C—4a.

deserted, I was generally kept very short-handed. During the latter portion of the winter, Paiaka promised payment to men employed, but I could not get him to consent to ray taking this under my control, and Natives, even those of his own hapu, and therefore interested in the survey, placed no confidence in the fulfilment of promises to pay made by himself. During the summer months, a further delay occurred from the 11th January to the 12th February, through Hoani Paiaka's interfering with the survey and bringing Mr. Field down to town ; with the particulars of this you are already fully acquainted. I have charged Mr. Field's salary during this period in the estimate of cost of field work. On an agreement to sell being signed by the Native claimants subsequent to my first return from Tuhua, otherlands were included in the south side of the original block. This, of course, necessitated the additional work which Mr. Alzdorf pertormed. Most of the facts above noticed for your information, were duly reported to the Land Purchase Branch of the Native Department on mv return to Wanganui at the end of August 1874. The Kirikau block is mostly covered with rough hilly bush, with fern flats here and there in tlie bends of the Wanganui River. The Kokakonui and Kokakoriki gullies are partly open, the latter, together with the hills rising on each side of it, is covered, for the most part, with light second, growth and fern, (" hunua ") the original bush having been destroyed by fire. Both these gullies afford tolerable access to the back of the block. The portion added to the block at the Te Rauwhare, contains a few hundred acres of undulating fern land rising gradually as it recedes from the Wanganui River. The portion added to the block at Te-Iringa-o-te-Whiu, and extending down the Onuha Stream to the Kawautahi, is all bush and mostly hilly. Good sawing timber, including totara, rimu, and matai, is to be found in most of the bush gullies. The soil is of good character in all parts of the block. Traverses have all been properly pegged with the exception of portion of the river traverse, which. could not be pegged in a permanent manner at every traverse angle. This portion of the traverse, however, was well connected with minor trig, points on hills near the river, and totara pegs were driven at angles of traverse in positions above the level of freshets, pegs have been placed in accordance with the rule I have generally adopted in other portions of the district to the south of all trignometrical stations erected in connection with the Tuhua surveys. I have, &c, J. W. A. Marchant, Esq., Donald Hugh Munro, Deputy-Inspector of Surveys, Wellington. District Surveyor.

Further Delay:

Additional

Lands included

Description oi Kirikau Block

Pegging:

Mr. Walter Alzdorf to Mr. Marchant. Sir, — Wanganui, July 8, 1875. I have the honor to forward, in accordance with your instructions, the following Report, on my survey of the Retaruke Block; and the completion of the survey of the Kirikau Block, the work was performed with a plain sin. theodolite, and owing to the very rough nature of the country the determination of the lengths of most of the boundary^ lines was done by trig., based upon Mr, Monro's trig., on Kirikau Block, whilst traverses were made of the Wanganui and Retaruke Rivers, 7,400 links cut and chained from Porere Station to connect south boundary of Kirikau Block and traverse of Kawautahi, to trig, traverse of Tutae Ahua Stream from Te Rauwhare to Otukelm, in all about twelve miles. Throughout this work I experienced no interruption from any Natives, but on the contrary, they were always very willing to allow me to take the boundaries as would best suit nature of the country and positions for trig, stations. This block contains 20,600 acres, of which about 5,500 is open fern land, remainder broken hilly country covered with bush; and throughout the block, character of the soil is good. The cost of the survey was £174, in this estimate my own salarj' and all expenses whilst employed in the field are included ; a few of the trig, stations used in the survey of this block had been cleared by Messrs. Field and McDonnell, and observations connecting' these were made by Mr. Monro. In the springtime, the cost of this would be about £40, making in all £214 or 2^d. per acre. The land south of this block, claimed by Te Piki Kotukuand others, is the same style of country, but the block to the east is flatter and more open in its character. Ilmnana Tua Block which was not completed in consequence of survey being stopped by Topine te Mamaku had cost up to time of stoppage £75. Hilly country covered with bush. The greater portion of the original Kirikau Block had been surveyed by Mr Monro during the winter of 1874, owing, however, to other lands being included, south of the original boundary, at the time of agreement to sell to the Government being entered into by the Native owners, it was necessary to traverse the Wanganui River, southward of the original boundary, and also to survey the greater portion of southern-eastern boundaries for the purpose of including such lands. Mr. 11. Field was sent under my instructions to traverse a bush ridge which formed the northern boundary of the Kirikau Block, from Kuirau to Te-Iringa-o-te-Whiu ; also to traverse the Olmlia Stream, thence to his junction with my own work at Te Patete. Between Kuirau and Te Patete there was but one point on his traverse by which he could connect with the trig-., his traverse, however, closed within a link in tea chains both on this point and on Te Patete, although the whole distance of nine miles was through rough bush, and although his traverse lines did not average more than three chains in length. In all cases my surveys have been permanently marked. Trig, stations, totara or maire blocks five inches square and three feet long', south of pole; traverses at every half-mile, three stout pegs at each station visible one from the other, also small intermediate pegs where practicable. I have, &c, J. W. A. Marchant, Esq., Walter Alzdorf. Deputy-Inspector of Surveys, Wellington.

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