one hundred and seventy-six townships with an area of $2,889,418 acres. The number of miles run in making these surveys was 8,341, at a cost of $106,409. The amount of special deposits for survey of public lands and mineral claims during the year was $29,694. The deposit for office work was $985.33. There were prepared in the office of the surveyor general 672 plats of public and Indian lands, including originals and copies for the local and General Land Office, also 24 plats of mineral surveys. 2.-SURVEYS. The surveys of public lands in the United States for the past year were as follows: Minnesota Nebraska California. Nevada Oregon Colorado. Washington Territory Utah Territory.. Idaho Territory Wyoming Territory Acres. 1,080, 046.00 3,314, 508. 30 1,872, 849. 15 859, 944.88 2, 171, 439. 56 1,605, 248. 14 867,655.85 1,003, 132. 04 474, 269.86 1,080, 685.55 2, 102, 486. 47 835, 675.06 1, 129, 227. 42 900, 599.00 946, 555. 59 27, 183.39 Total Which, added to the amount surveyed prior to 1st of July, 1875, makes an aggregate of 702,059,612 acres surveyed since the commencement of operations under the present system, and leaving unsurveyed an estimated area of 1,132,665,244 acres. 3. The following table exhibits the progress of surveys and the disposal of public lands since 1865: 20, 271, 506. 26 4.-SURVEY OF INDIAN RESERVATIONS. In pursuance of the provisions of the sixth section of an act of Congress approved April 8, 1864, (13 Stats., page 41,) and under the appropriations of $292,680 of June 23, 1874, and $191,820 of March 3, 1875, respectively, for the survey of Indian reservations, and subdividing portions of the same, there were surveyed during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, the following Indian reservations, to-wit. 1. Abstract of surveying operations in the different surveying districts under the immediate supervision of the respective surveyors general. Louisiana. The surveyor general represents that the estimate of $6,300 for clerk hire in his office is inadequate, and that it is impossible to bring up the arrears of work with the present reduced clerical force, and asks for $12,000 additional for the purpose. He urges the comple tion of surveys of public lands in the southwestern district of Louisiana, the lands in that locality being the best in the State. The modification of the homestead act of 1866 by Congress, reinstat ing the ordinary modes of disposing of public lands in Louisiana, seems to him to contemplate the resumption of ordinary private entries only after public offerings shall have taken place, and one of the effects of this act will be to stimulate the prosecution of private land claims, and the availability of certificates of location to be issued in satisfaction of such claims would have the effect of giving value to this kind of scrip and increasing the efforts of claimants to secure a resumption of the work of satisfying such claims. The surveyor general calls attention to the defects of the code of instructions, &c., under the scrip acts of 1836 and 1858, and asks that it be revised, modified, and relieved of its conflictions so that he may have a clear rule for his official conduct. The surveyor general thinks there will be a necessity of surveys to determine the quantities of donation claims in the former Greensburgh district. The question soon to be met is whether, in case applicants obtain from the proper register and receiver the usual orders of surveys under the acts of 1819, 1822, and 1826, and file them with the surveyor general, it would become his duty to contract with deputies to make the surveys, and at whose expense the work should be done. Whoever undertakes the work will have a difficult task, as each survey will develop conflicts with other long established claims or with sales, locations, or homesteads made or granted by the United States. The surveyor general recommends the closing of the crevasse called the "Jump" in the west bank of the Mississippi River, and the consequent reclamation of about ten square miles of alluvial land. He also recommends the closing of a cut made by an officer in the United States Navy through the west bank in 1862, and which has become a crevasse outlet sufficient to discharge about one tenth of the Mississippi River. The closing of these two outlets would reclaim large bodies of land for cultivation, and at the same time greatly improve the navigation of the river. Florida. The surveyor general of Florida reports the survey of the Gulf Coast from the present termination of surveys in township 50 south, range 25 east, southward; also of the mainland from township 50 south, range 25 east southward and westward, and of the islands in Lake Jesup, in township 20 south, range 31 east. Reports contracts entered into for the survey of the unsurveyed keys from Key Largo to Key West, and of the mainland south of the Everglades, and the islands in Charlotte Harbor, the islands in Dead Lake, and on the Gulf Coast from township 26 south to Casey's Key and Fort Brooke reservation. States he constructed fifty-nine township plats and furnished the local land office. Submits estimate of appropriation required for next fiscal year, including salary of surveyor general, chief clerk, draughtsman, transcrib ing clerk, rent, and contingent expenses. Total, $17,700. The surveyor general repeats his suggestions in his last annual report in relation to the Georgia boundary: "That an appropriation be made to compensate an agent to ascertain the land sold by the State of Georgia south of the present boundary, in order that the titles to the same may be passed upon by competent authority, so that such claims might be surveyed out, and the public lands be made available for settlement," &c. The surveyor general observes that the present rate of payment for running exterior and subdivision lines is too little to compensate for work well done. Nebraska.