Iowa.-The surveys in this Territory have advanced, under the superintendence of the surveyor general of Wisconsin and Iowa, whose office is at Dubuque. The fifth principal meridian, which controls the surveys in Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, and the State of Minnesota, governs also the extension of the lines of the public surveys in this Territory. Since the last annual report, the returns of surveys in the country on both sides of the Big Sioux river, west of the State of Minnesota, have been made, amounting to 335 lineal miles of township exteriors; and there has been subdivided one township, in which Sioux Falls City is situated, embracing portions of the land falling within Root river land. district, organized in the former Territory, now State of Minnesota. The remainder of the township (101 north, range 49 west) lying west of Big Sioux river is not within any organized land district. The work in this Territory consists of township and subdivisional surveys, to be made south of the forty-third degree of latitude, west of the Big Sioux, north of the Missouri, and east of the Yancton reservation, embracing the valleys of Big Sioux, Missouri, Vermillion, and James rivers. The subdivisional work, not exceeding three full townships, is to cover such localities as may fall within claims provided for in the seventh article of the treaty of April 19, 1858, with the Yancton tribe of Indians. As there exists no land district in this Territory, except for that portion lying east of Big Sioux river, north of township 100 north, and east of the treaty line with the See-see-toan and Wahpay-toan bands of Dacotah or Sioux Indians of July 23, 1851, the necessity for prompt legislation is suggested for the organization of a land district for the present Territory of Minnesota.

State of Minnesota, (separate surveying district.)-The whole area surveyed within the limits of this State is 20,969,890 acres, equal to 32,765 square miles, seven-eighths of which are reported to be good land.

Since the establishment, on May 23, 1857, of the surveyor general's office at St. Paul's, as the seat of a separate district, 6,249,772 acres have been surveyed, 995,735 of which were completed during the last

year.

Contracts for 276,480 acres, north and east of Otter-tail Lake, and east of Mille Lacs, have been made.

Plats for 226 townships, with 135 lists descriptive of soil, have been sent to the proper officers, and transcripts of field notes and records. for the district and General Land Office have been prepared during the last year to the extent of 18,841 pages.

In our last annual report the completion was reported of the greater portion of the survey of the western boundary of Minnesota, lying between the southern extremity of Big Stone Lake and the northern boundary of Iowa, on a due south course for the distance of 124 miles, and that measures had been taken for the testing of the accuracy of its establishment in the field. During the past year the remaining portion of the boundary between the Iron Monuments, at the heads of Lakes Travers and Big Stone, distant four miles, twenty-nine chains, and forty-three links, has been completed; returns made to this office, and after testing the accuracy of the work in the field, the same has been accepted and payment in full made.

California.-During the past year, 4,386 lineal miles have been surveyed, embracing an area of 865,669 acres. The greater portion of the appropriation for this district was allotted for the survey of confirmed private claims, 193 in number, resting upon Mexican grants, reserving a small sum for the surveys and connections of the lines of the contiguous public lands.

A map herewith, which accompanied the surveyor general's report, exhibits in a handsome and distinct manner the public lands, and, in connection therewith, the location of 343 private claims and Indian reservations.

From the organization of that surveying district to the present, about 98,750 lineal miles, covering about 28,793,000 acres, have been surveyed.

The surveyor general submits a very large estimate for surveys for the ensuing year, referring to a joint resolution of the State in furtherance of his views; but in consideration of the past extensive operations in that district, and the failure of any considerable receipts from the offering of several millions of acres, it is not deemed necessary by this office to ask for more than the moderate sum indicated in the estimates to be applied to the surveys of confirmed ranchos.

Oregon. The surveying service in this State has been progressing during the last year along Columbia river, embracing settlements in the neighborhood of Fort Dalles, in the valley of Umatilla river, east of the Cascades, and in that portion of the country west of Klamath lake, near the line between Oregon and California, not yet established in the field by actual demarkation.

During the last year, 1,109 miles, embracing 336,684 acres have been surveyed in this district.

