METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS

taken at

Dunedin, for the month of August, 1865.

Lat. 45° 52' 11" S.; Long. 170° 31' 07" E.; altitude above sea, 550 feet.

BAROMETER, REDUCED TO 32 FAH. AND SEA LEVEL.

Mean atmospheric pressure for month ... 29.865 inches
Highest pressure (on 7th) ... 30.477 "
Lowest pressure (on 2nd) ... 28.920 "
Range for month ... 1.577 "

TEMPERATURE IN SHADE.

Approximate mean temperature for month ... 43.4° Fah.
Mean maximum temperature ... 49.7 "
Mean minimum temperature ... 37.1 "
Mean daily range of temperature ... 12.6 "
Highest maximum temperature ... 60.5 "
Lowest minimum temperature ... 30.0 "
Extreme range for the month ... 30.5 "

SOLAR RADIATION.

Maximum (on 30th) ... 84
Minimum (on 3rd) ... 50
Mean for month ... 63

TERRESTRIAL RADIATION. °C.

Maximum (on 11th) ... 41
Minimum (on 14th) ... 28
Mean for month ... 34

Mean degree of humidity (saturation = 100) ... 70.7
Mean elastic force of vapour ... 0.193 inches
Mean temperature of the dew point ... 33.7 Fah.
Total rainfall on 12 days ... 3.583 inches
Mean temperature of evaporation ... 38.6 Fah.
Mean amount of sky covered (overcast = 10) ... 4.6

WIND.

Mean velocity per day for month ... 245 miles
Greatest velocity observed for 24 hours (on 15th) ... 525 "
Prevailing winds, westerly.

Henry Skey.

LIST of Persons applying for relief under the "Debtors and Creditors Act, 1862."

William Key and Henry Berwick, of Dunedin, Otago, Upholsterers.
Charles Nyulasy, late of Invercargill, Southland, now of Dunedin, Otago, late Publican.
Cunningham Gregg Boyd, of Dunedin, Otago, Licensed Victualler.
Walter George Geddes, of Dunedin, Otago, Funeral Undertaker.
Timothy Burke, of Mataura, Otago, Storekeeper.
Daniel Sullivan, of Dunedin, Otago, Master Mariner.

COMPULSORY SEQUESTRATION.

Edward Jacob Jones, of Dunedin, Otago, Draper; on Petition of Wolff Harris, of Melbourne, Victoria, and also of Dunedin, Otago, Merchant, trading as Bing, Harris & Co.

SURVEY ANNUAL REPORT.

Survey Office,
Dunedin, 5th September, 1865.

To the Provincial Secretary.

Sir,

I have the honor of forwarding to you the Annual Return of Work executed by the Staff Surveyors of this Department, by which it will appear that 613 square miles have been submitted to minor triangulation, 96,130 acres have been surveyed and laid off into rural sections, and 1601 allotments have been marked off in various townships.

The primary operations that regulate and govern all the above surveys, viz., those comprised in the geodesical survey conducted by Mr. M'Kerrow have so far progressed as now only to leave the Wakatipu and Te Anau Districts uncompleted.

The cost of the above service will be seen, on referring to the returns, to be £1147 7s. 3d., for the geodesical survey. For this amount, as will appear from Mr. M'Kerrow's letter, dated 28th July, herewith appended, the whole of the Northern districts have had standard referring stations fixed and built over them, the relative bearings of which being observed by the large transit theodolite belonging to the department.

The 613 square miles of minor triangulation have cost £2567 2s. 4d., equal to £4 3s. 8d. per square mile, or about three halfpence per acre. The 96,130 acres of rural section survey have cost £5245 18s. 8d., or about 1s. 1d. per acre, and the 1601 town allotments have cost £843 16s. 9d., or about 10s. 6½d. each.

Regarding the cost of the geodesical survey operations conducted by Mr. M'Kerrow, I need say little, as the high importance of this service to all future surveys of the Province is now well established. In reference to the cost of minor triangulation, while this year it is rather below the rate of last year, it is still higher than what the same operations cost prior to the gold discoveries. Yet I am bound to observe that the officers conducting these operations have attained a degree of excellence both in mapping, observing, and substantially of field work that did not exist, nor could be expected to exist, in the earlier periods of this branch of the service.

Of rural section survey it will be seen that the quantity executed is about half of the same last year—96,130 acres standing against 191,981 acres last year. The cause of this has been the reduction of the staff to nearly half its former strength, and also the change of system called for by the measures of the Provincial Council in reference to the sale of Waste Lands. Notwithstanding the interruptions and loss of time caused by the alteration of system of survey, the cost has not been increased in a material degree, this year's rate appearing at 1s. 1d. per acre against 11¼d. last year.

This branch of the department will now be much affected by the nature of the selections made, and when these are in bush, and on rugged country such as on Mount Cargill, the task of the surveyor is not only arduous, but costly. Much of Mr. Mackenzie's survey has been in very difficult country of the above nature, which fully accounts for his higher than usual rate.

Regarding the cost of the survey of town allotments, I may make no remark further than, as compared with former years, it is moderate.

I have added to the official return the work executed by special surveyors, as the quantity done this year in this manner is of considerable extent, viz., 6423 acres. These surveys have been executed in laying off pre-emptive rights of runholders; so being distant and at wide intervals all over the Province, the cost has been necessarily greater than the cost of the staff survey. The relative cost of these surveys are affected by the nature of the country, and the distances to be travelled rather than by the actual acreage laid off.

In regard to the operations of this coming season, I would recommend that Mr. M'Kerrow continue at the geodesical survey till its completion, that the minor triangulation proceed in the same manner as last year, and in regard to rural and town section survey, these branches must conform to the wants of the public, and the nature and extent of applications for land. In the meantime, I have two surveyors stationed at Hampden, one in Dunedin, one at Tokomairiro, and one at Popotunoa, whose duty it is to make surveys of the various applications for land in their districts as required by settlers and purchasers.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

J. T. Thomson,
Chief Surveyor.