-The sum of $75,000 was appropriated for the survey of public lands in Nebraska during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876. For the survey of Indian land-, $35,872 was paid out of appropriations for that purpose made in 1874, 1875, and 1876. There was deposited $18,690 by railroad companies for field work. Under these several amounts seventeen contracts were entered into and returns were made amounting to 12,624 miles of survey, embracing 2,985,050 acres of land surveyed during the last fiscal year. During the same period, 139 township plats were protracted, and 238 copies of the same were prepared for the general and local land offices. The field notes of these 139 townships were transcribed and copies were furnished to the local and general land offices. Two hundred and seventy-eight descriptive lists of corners and quality of soil were also prepared and furnished to the proper local offices. The estimates submitted by the surveyor general for the surveying service during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, are as follows: For surveys, $88,842; for compensation of surveyor general and clerks in his office, $11,600; for incidental expenses of his office, $3,000. Minnesota. Under the appropriation of $30,000 for the survey of public lands in Minnesota, and $15,312 assigned by order of the Department out of the appropriation of $191,820, approved March 3, 1875, for the survey of Indian reservations, the surveyor general reports the following progress made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, to wit: Eight surveying contracts were entered into, the returns of which amounted to 4,250 linear miles of survey, embracing 1,080,047 acres of land. During the same period the office work was expedited to the extent of 189 plats of surveys; 136 townships, the field notes of which were transcribed, recorded, and furnished to the local land offices and to this office; and 117 descriptive sheets of corner boundaries, describing the timber and the quality of the soil, as disclosed by the field notes of the land surveyed. The surveyor general submits estimates for the surveying service in Minnesota for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, in the following manner: For surveys, $36,945; for compensation of the surveyor general and clerks in his office, $10,600; and $1,600 for incidental expenses of the office. California.--According to the report of the surveyor general, the operations of the surveying service in California during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, were as follows: Under the appropriation of $70,000 for the survey of public lands, approved March 3, 1875, there were let thirty-four contracts with deputy surveyors. The returns of the deputies show that there were 200 townships surveyed, embracing 2,574,893 acres of land, at a cost of $54,839. Under the deposit system provided by act of Congress approved March 3, 1871, thirty-eight contracts were entered into for the survey of agricultural lands, the moneys deposited by individuals going in part payment for the lands settled upon by the depositors. The amount thus deposited during the year was $13,503, of which $11,187 was for the field work and $2,316 for office work. The surveys of mines, at the cost of 129 claimants, were prosecuted, in conformity with the provisions of the act of Congress approved May 10, 1872, by mineral surveyors appointed by the surveyor general, and the office work was performed by draughtsmen and clerks, payable out of the $6,604 deposited for that purpose by the claimants as the law directs. There were twelve contracts entered into for the survey of confirmed private land claims, chargeable against the appropriation of $20,000 for that purpose and for office work incidental to this class of surveys. In making the above mentioned surveys, 8,957 linear miles were run, measured, and marked in the field, which, added to 152,332 miles surveyed prior to June 30, 1875, makes an aggregate of 161,289 linear miles surveyed up to June 30, 1876. The surveyor general states that during the last fiscal year there were 200 townships and fractional townships subdivided into sections, embracing 2,574,893 acres of public lands, 295,586 acres of confirmed private land claims, and 6,183 acres in the Hoopa Valley Indian reservation, on the Trinity River, in the northern part of the State, making an aggregate of 2,876,662 acres surveyed during the year. The work executed in the surveyor general's office during the year consisted of 1,667 plats, sketches, and diagrams illustrating the surveys; 276 transcripts of the field notes of township, mineral, and private claim surveys; 41 descriptive notes of corner boundaries and topography surveyed, and transcripts of decrees of courts relating to the adjudication of confirmed private claims, to accompany plats for patents to be issued by the Commissioner of the General Land Office. The expenditures during the fiscal year consisted of $54,839 for the survey of public lands; $7,000 for incidental expenses of the office, pay of messenger, and rent of office; salary of surveyor general, $3,000; compensation of regular clerks, $18,600, and $16,050 for extra clerks, the latter payable out of deposits made by individuals for office work on surveys of mining claims and agricultural lands. The surveyor general finally submits estimates for the surveying serv ice during the next fiscal year, ending June 30, 1878, as follows: For survey of public lands and confirmed private claims.... For compensation of surveyor general. For clerk hire.... For incidental expenses of his office.... Making a total of....... $130,000 3,000 30,000 8,000 171,000 Nevada. Five contracts were made for surveys of the public lands in this district during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876. The appropriation by act of March 3, 1875, for the survey of public lands for said year was $30,000, under which 2,866 miles, (62 townships,) embracing 844,088 acres of agricultural and 43,933 acres of mineral lands, were surveyed at a cost of $29,800. An aggregate of $3,555 was deposited for payment for office work in connection with the survey of mining claims; 111 claims were surveyed, embracing a total area of 1,283 acres. Seven hundred and forty-seven townships and other plats were constructed. Special deposits to the amount of $37,536 were made by the Central Pacific Railroad Company to pay for the survey of agricultural lands. The surveyor general states that great change has taken place in |