406

to a distance of about one-eighth of a mile.
There is a very bad holding ground, so that
the masters of vessels cannot trust to their
anchors and cables if moored in the tideway.
I beg to enclose you a plan of this har-
bour, and I have the honour to suggest the
necessity of forming a signal station there,
should the prospects of this part of the gold-
fields justify the expenditure.

I think also a beacon placed on the shore,
indicating the position of the middle bank,
would be of great service, as I do not con-
sider a buoy or mark of any sort upon the
shoal itself would stand.

I would also propose that a green light
should be exhibited at night, in contra-dis-
tinction to the red and bright lights of the
Hokitika and Grey Rivers.

I consider this light of great importance,
as most of the vessels arriving off this port
will have to stand off and on when awaiting
the tide or daylight, rather than risk anchor-
ing with bad holding ground, and for the
most part a rocky bottom.

I have, &c.,
FRED. D. GIBSOn,
Port Officer.
G. S. Sale, Esq.,
Commissioner, Hokitika

IMMIGRATION COMMISSION.

Ship "Blue Jacket."

The Commissioners, on arriving along-
side, were prevented boarding the Ship,
the Health Officer considering that she must
be detained in quarantine, owing to the
recent existence of smallpox among the
immigrants, &c.

The Ship having been admitted to
pratique, the Commissioners examined the
vessel. The whole of the between deck
fittings having been destroyed by order of
the Board of Health, the Commissioners can
only report that every compartment was
very clean. The position indicated as that
of the female hospital was objectionable,
being placed in a close corner, where light-
ing and ventilation must necessarily have
been very imperfect. Isolation in the hospi-
tal, in the case of contagious disease, must
have been impracticable.

The boiler of the condenser (Normandy’s),
at about the longitude of the Cape, was
found to be cracked, and to leak consider-
ably into the fire. Had the injury amounted
to a stoppage of distillation the result would
have been most serious, as four tanks, re-
ported as having been passed by the Com-
missioners at Gravesend as part of the water
supply, were, when opened, found to contain
bread.

On receiving information that the immi-
grants in the Lazaret were released from
quarantine, the Commissioners proceeded to
Camp Bay. They found all the immigrants
in good health. They regret that they have
to report that during the voyage many
irregularities occurred, evincing imperfect
discipline. Enquiry convinced the Commis-
sioners that the Surgeon did not receive
from the master and officers that assistance
and moral support which would enable him,
occupied as he must have been with the care
of the sick, to maintain proper order. The
very objectionable plan of allowing single
men in the saloon in a passenger (immi-
grant) ship was the principal if not the sole
cause of those improprieties of which the
Commissioners complain.

Some of these single passengers are re-
ported to have on frequent occasions been
seen with their arms around the waists of
the single female immigrants; and the mates
are also mentioned as improperly familiar
with the single women, and as declining to
assist the surgeon when applied to by him.

On landing at the Lazaret, the second and
third officers are reported by an official to
have rudely romped with the girls upon the
grassy slopes, and to have refused to leave
their apartment until threatened with force.

The Commissioners can only recommend
for gratuities the Surgeon, who is com-
mended generally for his assiduous care of
the sick; and the Purser (the officer who
served the provisions), of whom all parties
concur in speaking well.

In conclusion, the Commissioners again
deprecate the mixing of various classes in
immigrant vessels. Recognising the advan-
tage of the presence of married ladies in the
saloon, they repeat that the Government
plan of excluding saloon passengers should,
with this exception, be adopted. The hospi-
tal also, as in Government ships, should
be in the poop, or at least in a deck-house.

Wm. Donald,
Rich. R. Armstrong,
John T. Rouse.

NOTICE
OF DISSOLUTION OF CO-PARTNERSHIP.

NOTICE is hereby given that by Deed,
dated the Twelfth day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five,
the co-partnership hitherto subsisting be-
tween us, the undersigned, Daniel Louis
Mundy and Bramah Lamert, at Christ-
church and Hokitika, under the style or
firm of "Mundy and Lamert," Photo-
graphers, was dissolved by mutual consent
as from the said date.

The stock and effects of the late firm
which are at Hokitika have been assigned
to the said Bramah Lamert, who is to
receive all debts owing to, and to pay all
debts owing by, the said late firm which
have been incurred at that place.

The stock and effects of the late firm
which are in Christchurch have been as-
signed to the said Daniel Louis Mundy,
who is to receive all debts owing to, and to
pay all debts owing by, the said late firm,
save those above mentioned.

Witness our hands, this 18th day of
December, 1865.

D. L. Mundy.
B. Lamert.

Witness—
Thos. J. Joynt,
Solicitor, Christchurch.