».—No. 21

6

REPORTS BY THE INSPECTOR OP SURVEYS.

Waikato and Auckland, cannot be determined within at least three miles, which makes record maps over all that district impossible. I have occasionally been referred to for rules for surveys to be performed on confiscated lands at Taranaki, Patea, and elsewhere, —-districts which I have not myself explored, and where it is not proposed that I should personally superintend the surveys. In such cases it is clear that it is impossible to give special instructions ; I therefore prepared some slight general rules of practice, the observance of which will secure uniformity in the mode of executing the work, and facilitate the closing of the whole together whenever the present subdivisions shall have passed away. These instructions have been printed, and I propose to distribute them to surveyors employed by the Government. It will be understood that they are not intended to supersede or to dispense with special instructions, which will still be required in most cases, but they merely propound in a very brief form a simple, cheap, and efficient system of survey, such as, under some modifications to meet local circumstances, is pursued in all countries where the subject has been scientifically considered, but which has been consistently ignored in many parts of this colony ; and they lay down the rules and precautions which, in my opinion, ought to be invariably followed by surveyors in the field. I have, &c, Theop. Healk, Inspector of Surveys.

RETURN showing the NUMBER and GROSS AREA of MAPS of NATIVE LAND COURT CLAIMS received at the Inspector of Surveys Office, Auckland, from 1st July, 1870, to 30th June, 1871.

RETURN showing EXTENT and COST of TRIANGULATION executed by the Inspector of Surveys Department, from 1st July, 1870, to 30th June, 1871.

Return. No. op Maps. Abea. Ketuen. No. ov Maps. Aeea. Auckland— Previous to June 30,1870 ... In year ending June 30,1871 1392 274 A. E. P. 1,863,423 0 0 318,605 0 0 Middle Island— Prior to June 30, 1870 In year ending Juno 30,1871 56 1 a. B. P. 21,715 0 0 54 0 0 Hawke's Bat— Prior to June, 30, 1870 ... In year ending June 30,1871 19 blocks, passed the Native Land Court, but not surveyed 1,666 2,182,028 0 0 57 21,769 0 0 146 54 509,133 0 0 89,411 0 0 Total. Auckland Hawke's Bay ... "Wellington Middle Island 313,180 0 0 Wellington— Prior to June 30, 1870 In year ending Juno 30, 1871 200 911,724 0 0 1,666 200 284 57 2,182,028 0 0 911,724 0 0 229,936 0 0 21,769 0 0 250 84 161,158 0 0 68,778 0 0 284 229 936 0 0 Grand Total 2,207 3,345,457 0 0 Tiieop. He. I] .LE, ispector of Surveyr.

Reitjbn. Expbnditueb. Abea Triangulated, Caipaba— Cost to 30th June, 1870 Cost to 30th June, 1871 £ s. d. 270 14 6 1,141 5 6 A B, P. Total ,.. Cost per aero 0'59 of a penny. 'atjpo, feom Napiee— For the year ending 1871 Cost per acre, 0'58 of a penny. 573,671 0 0 1,412 0 0 800 0 0 320,147 0 0 Theop. Heale, Inspec' :or of Surve' B,