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The works carried out in the Nelson District are detailed in the Chief Surveyor's report. They consist of road improvement and extension in many districts—useful work locally, but of not much interest outside the district. The main road from Belgrove to Westport and also that from Inangahua to Reefton has been kept in repair, and a large bridge at Mangles, on a branch of the main road, has been built. In Marlborough, a complete system of roading has been finished in the Scarborough and Richmond Brook estates, to facilitate the operations of the new settlers, and many other useful works have been in hand in Sounds County and other parts. The work of colonial interest in Marlborough is, however, that part of the main south road from Kaikoura to Conway River, and onwards to Cheviot, which will form the main line from Blenheim to Christchurch. The works at the Kahautara Bluff have proved to be difficult and tedious owing to slips, but good progress has been made, and the road should be open from Kaikoura to the Conway River directly. The great want on this main road is, however, a bridge over the Waiau River ; on the completion of that communication will be easy and certain by this important route. The main roads in Westland have been maintained in repairs and improved, notably the Hoki-tika-Christchurch and the Reefton-Hokitika-Ross roads, besides many other local roads which have also been extended and improved. In Canterbury, a good deal of work has been done in connection with roads to improve some of the estates acquired under the Land for Settlements Act. The main road from Fairlie to the Hermitage has been improved and maintained, and likewise that portion of the Hokitika-Christ-church Road within the Canterbury District (fifty-one miles). In addition, various other works connected with roads, reserves, The Hermitage, &c., have been carried out as detailed in the Chief Surveyor's report, to be found in the Appendix. Perhaps the principal work undertaken in the Otago District has been the improving of the Waikawa-Catlin's main road and the series of settlement roads in that locality, but many other works have been carried out, largely with the assistance of the local bodies. In Southland, a considerable number of separate works have been in hand, many of them directly under the local bodies. Something has been done towards opening the grand scenery of the West Coast mountains and fiords to the tourist, by the formation of the track from Milford Sound to Te Anau over McKinnon's Pass, by the erection of a hut at George Sound and the placing of boats on the little lakes along which the track leads from Lake Te Anau, and a contract is in progress for cutting a track through from Lake Manapouri to Doubtful Sound. The fine new steamer " Te Anau " has been running constantly during the season, giving great satisfaction. The small subsidised steamer on Manapouri has also been a convenience to visitors to Hot Lake. Particulars of these and other works will be found in the Chief Surveyor's report, in the Appendix.

HEAD OFFICE. Maps, Etc. Mb. F. W. Flanagan, Chief Draughtsman, reports:— The average out-turn of regular work in the drawing office for the year has been about the same as last year, notwithstanding the frequent employment of the draughtsmen on miscellaneous departmental duties, and the urgent demands on their services for varied work of every description for seventeen other departments of the service. The routine work and office maps and records have been kept up to date with regularity. The index county maps have been posted up, as a rule, on receipt of the tracings and returns from the district offices. The examination of plans and schedules of lands taken by proclamation under the Public Works Acts and Land Act for roads, .&c., has taken up a great deal of the time of one draughtsman. Due regard has been given to the necessity of issuing expeditiously land-sale poster maps and pamphlets relating to the disposal of land : to that end one and sometimes two draughtsmen have been continuously employed. The new map of the colony referred to in last year's report has been brought almost to completion. This map is constructed on the rectangular-tangential system of projection, designed by Colonel Sir Henry James, E.E. It has been drawn to the scale of eight miles to an inch, on two sheets, from the most recent trigonometrical and topographical data. From these originals, photographic reductions to the ten-mile scale will be made. The map is an admirable specimen of draughtsmanship, and reflects great credit on Mr. G. P. Wilson. One of the most important duties of the office —the publication of mile-to-the-inch district maps—has been continued as usual. Twenty-one new maps of survey districts have been printed and published, viz. : Blackhead, Pourerere (both drawn at the Head Office), Kongahu, Wai-iti, Mawhera-iti, Kawatiri, Inangahua. Oparara, Arapawa, Orieri (all drawn at the district offices), Coldstream, Fighting Hill, Mount Hutt, Ellesmere, Okain's, Mount Thomas, Rangitata (all drawn at the Head Office), Wakaia and part of Wart Hill, Wendon, Wendonside, and part of Greenvale (drawn at the district office), and Teviot (drawn at the Head Office). Mile-to-the-inch maps of the following survey districts have been revised and published as new editions, viz.: Ngatimaru, Grey and Arnold, Eangiora, and Akaroa. There is no data at the Head Office for the construction of new maps of survey districts beyond what is required for Geraldine district. Maps of the West Coast and central districts of Wellington, and the districts situated between the Rangitata and Waitaki Rivers in Canterbury, are urgently required, both for departmental and public information. Maps of the following towns, villages, &c., have been printed and published, viz. : Towns of Seddon, Picton, Te Puia, and Lochiel; Villages of Makukupara and Awakino; and Block XII., Waikawa District.

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