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Mr. Langmuir should be required to leave the triangulation for a time in order to go on with the more pressing work of settlement survey, I would strongly recommend that he should first be allowed to carry the standard bearing to Trig. G, Eimu District, and so close with Mr. Wilmot's work. This would enable the section surveyors to base their work on true meridian, and thus avoid the necessity of applying any corrections hereafter. A larger quantity of land than usual will require to be prepared for settlement during the present year. There are fourteen runs, or parts of runs, reserved for settlement, the licenses of which expire on the Ist March, 1893. These comprise about 100,000 acres, of which 60,000 acres lie in the Lawrence District, and 40,000 acres in Naseby District. It is proposed to resume twenty-eight runs and part of another on the 31st March, 1893. These comprise 127,000 acres, of which 105,500 acres lie in Naseby District, 20,000 acres in Mr. Langmuir's, and 1,500 acres in Queenstown District — taking both classes together, say, 145,500 acres is under Mr. D. Barron, 80,000 acres is under Mr. Langmuir, 1,500 acres is under Mr. Wilmot; making a total of 227,000 acres of pastoral lands to be subdivided for settlement as rural sections and small grazing-runs. This is exclusive of about 9,000 acres now under survey by Mr. D. Barron in his own district. Then, we have to provide for the survey of from 12,000 acres to 20,000 acres of bush-lands in the Tautuku District; and I svould recommend that Messrs. Calder, McCurdie, Edie, and Falkiner be kept constantly employed in the Tautuku Bush subdividing blocks fronting on the main Catlin's-Waikawa Eoad. If you approve of this, then Messrs. Barron, Langmuir, and Wilmot would be at liberty during the greater part of the next twelve months for runsubdivisions ; but, in order to have the whole work completed by the end of the year or thereabouts, I estimate it would require the services of two extra temporary surveyors, and even with five surveyors no time should be lost in putting the work in hand. C. W. Adams, Chief Surveyor.

SOUTHLAND. Topographical Survey and Minor Triangulation.—There is nothing to record as completed under this class, but Mr. W. Darby was engaged on the temporary staff in November last, and has since then been engaged on the triangulating of about 30,000 acres of forest land in Waikawa District, and, as all stations require more or less clearing, the work is necessarily somewhat slow of progress. Mr. Darby was also, unfortunately, seriously unwell for the first few weeks after taking the field. Topographical Survey prior to Selection. —Seven hundred acres were surveyed by Mr. Tresseder in Campbelltown Hundred, for satisfying claims under the Naval and Military Settlers and Volunteers Land Acts, and this has been and will be dealt with in precisely the same manner as if it were under clause 18 of the Land Act of 1887, so far as survey and selection go. Rural and Suburban. —l] uder this class 10,049 acres were surveyed into 165 sections, chiefly for settlement purposes, but a few saw-mill and coal a.reas are included. The total cost was £1,170 19s. 2d., or at the rate of 2s. 3d. per acre, and out of this total £326 17s. 9d. was paid by fees lodged by applicants. Totvn Section Surveys. —Only 2-|- acres have been treated under this heading, and were divided into ten lots at a cost of £4 4s. Eoad Surveys. —Four miles of road were laid off at a cost of £36 Bs. 9d., or an average of £7 per mile. Other Work. —Under this heading may be noticed two items—the one an expenditure of £27 by Mr. District Surveyor Hay, incurred in visiting and reporting upon the suitability of the Auckland and adjacent islands for grazing purposes; a question which, it is to be regretted, must be answered in the negative. It may possibly be of interest to surveyors and others to record one fact noted by Mr. Hay—that of the erratic and totally untrustworthy movements of the magnetic needle in the largest of these islands, three different observations giving 44°, 66°, and 175° respectively in a westerly direction to the normal magnetic meridian. The other item was £8 15s. 4d. incurred in fixing position of a reef lately found off Dog Island. The site of the Te Anau Jetty has now been fixed, and the work is in progress. In all probability the jetty will be completed by the beginning of July. Inspection, d~c. —Much of my time has been occupied in inspecting roads and Crown lands under survey, as well as in travelling about the district to make myself personally acquainted with local wants and grievances; also in visiting the large number of pastoral runs which were classified early in the year. Office-work. —In the Land Transfer branch 29 plans were examined and passed at a cost of £30; 23 applications similarly treated at a cost of £8; 432 diagrams were placed on certificates of title for £44; 53 leases were prepared and 3 plans of roads to be taken or closed were dealt with besides 2 plans of lauds to be taken under the Public Works Acts for railway purposes; 4 lithographs of lands opened for settlement were printed, at a cost of £8; 39 plans were placed on perpetual leases, 2 on coal, 6 on gold-mining, and 2 on other leases, besides 24 on pastoral licenses ; 24 plans were mounted on calico and 72 on cardboard for use in Land Office; 27 lithographs were also mounted. Work done for other Departments. —The principal item under this class was the revision of plans and schedules for the triennial assessment of the Property-tax Department. This work was in hand after my previous report went in. The total cost was £79 Bs. 4d., and that for the period subsequent to the Ist July last £32 15s. The other items were trifling amounts for services performed for local bodies, &c ; £23 9s. has been collected in the Survey Office for sundry fees. Future Operations. —Owing to the strong demand for land which has been experienced within the last few months, it has been found necessary to considerably strengthen the field staff, three temporary surveyors having been engaged since November last, and probably one or two more will