return of work. Under the head of Native detention and obstruction, only actual stoppage has been accounted for; the petty annoyances and hindrances in the prosecution of the Waimate work, caused by the adverse action of the Natives, although undoubtedly adding considerably to the expense, I have not noticed, but have included all expenses in the cost of the work up to the time the surveyors were removed, excepting the delay at the start. The general work of the office has been checking of plans, traverse reductions &c., and entering them on the working plans and record maps, checking and pissing deposited plans under Land Transfer Act, and drawing plans on certificates of title and preparation of Crown grants. Besides the above, maps have been drawn for photolithographing of the provincial district, the Paritutu, Egmont, and Huiroa survey districts, and nine others for sale purposes. It is impossible to speak with confidence of operations for the ensuing year at the present juncture, the aspect of Native affairs being by no mean* encouraging; but immediately on the settlement of the present difficulties large tracts will no doubt have to be rapidly brought under survey, needing more strength than we have with the present staff. Thomas Humphries, Chief Surveyor.

No. 9. HAWKE'S BAY. District Survey Office, Napier, July 14th, 1879. The minor triangulation has now been extended over all the lands open for selection in this land district, and over those surrey districts in which the arrear surveys are situated. The area minor triangulated is 12,480 acres, cost of the survey £56 6s. or Id. per acre ; the area minor triangulated and topographically surveyed is 383,400 acres, cost £1564 9s. 6d. per acre, .98 of a penny. The section surveys of lands for sale by auction, or on deferred payments, have from various causes been delayed; three contracts for 13,818 acres will be completed during the first month of the present year. The area of the rural and suburban surveys completed is 48,061 acres, cost £1839 14s. 2d., —per acre 9Jd. The surveys of all the sold hinds which come under the heading of arrears surveys, with the exception of one application, have been placed in hand. The road surveys have taken up a part of the time of all the surveyors except two. The necessity of our laying out the roads through lands already crown granted has retarded the work of the department. During the year 86 miles of road have been surveyed at a cost of £1089 14s. 3d., or £12 13s. per mile. For the Public Works Department I have supervised the works on roads to open out lands before sale, and have let 15 contracts for works, on 18 miles of road. Native Land Court Surveys. The scale of charges for surveys under The Native Land Act 1873, as at present printed on the forms of agreement re cost of survey, having been prepared to meet the survey of the outside boundaries, the survey of Native lands cannot be made at the same rates, now that the additional regulations, Nos. 10 and 11, providing for the road surveys, have been issued. Proposed Operations. The proposed surveys for the year 1879-80 include 300,000 acres of minor triangulation, and topographical survey over that portion of the district which has not yet been major or minor triangulated ; and 6000 acres of section surveys in the Seventy Mile Bush District. The above named surveys, if approved, will be let by contract. This year I propose to fix a few bench marks for land tranfer surveys, in the town of Napier. Horace Baker, Chief Surveyor.