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would appear as if the landowners in this district do not realise the advantage of bringing their holdings under the Land Transfer Act, greatly owing probably to the bad state of the old surveys, which necessitate costly and elaborate survey work to comply with the modern requirements for a sound title. Proposed Survey Operatio-ns for the Present Year. —The surveys required to legalise roads— most of them already formed—are chiefly in the Sounds County. These will take the undivided attention of one surveyor, and, if much progress is required, another should be detailed to this work. The settlement work in this district is composed chieHy of small isolated pieces of Crown lauds, situated behind land already taken up. This is almost entirely situated in the Sounds and Pelorus Districts. I do not expect that we shall be able to open up any large blocks during the coming year, because most of such land is in the hands of the sawmillers. It is proposed to undertake the revision and extension of the standard survey of the Town of Picton during the coining winter, if we have a surveyor available. Some attention should also be paid bo the standard survey of Blenheim, which should be extended to meet the requirements of subdiviskmal surveys in the suburbs. These works will more than keep the present staff fully employed. Three field surveyors have left the district, and one has been added to the field staff. One surveyor's time will be largely taken up in surveying applications under the Mining Districts Land Occupation Act and sawmill areas. The total cost of services performed by the survey staff has been £3,100 10s. lOd., but if the portion of the cost of the Mangamaunu Block which should be repaid by the Native owners is credited to the work done in this district the total cost should be £2,649 Is., less recoveries from Land Transfer Department, Court orders, and Agricultural Department, £27 19s. 2d. Office-work. —By the completion of the one-mile-to-the-iuch maps of Linkwater and Cape Campbell Survey Districts, the goal for which we have been striving for so many years has at last been reached—viz., the lithographing of the whole of the survey districts. This work having been completed, the opportunity was taken to prepare a plan which has long been urgentl}' required (owing to the original having become obsolete), showing topography, roads, towns, stations, post, telegraph and telephone offices, &c, ion a scale of 2 miles (for reduction to 4 miles) to an inch, of the whole of the Marlborough Land District. This map was completed during the present year, and, as it embodies all the recent surveys, will be found to be very useful to the office and the general public. The completion of an allotment-book, index maps, arrears in block sheets, and record maps has yet to be undertaken. 50 plans of sectional, Native, Land Transfer surveys, and 44 miles of roads were examined and approved ; 104 diagrams were drawn on 52 certificates of title, 371 diagrams on 117 Crown leases, 110 diagrams on Native Land Court orders, and 102 diagrams on mining leases, besides the usual tracings of reserves, road surveys for proclamation, and miscellaneous office-work. F. Stki'hkxson Smith, Chief Surveyor.

WESTLAND. Geographical Survey. —Under this heading 217,860 acres has been returned during the past year. Of this area, 208,000 is noted in Table 1 as topographical, and comprises rough, denselybushed country with high, rough, mountain tops, very little, if any, being fit for settlement. The cost of this worked out at a little over Id. per acre. The balance, 9,860 acres, is noted as exploration survey, and comprises areas in the Valleys of the Okuru, Karangarua, Wataroa, and other South Westland rivers. This is also densely-bushed country, and it has been very thoroughly explored by means of compass work, and in some instances theodolite traverse along the rivers, for the purpose of ascertaining what areas are suitable for subdivision for settlement. When undertaking this work the surveyors go very carefully into the matter of probable road location, general " lay " of the country, quality of soil, timber, &c, and from the maps sent in areas can be selected for subdivision, and schemes of roading and sections arranged. The cost of this class of work is just under s'4d. per acre, which, considering the amount of detail and valuable information obtained, is very reasonable. Rural and Suburban. —Work returned under this heading amounts to 10,967 acres, and comprises blocks subdivided for settlement, and a large proportion of isolated areas taken up under the Regulations for the Occupation of Pastoral Lands in Westland, and under the Mining Districts Land Occupation Act. In bush country the survey of these isolated holdings is necessarily very expensive, and the average cost per acre—viz., 3'9s.—is not at all excessive. It is anticipated that as the above-mentioned tenures become better known the number of applications will largely increase, and the overtaking of the surveys will fully occupy the time of at least two surveyors during the next twelve months. Gold-mining Survey. —Very little work has been done in this class during the year, the number of plans sent in being only four, two being of special claims surveyed by a private surveyor. Town Sectio-n Survey. —There is no return under this head for the past twelve months, though there is an item under the head of "Other Work" against the uncompleted subdivision of the Township of Rohutu. It is intended that the survey shall be completed, and the sections put on the market during the ensuing year. Roads. —Under this heading 46 miles of roads located and surveyed is returned. Most of this is through bush country. The return does not include roads laid off as frontages to sections, but those laid off with a view to giving access to settlement lands. Other Wo-rk. —The principal items under this heading are inspection of surveys: administration, &c, in respect of votes and authorities for Roads, Mines, and Tourist Departments: work done for other departments ; defining disputed boundaries, residence-situs, &c. Of the cost