Travers.—Thomson’s System of Survey from a Legal Point of View. 285 
system, to which I need not refer, inasmuch as it forms the subject of the 
elaborate paper * read by Mr. Thomson before this society. Major Palmer 
remarks of the work done by Mr. Thomson, that it might be considered 
fairly accurate, showing that as an expedient for promoting rapid and correct 
land sales and preventing waste it had answered well; but Major Palmer 
does not recommend the adoption of this system as a general one through- 
out the colony, and, indeed, whilst giving credit for the skill and care with 
which it was carried on, he treats it only as an expedient for promoting 
rapid settlement in a country exibiting the natural features and resources of 
Otago. 
On the contrary Major Palmer distinctly points to a different system as 
being necessary in order to remedy the serious mischiefs which have 
already resulted and must continue to result from the defects in the exist- 
ing surveys over a large tract of the Colony, and to make careful provision 
for the future. 
** On this point," he says, “itis in my opinion perfectly clear that, what- 
ever be the means introduced for systematizing and carrying on future detail 
surveys and revising old ones, the basis of all such reform must be a general 
triangulation of the Colony. In support of this view there could, perhaps, be 
no more convincing proof than this—that nearly all of the really good work 
hitherto done is that which has been founded on triangulation. That nothing 
short of trigonometrical survey will produce accurate estate maps of extensive 
areas is an axiom familiar to every educated surveyor; and in New Zealand 
accuracy is of special importance, from the responsibilities incurred in 
granting land, from the preponderance of undefined section boundaries, and 
from the scattered nature of the surveys. Triangulation, moreover, is cheap, 
because it insures the desired accuracy and saves the cutting of lines; the 
country is favourable for it; the old difficulties of native interference and 
want of roads are fast disappearing ; it has been urged by the conference 
of Chief Surveyors, and by successive Secretaries and Registrars-General of 
Crown lands. Lastly, Government have already signified their assent to 
the principle, by taking a preliminary vote for this very purpose." 
It is important, moreover, to bear in mind, in connection with observa- 
tions contained in Mr. Thomson's paper as to the relative cost of money 
and time required for completing the surveys of the Colony under his 
system, and that recommended by Major Palmer, that the latter estimates 
the total cost at £100,000, and the time at ten years only 
differ materially from those suggested by Mr. Thomson, and which, so far 
as I am able to judge, are much more reasonable. 
It will have been observed that in the foregoing remarks I have relied 
* Trans, N. Z. Inst.," ante, p. 96. 
