LAND REGULATIONS

When sections front or back on navigable water, the boundary must never depend on the water-line. The Land Regulations direct that a roadway one chain wide is in such cases always to be reserved. When such a road seems to be required by the public convenience, it is to be laid out, not necessarily exactly at high water mark, but, taking other considerations into account, the sections can be brought to the road either without or within high water mark. When such a road does not seem to be required, then a traverse must be run along stretches of about a chain on the average within high water mark, disregarding altogether minor sinuosities; and that line must be made the boundary of the sections.

8. LAND PURCHASED PREVIOUS TO SURVEY.

It has been a condition of the purchase of land sold by the Government previous to survey, that the boundaries are to be taken as the Surveyor shall define them; but as the purchasers have clearly a right to the portions of land which they bought, and the provision quoted was only adopted as a safeguard to the public interests, the Surveyor must lay off those sections with no greater deviation from their original boundaries than may be absolutely required for public convenience. In some cases the claimants have, with the sanction of the Waste Land Board, had their lands surveyed by a private Surveyor; but as in these surveys regard was had only to the private interests of the buyer, it may still be necessary to alter such sections, and especially to lay off roads through them; but when alterations are found necessary, efforts should be made rather to benefit than to injure the estate; if varying its form; and all improvements made must, if the claimant desires it, be included in his section, although to do so symmetrically may necessarily involve some increase in the area.

9. In open land, all corners of sections must be pegged. When sections back deep in the forest, it is not necessary to put in the back boundary pegs; but where the back line is not cut and chained, the front one must always be so. When the sections back upon a river or stream, it should be traversed in as long lines as possible, and properly branded traverse pegs put in at all the stations. Sections should never, if it can be avoided, be carried across considerable rivers. When the back boundary of sections is a straight driving line, it must always be cut and chained. When the sides lines of sections are parallel, and the front and back lines are not, the respective lengths of the latter must be previously calculated trigonometrically, and the proper distances for placing the pegs be noted in the field-book. The length of the front and back lines being thus previously determined, the distances should be accurately chained, and the pegs put in, great care being taken to number them correctly. The pegs should be from 2 to 2½ feet long, according to the nature of the ground; of sound dressed timber—totara, matai, kowhai, miro, or rata—3in. x 3in. for section pegs, and 3in. x 5in. for road pegs; the heads of them should not stand more than 6 inches above the ground. All corners of sections at the intersections of roads should also be marked by trenches (lock-spitted).

In all cases, ranging pegs with arrow brands are to be put in on the side lines of sections; three claims back from the front pegs; and, when the section backs in bush, a second ranging peg is to be put in, at least two chains behind this first; or, if the forest is within that distance from the front, then the side line is to be cut one chain into it. In long grasses the lines from the front to the ranging pegs should be cut. The positions of all pegs must be noted in the field-books, and marked on the map by red circles.

11. The field-work should always be plotted in the camp as the work goes on, but the finishing of the map can best be done at the Head Office. In either case the Surveyor must thoroughly inform himself of the practice of the Office as to mapping, as uniformity in this respect is essential. The Surveyor will require to keep a neat and orderly field-book, which must be delivered at the Office when the work is concluded. At the end of the field-book there should be kept an account of the wages of the men employed, of the price and payment for contract line-cutting, and of all expenses incurred; and, on the completion of each block, a return must be made up showing the whole cost involved in the survey. He should also keep a pass-book from the tradesman who supplies provisions, and should have every article furnished entered in it by him, so as to be certain that he receives it. The ordinary contract prices are—For forest lines, 5s 6d a chain; for grass ditto, 3d; and for flax or scrub, at prices intermediate between these. Whenever anything beyond the ordinary price is paid, special explanation from the Surveyor ought to accompany the voucher.

12. Whenever the Trigonometrical Stations are found to be at all defaced, care must be taken to restore them in every point to their original condition. The angles should be carefully taken, in order to make sure that they have not been shifted.

TWOBURRIT’S PLAINS.
Chief Surveyor.

Invercargill, August 16, 1862.

Superintendent’s Office,
Southland, 27th August 1862.

NOTICE.

INVERCARGILL AND RIVERTON JETTIES.

In pursuance of the power vested in the Superintendent by the "Jetties and Wharves Ordinance, 1858," of the Province of Otago, T. M. Hocken, Esq., Deputy Superintendent of the Province of Southland, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Province of Southland, do hereby make the following Regulations for the management of the Jetties and Wharves in the Ports of Invercargill and Riverton, in the said Province: And I do hereby declare that the several sums of money specified and mentioned in the following Regulations shall be levied and taken as Tolls, Dues, and Wharfages by the Keepers of the Jetties and Wharves in the said Ports respectively.

REGULATIONS.

1. Every vessel occupying a berth at, and every vessel making fast to, any wharf or