Tuousox.—Colonial Standard Survey. 108 
on those in their immediate neighbourhood. Thus, therefore, before 
triangulation could be finally reduced, and all its parts harmonised, it is 
necessary either that the whole of the- angular and of the linear measure- 
ments shall be completed, or that they shall have so nearly approached 
completion, that what remains to be done may hereafter be fitted with what 
has already been done without any serious violation of principle. It is 
only of late years that the operations of the survey have been sufficiently 
advanced towards completion to justify the commencement of the final 
reductions. "These reductions, however, are now being proceeded with, and 
the time has arrived when publication may be commenced." 
I may add that when the above remarks were made, the primary and 
secondary triangulations of India had not been eight or ten years in opera- 
tion, but 71*; and lately, during many years, employing 80 officers, with 
their staffs, at an annual eost of £70,000. + To those having local ‘experi- 
ence it will be evident that till these reductions have been made no titles or 
Crown grants, based on ** rough diagrams " and “approximate meridians,” 
could safely issue. This delay, we know, would not be borne by the people 
and their representatives for one year, much less eight, ten, or 71 years. 
But to the local surveyor it will also be apparent that such an accumulation 
of “ rough diagrams” and * approximate" bearings in the records of so 
large an establishment as the General Survey Departmeut of New Zealand 
would amount to a vast perpetuation of the evils which it is now the object 
of the Government to prevent. 
It is necessary here to remark that primary triangulation as applied to 
colonial settlement survey can scarcely be considered even as an experiment. 
It was attempted in Australia, but had to be discontinued, owing to its cost 
and tardiness. + In no other part ofthe British dominions, nor in the United 
States of America, has it been applied as a concurrent and ruling process 
with or over settlement survey, and in regard to actual survey all that can 
be said of it is this, that in old, long-settled and wealthy countries, by 
* breaking down ” the triangles it has been available in controlling the 
chain measurements of properties and estates, whose boundaries having 
been long built or fenced needed no haste for their delineation. Here the 
contrary is the case, for no sooner does an immigrant settler pay for his 
land than he expects possession and titles. 
The only question of importance then that remains is this—do primary 
and secondary triangulation secure superior correctness in section survey ? 
This question must be answered in the negative, as we know from actual 
* Markham, 1. c. page 292. 
+ Report on Indian Surveys, 1871-2. 
1 Report General Survey of Vietoria, 1859-60. 
