C—i

38

WESTLAND. Minor Triangulation and Topographical. —This comprises a small area overtaken by Mr. Wilson, in the Waiho and Gillespies districts, and completes the topography of the country immediately west of Mount Tasman. Rural and Suburban. —Of the 5,068 acres completed during the year, 317 acres were new surveys of old selections scattered over the district, 4,000 acres were surveys of blocks for landless Natives, and the remainder comprised revision surveys in the Kokatahi and Totara districts. Gold-mining Surveys. —During the year fifteen special claims, aggregating 1,046 acres, were surveyed. The cost of this work was greatly increased, owing to protracted bad weather and the high snow-bound character of the country. Road Surveys.— Of road surveys, a total of thirty-three miles has been finished, comprising Fox Glacier. Boad, the widening of Cook Biver Plat Boad, and portions of the Doughboy-Hokitika Valley Boad, as well as certain deviations of the Christchurch Boad. Mr. C. B. Douglas has been employed in exploring for and grading the permanent road-line up the Whitcombe Valley, in making tourists tracks at Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, in erection of hut at the latter, and in the exploration of the Totara and Waitangi Valleys. He likewise assisted Mr. Wilson for a short time in his topographical survey at Cook Valley. Proposed Operations for 1898-99. —1t is proposed that Mr. Wilson should complete some very urgent revision surveys around Boss, cut up a block for settlement at Omatamatea, make, the necessary surveys for the proposed deviation of the Main South Boad to Waitaha, and also of sundry smaller works in the southern district. Mr. Smyth should complete the revision surveys at Kokatahi, and lay out certain proposed road-works, and attend to mining and other surveys as may be required. Mr. Douglas should complete the survey of the road-line from Price's Flat to Whitcombe Pass, and erect a tourist hut at Fox Glacier and explore the Wataroa and Poerua Valleys. W. G. Muebay, Chief Surveyor.

CANTEBBUBY. Rural and Suburban. —ll9,3sl acres, including the area carried forward from last year, were surveyed into 103 sections, at a mean cost of os. -32 per acre. Of this area, only 2,261 acres comprise lands acquired under the Land for Settlements Acts—viz., the Hekeao Settlement, 2,209 acres, surveyed by Mr. Mathias; and the Pawaho Hamlet, 52 acres, surveyed by Mr. McGlure. Of the balance, Mr. Broderick has completed the survey of and mapped 2,740 acres ; Mr. McClure has mapped 58,063 acres, being Midland Bailway Blocks Nos. 42 and 43, and part of 53, carried forward from last year; he has also surveyed and mapped 945 acres of scattered surveys situate in the Grey Survey District and at Cheviot. Mr. Mathias has mapped 54,960 acres of Midland Bailway Blocks Nos. 53 and 54, carried forward from last year, and has also surveyed and mapped 382 acres of scattered surveys in various parts of the district. The Midland Bailway Block surveys are now up to date. Mining Surveys. —333 acres were surveyed, comprising ten claims, nine of which, containing 233 acres, were surveyed by Mr. Broderick, and they were taken up for opal-mining. These are situated on the Mount Peel Bange, about twelve miles above Mount Peel Station homestead. One hundred acres were surveyed for gold-mining along the Ninety-mile Beach, between the Bakaia Biver and Lake Ellesmere, by a contract surveyor. Roads, Railways, and Water-races. —105J miles of water-races were surveyed, at a mean cost of £3 6s. 4-9 d. per mile. Five miles were surveyed by Mr. Mathias in connection with the Hekeao Settlement; 55J miles were surveyed by Mr. D. Innes Barron, in the Mairaki district, near Oxford ; and 45J- miles were surveyed by Mr. B. J. Johnston, also in the Mairaki district, between Bangiora and Oxford, for the Waimakariri-Ashley Water-supply Board. Traverse Closures. —I append the following statement, showing the results of traverse closures for the past year: —

Traverse Closures.

The above closures represents field-work done by the several surveyors during the past year. Other work which has been mapped this year by Messrs. McClure and Mathias are Midland Bail way areas, and, being composite traverses, closures are not given,

Name of Surveyor. CO CD JHH CC O o "o SH CD a fc a _o 'hh fi ta "o cu a 3 fc en 1 •-H o N CD j a 3 fc Total (Lii Error, iks.) Total Error per Mile. (Links.) Remarks. (Nature of Country,) o 9 -a ._? HHrg fl'S Spii -El °A-5 « 9 -a .2 fl'C i _£' a a rS cd * eJ a ?i M o 3 °Phi3 '. N. Brodrick k H. M. McClure ... 2 3 112 51 15-75 7-25 8-4 2-9 2-3 2-2 0-53 0-40 0-15 0-30 Bough hilly country. Part flat and part hilly country. Level land. i. 0. Mathias 3 46 17-00 5-3 4-4 0-31 0-26 Totals and means... 209 40-00 166 8-9 0-41 0-22