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30

sumed their normal state. We have also had very few earthquakes or tremors during the year, and the disturbances reported from the Taupo volcanic district in January last did not in any way affect our springs, &c, thus showing a marked difference from those taking place at Tarawera, which usually influence the springs, &c, about Eotorua. The works I undertook at the Great Pohutu Geyser in 1888, and again in 1890, to cause it to play more regularly, having been disturbed, it has again resumed its irregularity, and sometimes it is several weeks without being in eruption. The cost of putting it right again would not be much, but, owing to the want of proper control over the Natives, who interfere with the works, I do not think it would be advisable to do any work there at present. The experimental works at Waikite, to accelerate the terrace. formation of that place, are making very good progress, but it would require constant supervision and care to make it the success which it certainly deserves. The artificial geyser in the sanatorium grounds is still active, and, having it pretty well under control, I occasionally fix it so as to play 25ft. to 40ft. high, when it is a great source of attraction and wonder to visitors. C. Malfboy, Overseer of Works.

APPENDIX No. 7. EXTEACTS FBOM EEPOETS OF THE CHIEF SUEVEYOES IN CHAEGE OF DISTEICTS FOE THE NINE MONTHS ENDING THE 31st MAECH, 1892.

AUCKLAND. Triangulation. —The work under this head has been small, having only an area of 9,463 acre 3, costing £36 45., or a mean of o'9d. per acre. The work has been done for the purpose of checking and connecting section surveys by Messrs. H. D. M. Haszard in the Piako and Hapuakohe Survey Districts, and W. J. Wheeler in the Kaeo Survey District. Mr. F. Simpson has also some ten square miles completed in the field, but diagrams are not yet in. Rural Sections. —Under this heading the return for the nine months has been very large, having a total area of 137,504 acres, costing £7,570 3s. Bd., or a mean of 1-ls. per acre, which may be considered as a low cost, considering that nearly all the work has been in heavy forest and broken country. Of the total area just mentioned, the staff has surveyed 111,814 acres, at a cost of £5,864 15s. 5d., or a mean of Is. per acre; whilst authorised surveyors, at schedule rates, have surveyed 25,690 acres, at a cost of £1,705 Bs. 3d., or a mean of l'3s. per acre. Analysing the work done by authorised surveyors, we find 22,237 acres surveyed of land taken up as "unsurveyed," the cost being deposited by applicants. These amounted to a total cost of £1,317 4s. 9d. Then, in the isolated districts north of Auckland, &c, we have 2,206 acres surveyed at schedule rates, at a cost of £269 3s. 6d.; and finally, under the homestead clauses of the Land Act, there have been 1,247 acres surveyed, costing £119: the total of 137,600 acres giving a mean area for each section of 236 acres. I may here mention that I regret losing, by transfer to the Wellington District, the services of Mr. J". McKay, an energetic and painstaking surveyor. Town Section Survey. —Under this heading no work practically has been done; but the standard survey of the City of Auckland and suburbs, begun by the late Mr. Edgecumbe, has been completed and mapped by Mr. H. A. Warner, and some sixteen standard sheets prepared. This will be lithographed shortly for use of city surveyors, &c. Native Land Court Surveys. —The work completed under this heading has been for Native Land Court and Native-land purchase surveys ; also for the purpose of issuing Crown grants to Natives, the costs of which have been defrayed or advanced by Government. The grand total is 268,653 acres, costing £2,981 17s. lid., or a mean cost of o'2s. per acre. Of this, the staff surveyed 23,095 acres, of which 20,332 acres, costing £378, were for the purpose of issuing Native grants in the parish of Matata. The principal surveys for which cost has been advanced being in the Eohepotae, known as the King-country, the Oamaru Block subdivisions, near Opotiki, and the subdivisions of the Harataunga Block, Hauraki Mining District. In addition to the above, authorised surveyors have surveyed an area of 28,996 acres in some twenty blocks, the cost of which has been paid by the Native owners under private arrangement or at schedule rates, giving a grand total of Native Land Court surveys containing 297,649 acres. The examination, recording, tracing, and comparing these blocks with the orders of Court is a severe tax upon the office staff, and is one which the public generally are not cognisant of. Gold-mining Surveys. —Under this heading there has been a great falling-off of work owing to a depression hanging over the mining industry. Only thirty-four sections, containing 819 acres, have been received and recorded during the nine months; these cost £392 14s. 10d., or a mean of 9'6s. per acre. Mr. Baber has laid out some business sites for the Warden at Waihi, but they have not as yet been mapped. Boads, Baihvays, and Water-races. — The staff has surveyed some fifty-two miles of roads exclusive of roads surveyed for section surveys. These have cost £573 6s. 9d., or a mean of £11 per mile. They have been surveyed either under rights reserved through Native lands, in "taking" roads under the Public Works Act, or in surveying roads to give access to land about to be subdivided. The sum of £15 is set down under this head, being Mr. Philips's expenses incurred by the Akaaka Natives pulling down a trig, station and obstructing him in the section work, for which the principal offenders were severely punished by the Supreme Court.