THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 23

which a foul bottom apparently extends some distance
in a north-westerly direction.

The River Okarita empties itself into the eastern
side of this extensive lagoon, into which the sea flows
and ebbs with great velocity, forming a regular tidal
harbour. In this respect it has a great advantage
over the other rivers, being almost entirely free from
any fresh.

The present channel over the bar runs N.W. and
S.E., with a depth of 14 feet at high-water spring tides.
The flood tide continues to run in for one hour
after it is high water in the offing. It is high-water
fall and change at 11.40; rise and fall about 9 feet.
Vessels entering should keep well over to the south
shore until abreast the North Spit, when they ought
to stand straight across for the opposite side to avoid
the current sweeping upon a middle shingle bank.
About a quarter of a mile from the entrance, the
channel is divided by an island into two branches---
the northern one being navigable for from a mile and
three-quarters to two miles with from 4 to 6 feet
at low water; while the southern arm has the same
depth of water 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 harbour, and I
have the honor 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, indi-
cating the position of the middle bank, would be of
great service, as I do not consider 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 contradistinction 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 anchoring with bad holding ground and for
the most part a rocky bottom.

I have, &c.,
FREDK. D. GIBSON, Port Officer.

G. S. Sale, Esq.,
Commissioner, Hokitika.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 4th January, 1866.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
appoint
JAMES COUTTS CRAWFORD, Esq.,
to the following offices, vice C. D. R. Ward, Esq.,
resigned :-
Registration Officer for the House of Representa-
tives for the Districts of City of Wellington,
Hutt, and Porirua;
Registration Officer for the Province of Wellington
to form Provincial Rolls;
Principal Returning Officer for the Province of
Wellington;
Returning Officer for the Election of Members of
the House of Representatives for the Districts
of the City of Wellington, Hutt, and Porirua;
Returning Officer for the Election of Members of
the Provincial Council for the Districts of
City of Wellington, Hutt, Porirua, and Karori
and Makara.

E. W. STAFFORD.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 11th January, 1866.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
appoint
JOHN WILLIAMSON, Esq.,
to be a Commissioner of Crown Lands.

E. W. STAFFORD.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 12th January, 1866.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
grant Letters of Registration, dated the ninth
day of January, 1866, under "The Patent Act,
1860," in favor of

HAYDEN HEZEKIAH HALL,
of the City of Sydney, in the Colony of New South
Wales, Engineer (who has previously obtained
Letters Patent in the Colony of Victoria, dated the
thirteenth day of May, 1865), for "An Invention
for extracting Oils from Mineral Substances, called
or known as 'Hall's Mineral Oil Apparatus,'" with
all the privileges thereto belonging.

E. W. STAFFORD.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 12th January, 1866.

THE following Ordinance passed by the Provincial
Council of the Province of Southland, intituled
"The Provincial Liabilities Confirmation Ordi-
nance, 1865,"

which Ordinance was reserved for the signification
of the Governor's pleasure thereon, having been laid
before the Governor, His Excellency has been pleased
to assent to the same.

E. W. STAFFORD.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 15th January, 1866.

THE following Acts passed by the Provincial
Council of the Province of Hawke's Bay, viz.,
"Diversion of Roads Act, 1865;"
"Sheep and Scab Amendment Act, 1865;"
"Hawke's Bay Drainage Act, 1865;"

which Acts were reserved for the signification of the
Governor's pleasure thereon, having been laid before
the Governor, His Excellency has been pleased to
assent to the same.

E. W. STAFFORD.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 15th January, 1866.

INQUIRIES having been made respecting a person
named

ARTHUR WILLIAM KIRK,
of Birmingham, England, who arrived in Auckland
in 1863, was enrolled in the Militia, and served in
the Commissariat Transport Corps until the 31st
August, 1864. Any one who can give information
as to the above-named person is requested to com-
municate with this Office.

E. W. STAFFORD.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
(Judicial Branch,)
Wellington, 28th December, 1865.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
accept the resignation by

ROBERT HENRY FORMAN, Esq.,
of Dunedin, in the Province of Otago, of his appoint--
ments of Sheriff for the District of Otago, Justice of
the Peace for the Colony of New Zealand, and
Resident Magistrate.

E. W. STAFFORD..

Colonial Secretary's Office,
(Judicial Branch,)
Wellington, 28th December, 1865.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
appoint

ALFRED ROWLAND CHETHAM STRODE,