C.—l.

years standing not yet surveyed, which he will locate. Mr. J. Snodgrass to bring up arrears of isolated applications in tho Buller Valloy, and to extend triangulation northerly from Westport to tho quartz-reefing localities of the Mokihinui and Tumble-down Crook, connecting with the Karamea Circuit. Mr. C. Galwey to survey the isolated applications in the Ahaura Valley, revising and connecting old sectional work at the Haupiri with Mr. F. Smith's triangulation, recently carried over that part. Mr. J. Montgomerie to complete standard surveys and extension of Towns of Reefton and Black's Point. Tho remainder of the staff on arrears and current sectional and mining work, as may bo required. John S. Browning, Chief Surveyor.

WESTLAND. Major Triangulation. —Area completed, 109,270 acres, at a cost of 0-45d. per acre. It covers the Okuru and Arawata and portions of the Matakitaki, Governor's Pass, Turnbull, and Cascade Survey Districts. The work was executed by Mr. G. J. Eoberts in his usual careful and thorough style, and his closures arc again very satisfactory. This major triangulation extends to the Open Bay Islands abreast the Okuru Eiver and halfway between Jackson's Head and Arnott Point, thus including an area of 55,500 acres covered by water, and not comprised in the above 169,270 acres. If allowance for it is made, the cost of his survey will be reduced to 0-3d. per acre. Topographical and Trigonometrical Survey. —Area completed, 185,750 acres, at a cost of l-84d. per acre. Of these, 140,950 acres (within the Jackson's Bay Circuit) of minor triangulation, with topography, were the work of Mr. Eoberts; while the rest, about 45,000 acres, comprise circuit traverse work by Messrs. Murray, Smyth, and Wither. The closures in the latter work are satisfactory : the average error is three links per mile, as against 3'4 links per mile returned last year. The details of traverse closures are as under: —

Table of Closures, 1883 to 1884.

Rural and Suburban. —9,3oo acres, at a cost of 2s. 8-6d. per acre. The land surveyed consists to a great extent of small and isolated sections, and in many cases the labour involved in connecting with trig, stations has been very great, and thus the cost of survey is higher this year than at any of the previous years. Town Section Surveys. —ln the Borough of Boss, 12G allotments, at a cost of 11s. Bd. per allotment. Simultaneously with this survey twenty-eight permanent reference marks were fixed twenty-five links off the frontage lines at the intersection of all the streets. The Towns of Hokitika and Kumara remain-still to be supplied with these standard reference marks. I hope to bo able to attend to this during the current year. Gold-mining Surveys. —slo acres, at 14s. 9d. per acre. Work in this department had fallen off considerably until about two months ago, when the discovery of a gold-bearing quartz-reef in Cedar 6—C. 1.

41

SUEVEYOR. "S-9 t-i I -a w -3 O CD o 8» h .a M-r OS O 1) o a . ■3S • S > K V. G. Murray 1-8 2-0 • 2-0 2-6 1-7 74 3-8 1-4 3-7 30 5'4 1-9 0-7 1-4 1-8 5 6 9 17 12 3-9 3-0 4-5 _6'5 7-1 3. I. Lord 11-9 22-1 1-8 67 5-8 4 2-1 6-4 3-0 3-0 0-6 7-6 24' 3 10-8 10-8 1-9 3-6 3-8 3-6 3-6 3-2 77 86 66 36 11 36'7 5-6 22-0 12-0 18-3 . N. Smyth 15-0 15-1 55-4 3-G 226 G'6 1-0 2-0 3-2 2-5 2-5 3-3 5-7 86-8 2-9 7-5 8-0 8-0 3-5 5-0 16-0 5-5 2-9 3-7 2-5 3-2 1-4 1-5 2-8 84 13 14 80 80 22 '27 33 12-7 13-0 7-0 9-4 12-0 8-8 8-2 5-8 26'8 87'2 3-2 253 9-4 ,. Wither 1-7 2-7 1-9 3-0 2-2 2-4 3-1 7-0 12-4 5-0 8-7 1-5 10-6 31 4-1 4'6 2-6 2-9 0-7 4-4 1-0 23 37 46 26 12 18 3 13-5 18-7 24-2 8-7 5-5 7-5 1-0 Totals for district 9-7 17-0 48-3 2-8 165 70-8 213-0 301 711 100