Under the provisions of the act of Congress, approved June 25, 1860, "For the survey of the forty-sixth parallel of north latitude so far as it constitutes a common boundary between Oregon and Washington Territory," &c., instructions have been issued to the surveyors general of the conterminous districts upon the subject of the establishment of that parallel of latitude. These officers have been called upon for a preliminary report, so that the best mode of proceeding may be decided upon, both as to the manner of execution, cost of the work, and the personnel to be connected with it. Upon the receipt of the requisite report, prompt measures will be ordered for the survey of the boundary. The existence of valuable farming land is reported as adjoining the southern boundary of Oregon, between the Blue Mountains and Klamath lake, and settlers are desirous of having that region surveyed; but this cannot be done until the southern boundary is established.

The recommendation of last year is therefore renewed for authority to trace the forty-second parallel of north latitude from the northeastern corner of the State of California to the Pacific ocean, an estimated distance of 221 miles, so that the township and subdivisional lines of the surveys, both of California and Oregon, may be permanently closed on this common boundary.

Should the requisite appropriation be made, this important work may be commenced as soon as the point of intersection of the forty

second degree parallel with one hundred and twentieth degree of longitude west of Greenwich is astronomically determined by the commission which has been appointed by the President, under the act of Congress approved 26th May, 1860, to run and mark the eastern boundary line of California, separating it from the territories of the United States.

Washington Territory.-Eleven deputy surveyors, under different contracts, have been in the field west of the Cascade mountains, and extending from the neighborhood of Columbia river to near the fortyninth degree north latitude, the international boundary east and west of the Willamette meridian. The Puget's Sound guide meridian has been extended to the northern boundary of the Territory.

During the last year 2,992 miles of lineal measure have been run, embracing 529,675,69 acres.

The field work now under contract is mainly east, of the Cascades. By the establishment of the standard lines over the valleys north and east of Columbia river, the particular localities of the plateau of Spokane and the little valleys of Snake, Yakama, Klickatat, and Spokane rivers may be reached by the lines of public surveys from either of the standards recently established whenever the wants of settlers may require, either for agriculture or other purposes. Although the general description of the country traversed by the Columbia guide meridian and the standard parallel does not appear equal to the lands already surveyed west of the Cascades, in point of soil and timber, yet there are particular regions in the valleys of the numerous tributaries of the Columbia river where settlements are increasing, and require the subdivision of lands for their accommodation. Surveyors for that duty have been dispatched to the valleys of Snake, Touchet, WallaWalla, and Klickatat rivers.

New Mexico.-The surveys in this Territory have been extended during the past year over confirmed private titles equal to 433,479 acres, and public lands for an area of 826,119 acres, equal in all to 2,300 lineal miles; and contracts have been made for the survey of the confirmed claims, embracing the town of Las Vegas, Piños or Gallenas Grant, town of Anton-Chico, of Mora, claims of E. W. Eaton, Alexander Vallé, Donatiano Vigil, and Hugh Stevenson.

The surveyor general reports that great anxiety exists among claimants under the treaty of 1848, at Guadaloupe Hidalgo, respecting the survey of such claims as have already been confirmed, but not yet surveyed for want of means, and recommends that a board be established similar to that organized in California for the adjustment of such titles, reporting that on his docket there are more than one thousand claims to be examined and passed upon.

Up to this time there have been surveyed twenty confirmed private claims, under Mexican grants, and the appropriation of $10,000 by act of Congress, approved June 25, 1860, has been mainly directed to the survey of "pueblos" and other confirmed titles by the acts of Congress, approved December 22, 1858, and June 21, 1860.

The policy adopted respecting the survey of claims scattered over a vast extent of the country, requires the surveyor general first to survey such "pueblo" and individual confirmed claims as now fall within

existing public surveys; then to survey the claims nearest the lines of the public surveys, and to connect them if within six miles, the final closing of the lines of the public surveys thereon to be made after the body of the public surveys shall advance around them.

Utah.-Operations in this district have been confined to the examination of surveys executed prior to 1858, under the superintendence of the late surveyor general, against which allegations of fraud had been preferred. The final result has not yet reached here. The whole surveys executed since the organization of the Territory cover 2,510,000 acres, of which plats had been returned here for 2,190,100 acres. The residue, 319,900 acres, had been surveyed by Charles Mogo, under contract, date of March 6, 1857, with the late surveyor general, but owing to the Mormon difficulties in that year, and the departure of the late surveyor general from Utah, they have not been examined and passed upon. In consideration of the large area of the surveyed lands in Utah, the absence of provisions of law granting preëmptions, and of the fact that there is no land district yet authorized there, no additional surveys are now recommended by this office.

