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Milling Surveys. —Under this heading, out of the 823 acres, surveyed in twenty-nine sections, seven sections are in different localities, and the remaining twenty-two sections are on and about the summit of the dividing range, at the head of Cullen's and Waikakaho Streams, at an altitude of about 3,000 ft. The latter were surveyed in conjunction with the minor triangulation. They are all in heavy busH" country, and, as remarked in minor triangulation, a good deal of time was lost on account or wet and foggy weather. Mr. Goulter was engaged on this work and the triangulation for about six months of the year. Office and Land Transfer Work. —Forty-three surveyors' plans have been received, examined, and recorded during the year, and five new block sheets compiled, and the various surveys plotted thereon and on the record-maps. In connection with the Land Transfer branch, eight plans were received, examined, and passed, dealing with nine original sections, subdivided into seventy-one lots', and covering an area of 253 acres. These have been placed upon the record-maps, two of which, one town and one rural, were compiled during the year. Twenty-five certificates in lieu of grants, representing seventy-five diagrams and thirty-four ordinary certificates, involving sixty-eight marginal plans, were prepared, and four applications, sixty-four mortgages, seventy-three transfers, and six leases examined and checked. The work for the Crown Lands Department has been of the usual miscellaneous character, such as placing diagrams on grazing-runs, perpetual-leases, pastoral, deferred-payment, timber, and miscellaneous licenses, descriptions, tracings, &c. Coloured lithographs and tracings of Native reserves were also prepared for the use of the Native Land Court, which recently held a sitting in this district. In addition to the above, there has been the usual correspondence, attendance on the public, and the ordinary routine work of the office, which it is unnecessary to particularise. Work for the coming Year. —The section work in hand at the commencement of the season comprises subdivision of 174 acres of reserves at Kaikoura and Picton, 900 acres on application in Kenepuru Sound, and a block of 4,000 acres on the East Coast between the Eivers Kahautara and Kiekie. The survey and granting of this block has had to stand over pending the final selection and construction of the road from Kaikoura southwards, which intersects this block; also the exploration and grading of a stock-driving track, some seventeen to eighteen miles, through the forest country from Tennyson Inlet clown the Eai Valley, to connect with the main road to Nelson at or about the junction of the Eai and BrowTi Eivers ; and a similar track, about six miles from Nydia Bay, to join on in the Eai Valley. As soon as these surveys are sufficiently advanced, contracts will be let, and the tracks cleared and opened out. These tracks are intended to open up communication with the Sounds for the benefit of the deferred-payment settlers, and the cost will be defrayed out of the accrued deferred-payment thirds. I had hoped to have got this work through this year, but more pressing demands for mining and other surveys would not admit of it being done, with only one surveyor on my staff. In addition to the above, there will be the usual calls for surveys, from time to time, from the Land Board; and I think it very probable we may be asked to undertake the survey and partition of the Native reserves in the district under the Native Land Court Act. Henby G. Clabk, Chief Surveyor.

WESTLAND. Topographical and Trigonometrical Surveys. —ln survey districts south of Okarito 41,020 acres have been surveyed, at a cost of 0-44c1. per acre : it comprises the upper reaches of Cook and Karangarua Eivers and their tributaries. Rural and Suburban Land Surveys. —Only thirty-eight isolated sections, averaging 23 acres each, and scattered over the district, have been completed : the cost of these amounted to 3s. 2Jd. per acre. Town-section Surveys. —These comprised the resurvey of the Native portion of the Town of Greymouth, and together with it was carried out the standard survey of that town. The cost of the latter could not well be separated from the cost of the section-survey proper, as the two surveys were carried on together by the same officer, and hence the cost of survey per allotment (£1 4s. 4-3 d.) is higher than it would otherwise have been. In regard to the original surveys of the Native part of Greymouth, I may state that they were carried out under the direction of the Native Department, and were made by half a dozen private surveyors, working practically without regard to previous surveys, and uncontrolled by standard or fixed points; and hence the necessity for a complete resurvey of that part of Greymouth. Owing to the many disputes amongst adjoining leaseholders, the numerous encroachments and overlappings, &c, in the most valuable or business part of Greymouth, the work proved most tedious and expensive ; thus furnishing another proof that it is wisest and cheapest to have surveys properly and systematically carried out at the first. Gold-mining Surveys. —l,Bl3 acres at ss. 2'4d. per acre. They consisted principally of licensed holdings in connection with quartz-reefs, and of special claims for dredging purposes along the seacoast of this district. The latter, with few exceptions, comprise beaches already worked or beaches and river-beds which could not be worked before owing to the large influx of water on sinking shafts ov paddocks. Various dredging-machines are in course of erection now and will be put to the test shortly ; if found to work successfully, an immense impetus will be given to beach and river mining on the coast, and large areas of known auriferous ground will be take?! up which could not possibly be worked profitably without some such appliances as these dredgers. Other Work amounts to £285 13s. 6d., consisting principally of office-work done by the surveyors in assisting in the preparation of record-maps and sets of plans and specifications for road-construction, checking property-tax and other maps, &c.