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goldfields. The levels of the Wainihinihi Water-race now in course of construction have also been checked. Cross-sections of the Hokitika and Kokatahi Eivers are now being taken from Ocean Beach to about fifteen miles up, the distance apart for the first six miles being from 20 to 30 chains, after which they are taken every 40 chains. This work is being done in connection with claims for compensation for the proclamation of the above rivers. Road Surveys. —Three deviations of the Christchurch-Hokitika Eoad have been done by Mr. Smyth—viz., Eangiriri deviation, deviations at Moraine and Peg-leg Creek. All these were very necessary, so as to make out plans and specifications for road estimates. Mr. C. E. Douglas has lately been employed in running a grade of eight miles and a half, from Price's Flat, on Pass Eiver, to Whitcombe Pass. The first four miles of country turned out to be very bad, and the heavy rain of 30th January last brought down large land-slides, which completely destroyed their line and grade, necessitating a new route for some two miles. This and the continued wet weather delayed the progress of this work very much. The last four miles of the track is over fairly good country, and will not take much to make it passable for foot-travellers. The benched track, completed last year, has suffered from the floods very much, as in places the mountain appears to have gone into the river, leaving nothing but the bare rock, which will now necessitate blasting. Proposed Operations, 1899-1900. —Mr. Smyth will complete cross-sections up Hokitika and Kokatahi Eivers, attend to mining surveys when required, survey deviations of Main South Eoad at Waitaha Eiver, and sundry other roads south of Eoss, and likewise continue revision surveys up Kokatahi Valley. Should Mr. Wilson return from Blenheim early, some of the above surveys will be handed to him. Mr. Douglas will be employed in exploring the country lying between the headwaters of Whitcombe Eiver and sources of Wanganui, Poerua, and Wataroa, and thus define the metalliferous belts in those districts. W. G. Mueeay, Chief Surveyor.

CANTEEBUEY. Topographical Survey (for Selection). —Mr. McClure surveyed 7,758 acres of the rough forest country situate on the southern slopes of Mount Oxford that was devastated by fire in January, 1898, for the purpose of defining, without extreme accuracy, the boundaries of five pastoral runs, into which it was subdivided. This was done at a cost of 0-9 d. per acre. Rural and Suburban. —lncluding the area carried forward from last year —viz., 26,875 acres— an area of 75,917 acres has been returned as completed. This was surveyed into 224 sections, at a mean cost of 7-49 d. per acre. Of this area, 48,167 acres comprise the Waikakahi Estate, situate at the extreme south-eastern corner of the district. The survey was commenced at the beginning of November, when Messrs. Brodrick, McClure, and Mathias, District Surveyors of Canterbury, and Mr. Langmuir, District Surveyor, and Messrs. McCurdie and Neill, Assistant Surveyors, of Otago, were instructed to push on the surveys with all the speed possible, in order that the work might be sufficiently advanced to admit of the land being put into the market by the middle of March. The time at their disposal was very limited, considering the large amount of detail work to be executed, and the extreme care to be exercised in the location of section boundaries, &c. ; but, notwithstanding this, they one and all worked very long hours, and with most praiseworthy zeal and energy, to get the work completed in time ; and, as you are aware, the land was open for selection on the 20th March. At the time of writing, not a single rural section remains unallotted. The subjoined table shows the result of each surveyor's work on this estate: —

Although the Morven Township area does not come strictly under this heading, I have included it, in order to show total area and cost, the latter amounting to 8-59 d. per acre. To give some idea of the amount of actual field-work executed within this short period on this estate, the subjoined figures may be considered interesting: Section traverse, 286 miles; traverse for topography, 320J miles; section lines ranged and lock-spitted, 48 miles; number of section-pegs, 3,101; number of tubes, 136; number of pegs and other points lock-spitted, 2,436 ; chipped lines, 7£ miles. I should add, in connection with the survey of this estate, that Mr. J. E. Straehan was employed for three weeks assisting Mr. Langmuir. Soon after the survey was commenced Mr. E. H. Schmidt and Mr. W. Darby, Draughtsman and Assistant Draughtsman, were despatched from this office to the estate, the former to push on the photo-lithographic plans and the latter to assist the surveyors to compute 6—C. 1.

Name. Area. Cost. Number _. o j Time in Sections. Field ' Nature of Country. T. N. Brodrick G. H. M. McClure ... L. O. Mathias J. Langmuir W. D. E. McOurdie ... W. T. Neill .. (Morven Township, by G. H. M. McClure) Acres. 9,703 7,259 7,090 12,057 6,122 5,936 51* £ s. 351 17 260 16 359 0 381 18 150 0 183 11 41 15 a. 6 4 0 9 0 4 9 23 54 31 31 7 28 111 Months. 4 3 3i 8* 2f 2i Hilly and undulating. Nearly all flat. Chiefly undulating. Plat and undulating. Hilly and undulating. Plat. Plat. 48,218^ 1,728 19 8 285