The surveyor general of Utah, on the 25th April last, reported that unauthorized surveys had been made in Carson River valley on the eastern slope of Sierra Nevada, by county surveyors. Instructions were, thereupon, promptly dispatched to him by this office, which he has carried out, to apprise all concerned of the illegality of any such surveys by unauthorized surveyors, and the penalty prescribed for violation of the law in this respect, and that surveys of lands in the Territory could only be made by the authority of the United States.

He has already given notice to persons claiming mineral lands, coal and lead, under color of territorial legislation, that any such claims. are illegal and invalid, being in derogation of the rights of the government, under the Constitution and laws of the United States.

The surveyor general and three clerks, during the last year, have been occupied in the examination of the archives of the surveys heretofore made, which, during the Mormon troubles in Salt Lake City, had been scattered and held in possession by sundry persons. That officer has collected nearly all the papers, and after reorganizing the office proceeded to the completion of transcripts of the surveys; has been engaged in the inspection of the surveys in the field, and in reconnoissances made through some portions of the Territory with the view to ascertaining the character of land most elligible for survey.

These immense fields of the public surveys are marked by regularity, simplicity, and beauty. The traveler passing from the Atlantic States westward will not fail to observe the irregular figures of the rural lands he leaves in contrast with those met with when he touches the eartern line of the western or land States, where the rectangular or public land system prevails so effectively that the least informed may proceed to the identification of any particular subdivision in a given locality with as much certainty as he could identify the number of a building in a block of any of our capital cities.

The survey of the keys and islands.-Under acts of Congress and former appropriations for the survey of keys and islands along the coasts of Florida and California, it became requisite to have the keys

and islands surveyed, and connections made with the land marks on the main shores. The usual legal rates in the respective surveying districts were not adequate for the compensation of the land surveyors, owing to the expensive outfits for reaching islands and keys of limited areas distant from the main land. To meet the provisions of the law in the premises, this office therefore availed itself of the aid of the coast survey service under the management of its distinguished superintendent, and, with the approbation of the Secretary of the Treasury, instructions were issued in 1848 to the superintendent of that branch of the public service for the survey of the keys on the coast of Florida and of the islands off the coast of California. Since that time up to the year 1857, the surveys, through the instrumentality of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey, have cost the government but small additional sums beyond the usual appropriations for the service of the Coast Survey proper; and from the period last mentioned up to the present the survey of keys and islands has been continued without special appropriations, the expenses incurred having been met with the funds applicable for the general coast survey service. The returns of the surveys of keys and islands since the commencement of the work are extensive, consisting of the survey and subdivision of the keys off the Florida coast, from the mouth of the Miami river, the affluent of of Biscayne bay, thence south along the coast to Key West, to Marquesas keys, and connecting other numerous keys by series of triangulations with the main land, and preparing township plats embracing 27,000 acres of surface. The keys and reefs are separated from the main shore by Key Biscayne bay, Card's Sound, Cayo Largo, and Florina bay, all east and south of the everglades, extending for upwards of 150 miles, and connected with the main shore of the Peninsula from Virginia Key, in latitude 25° 45′ north, longitude 80° west, to latitude 24° 45' north, longitude 83° west. In the prosecution of the survey of the Florida main land and keys Cape Sable, the extreme point of the Peninsula, has been connected by triangulations with the keys. The survey of the islands off the coast of California has been prosecuted to a considerable extent by the Coast Survey Office, but owing to the mountainous character of the lands, no subdivisional work has yet been returned. Their relative positions in reference to each other and to the main shore have been, however, correctly ascertained, and handsomely represented upon the maps of the Coast Survey Office.

Proclamations for the sales of public lands.

Pursuant to Executive orders, there have been proclaimed for sale during the five quarters ending September 30, 1860, 16,385,361 acres and during the past month, viz., under date 22d October, 1860, in California, 3,685,287 acres, particulars being shown in accompanying

statements.

To relieve settlers who might be unable to prove up before the day of public sale, the Secretary of the Interior decided, and instructions have been accordingly dispatched to the land officers, that it was competent for such settler who may have failed to prove and pay up before