REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE WASTE LAND BOARD, ON THE RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY OF THE NORTH-EASTERN AND INTERIOR DISTRICTS OF THE PROVINCE OF OTAGO, executed during the months of October, November, December, and January, 1857-8, by J. T. THOMSON, Chief Surveyor.

THE North-Eastern and Interior Districts may be generally defined to include that part of the Province that stretches from Dunedin to the Waitaki, and from the ocean to the ridges of the Southern Alps.

SURVEY.

Regarding the mode of survey operations, they may be stated to adhere to the same principles as adopted in the survey of the Southern Districts, reported on to the Board under date the 2nd of June 1857; the bases of this present survey being the differences of latitude between Observation Point, Port Chalmers, which is situated in latitude 45° 48' 51.4"; and Puke Iriai, in 45° 27' 55.8" south, equal to 24.080 English miles; and between the latter position and Big Hill, situated in latitude 44° 59' 20.7" south, equal to 32.892 English miles. The above latitudes were each fixed by eighteen circum-meridional observations of the sun, taken with an excellent sextant and mercurial horizon of Troughton's manufacture.

AREA.

The extent of the districts will be seen on reference to Appendix A, together with an estimate of their natural divisions, and of which the following is an abstract:—

NORTH-EASTERN DISTRICTS.

INTERIOR DISTRICTS.

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6050

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

These districts may be described as mountainous less so on the sea-board, but decidedly so in the interior; yet the mountains enclose extensive plains, eminently adapted for pastoral occupation.

The groups of mountains are:—The Southern Alps, attaining an elevation above the sea of 12,460 feet; Benmore, 6111 feet; Dunstan, 6600 feet; Pisa, 6426 feet; Kurow, 6393 feet; Rock and Pillar, 4675 feet; Kakanui, 5195 feet; Silver Peak, 2536 feet; and Otago Peninsula, 2462 feet.

The downs are:—The Lower Waitaki, in which the highest eminence is Big Hill (962 feet); Moeraki, having no prominent elevations; and the Waikouaiti, whose most prominent elevation is at Mount Watkins (2045 feet).

The plains are:—The Upper Taieri, rising from 986 to 1550 feet above the sea, extending 30 miles in length and 18 miles in breadth; and the Upper Waitaki, rising from 1180 to 2136 feet, extending 40 miles in length and 20 miles in breadth.

The valleys are:—The Upper Clutha, having a general elevation of 1000 feet above the sea, extending 40 miles in length and 15 miles in breadth; the Manuherikia, rising from 541 feet to 1717, extending 40 miles in length and 10 miles in breadth; and the Ida Burn, having a general elevation of 1500 feet, extending 30 miles in length and six miles in breadth.

The principal rivers are:—The Taieri, having its source in Lammerlaw, from whence it flows first north-easterly, then southerly, to the sea, the distance in a straight line being 35 miles, but whose course is nearly 90 miles following the windings; the Waihemo or Shag, having its source in Kakanui Peak, from whence it flows south-easterly to the sea, the distance being 30 miles; the Kakanui, having its source in the Kakanui Mountains, from whence it flows easterly to the sea, the distance being 24 miles; the Waitaki, having its source in the Southern Alps, from whence it flows southerly through the Pukaki Lake, then south-easterly to the sea, the distance being 120 miles; the Clutha, having its source in the Southern Alps, from whence it flows south-easterly through the Wanaka Lake, then southerly, south-easterly again southerly, then south-easterly to the sea, the distance being about 130 miles as the crow flies.

The lakes are:—Pukaki, having an elevation of 1377 feet above the sea, and measuring 10 miles in length and four miles in breadth; Ohau, having