THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 465

attend, and of a notary public. The debentures
drawn will be paid off at par on the 15th April
following, together with the interest due thereon.
The days on which such drawings will take place,
and the numbers and values of the debentures drawn,
will be duly notified by advertisement in the London
Gazette and The Times.

Applications for conversion from persons residing
in New Zealand or the Australian Colonies, will be
received by Penrose G. Julyan, Esquire, and W. C.
Sargeaunt, Esquire, Crown Agents for the Colonies,
whose office is in Spring Gardens, London, at any
time not later than the 1st of December next, after
which date the right of altogether closing the opera-
tion is reserved.

Forms of application and information as to the
terms upon which such conversion will be made may
be obtained on application to the Crown Agents, or
to the brokers, Messrs. Mullens, Marshall, Daniell,
and Co., 3, Lombard-street, and Messrs. J. and A.
Scrimgeour, 18, Old Broad-street, London.

Persons residing in New Zealand or the Australian
Colonies desirous of making such conversion must
transmit their securities to some Agent in London,
in order that such securities may be given up on the
issue of the scrip certificates.

The Treasury,
Wellington, New Zealand,
31st August, 1868.
JOHN HALL.

General Post Office,
Wellington, 23rd September, 1868.

NOTICE is hereby given that His Excellency the
Governor has been pleased to abolish the Money
Order and Savings Bank Office at
SWITZERS—Province of Otago.

JOHN HALL,
Postmaster-General.

General Post Office,
Wellington, 21st September, 1868.

IN virtue of the powers delegated to the Post-
master-General by His Excellency the Governor,
the following appointments have been made in the
Postal Service of the Colony.

JOHN HALL.

OTAGO.
Name. To be Postmaster at From
James Scott ... Waiwera ... 1 Sept., 1868.
George Cameron... Lovell's Flat ... 1 Sept., 1868.
Daniel Hunter ... Beaumont ... 1 Sept., 1868.
Hugh Crawford ... Kakanui ... 1 Sept., 1868.

CANTERBURY.
John Burgess ... Burke's Pass ... 1 Oct., 1868.
Edward Prebble ... Prebbleton ... 1 Sept., 1868.

WELLINGTON.
William Palmer ... Wairoa ... 9 Sept., 1868.

SOUTHLAND.
Henry Rogers ... Orepuki ... 1 Sept., 1868.

COUNTY OF WESTLAND.
Robert Kettle ... Teremakau ... ...
Frederick Ingall... Greenstone Creek 1 Sept., 1868.

AUCKLAND.
Bryant Vercoe ... Matakana ... ... 1 Sept., 1868.
Philip McLeod ... Helensville ... 1 Oct., 1868.
James Farrell ... Whata Whata ... 1 Oct., 1868.

HAWKE'S BAY.
Hector Peacock ... Meanee ... ... 1 Sept., 1868.
Jas. G. Ballard ... Waipukurau ... 9 Sept., 1868.
G. Hardie* ... Puketapu ... ... 1 April, 1868.

• Formerly gazetted as in the Province of Taranaki, in error.
  See Gazette No. 53, of 7th Sept., 1868.

465

TARANAKI.
Name. To be Postmaster at From
Philip C. Moore ... Oakuro ... ...

NELSON.
William Page ... Waitapu ... ...

General Post Office,
Wellington, 10th September, 1868.

THE following Report of the Court of Inquiry
held under "The Inquiry into Wrecks Act,
1863," on the Wreck of the s.s. "Taranaki," is pub-
lished for general information.

JOHN HALL.

INQUIRY INTO WRECKS.

REPORT on the Wreck of the s.s. "Taranaki."
To the Honorable the Postmaster-General of New
Zealand,-

I, the undersigned J. C. Crawford, Esquire, one of
Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, and a Resident
Magistrate in and for the Colony of New Zealand,
having been, on the 28th day of August, 1868, applied
to by John Allen, Esquire, principal Officer of
Customs at the Port of Picton, for a formal investi-
gation, pursuant to Section VII. of "The Inquiry
into Wrecks Act, 1863," and other provisions of the
said Act, respecting the loss of a certain Steam Ship
called the "Taranaki," of the Port of Wellington, on
the 19th day of August last, on the Boat Harbour
Rock, South Head of Tory Channel, Queen Char-
lotte's Sound, did duly proceed with the said investi-
gation, to wit, on the 28th day of August instant,
and had before me and examined on oath divers
persons and witnesses, to wit, John Allen, Collector
of Customs, Picton; H. B. Francis, late master of
"Taranaki;" G. Edmonds, late chief officer, ditto;
John Coutts, late engineer, ditto; Wm. Small, late
second officer, ditto; Donald Murray, late A.B.,
ditto; Wm. Allen, late passenger, ditto-the original
depositions of whose evidence are hereunto annexed,
signed by me-being assisted therein by R. Johnson,
master mariner, holding a certificate of competency
from the Board of Trade, who was duly appointed
by John Allen, Esquire, principal Officer of Customs
at the Port of Picton, to act as Assessor to me the
said Justice of the Peace and Resident Magistrate;
and upon such investigation and examination of
witnesses as aforesaid, I find and beg to report to
the Honorable the Postmaster-General of New
Zealand as follows, that is to say :-

1. That the official number of the said ship
   called the "Taranaki" is 52,840, of which
   Henry Burdett Francis is master, who holds
   a certificate of competency, and which ship
   belonged to the New Zealand Steam Naviga-
   tion Company, Wellington, New Zealand.
2. That the loss or damage herein more par-
   ticularly mentioned happened on the 19th day
   of August, 1868, at about 4.30 o'clock in the
   afternoon, on the Boat Harbour Rock, Tory
   Channel, Queen Charlotte's Sound.
3. That the loss or damage appears by the
   evidence to have been caused by an unusually
   strong eddy forcing the ship off her course.
4. That the nature of the loss or damage done
   was foundering; that the vessel was not
   insured; that the vessel was brig-rigged; her
   Port of Registry, Wellington, New Zealand;
   her registered tonnage, 298.87; that no lives
   were lost through the wreck.

And I, the said Justice of the Peace and Resident
Magistrate, further state my opinion on the matter