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particular locality, as far as I could ascertain, in which the fall of snow was very heavy; but, on the contrary, the fall appeared to be a fairly even one all over this district, and it was very little heavier on the high ground than on the low, and it appears that there were no drifts, even on the high ground. In the Waikaia Valley on the low ground the fall was about 12 in. deep, and not much more on the surrounding mountains. Round the Waimea Plains and on the Dome the fall was similar to the aforementioned. In the Eyre District towards Garston and in the Kingston District the fall was from 1 ft. to 18 in. In Wairio, Wairaki, and Takitimo Districts the fall was from 8 in. on the lower ground to about 18 in. deep on the higher ground, and towards Te Anau Lake, in the Te Anau, Mararoa, and Burwood Districts, &c, the fall was fairly even, about 15 in. to 18 in. deep, and it remained generally throughout the whole land district for a considerable time owing to the frost setting in, but it had totally disappeared within a month. No loss or unusual death-rate is anticipated, although the stock was set back a little owing to the cold; but in no respect was the severity anything like the cold snap experienced in September and October last year. Your memorandum did not direct me to go over the district with the members of the Land Hoard, and before I could conveniently get up country I had to wait upon you at Edendale and Core in connection with land-purchase business. You then told me I might ask two members to accompany me up country, but as the snow was pretty well away by that time I thought it inadvisable to ask them to accompany me at that late period. I therefore went myself, and the above is Ihe result of my personal inspection, supplemented by reliable information I had previously collected. I regret being so late in forwarding this report; it should have reached you about the beginning of this month had I not been laid up with an attack of lumbago. John Hat, The Surveyor-General, Wellington. Commissioner of Crown Lands.

Approximate Coat of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (1,425 copiest, £18 13s.

Authority : John Mackay. Government Printer, Wellington.- 1904.

Price 9d.}