466
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

aforesaid to be as follows: -That having duly weighed
and considered the evidence put before me, I am of
opinion that, considering it proved by several wit-
nesses that the steamer would not answer her helm,
the cause of disaster must be attributed to an unusual
eddy forcing the steamer towards the South Head.
As it also appears from the evidence that the steamer
was following the usual course through the Channel,
and as the master and officers of the ship appear to
have been alert at their posts, and that everything
was done that could have been done for the safety
of the vessel, I am of opinion that the accident is
one to which any vessel might have been liable when
passing through such a narrow channel as the one in
question at spring tides, or when there is an unusual
tidal commotion, and that the master and officers
are exempt from blame.

After the vessel struck, every exertion appears to
have been made by the master, officers, and crew for
the safety of the passengers and for the rescue of
the ship from her dangerous position. The former
object was attained, the passengers having been
landed without loss of life; and the ship was almost
placed where she might have been easily repaired,
although from untoward circumstances and conse-
quent delay she filled and sank before she could be
beached.

Given under my hand, this twenty-eighth day
of August, one thousand eight hundred
and sixty-eight, at Wellington, in the
Province of Wellington, New Zealand.

JAMES C. CRAWFORD,
Justice of the Peace and Resident Magistrate.

I concur with the above Report, so far as to
exonerate Captain Francis, his officers and crew,
from any blame attached for the loss of the ship. The
vessel appeared to have been on the usual course
steered by Captain Francis and other officers for
years, without ever perceiving any apparent danger,
viz., one-third of the Channel distant from the South
Head. Why a more mid-channel course was not
steered, Captain Francis and the officers explain by
stating that there are reports of sunken rocks lying
somewhere on the north side of the Channel, the
positions of which are unknown. Under these cir-
cumstances Captain Francis cannot be blamed for
following his usual course, although I am of opinion
a more mid-channel course is a safer one. The
vessel, on entering the Channel, appears to have
swerved to port to nearly right angles in an in-
credibly short time; and unless this swerving was
caused by putting the helm to starboard instead of
to port-which the second officer and one man who
were at the wheel deny, and are corroborated by the
chief officer-the cause must be most extraordinary
and unaccountable. Under ordinary circumstances
and care, I consider Tory Channel perfectly safe to
navigate in daylight.

R. JOHNSON,
Nautical Assessor.

Marine Department,
Wellington, 23rd September, 1868.

THE following Notice to Mariners is published for
general information.

JAMES M. BALFOUR,
Colonial Marine Engineer.

NOTICE TO MARINERS.
WESTERN PORT.
Hastings Jetty Light.

MARINERS are hereby informed that on and after the
1st of September next, a bright White Light will be
exhibited between sunset and sunrise from a lamp
erected on the Hastings Jetty at Western Port.

Printed under the authority of the New Zealand Government, by GEORGE DIDSBURY, Government Printer, Wellington.

The Light is twenty-five (25) feet above low-water
level, and visible, in clear weather, a distance of five
(5) miles.

W. COLLINS REES,
Secretary for Harbours and Navigation.
Department of Ports and Harbours,
Melbourne, 20th August, 1868.

Office of Registrar of Joint Stock Companies,
Christchurch, 14th September, 1868.

I, EDWARD DENHAM, Registrar of Joint Stock
Companies for the Province of Canterbury, do
hereby notify that I have registered a Memorandum
of Association, with Articles of Association, establish-
ing a Company, with limited liability of the share-
holders therein, intituled

"The Manchester Unity Hall Company,
Limited."

The objects for which the Company is established
are, the erection of a building for the use of public
meetings, and the doing of all such other things as
are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the
above object. And that in pursuance of "The Joint
Stock Companies Act, 1860," I have issued a Certi-
ficate of Incorporation of the said Company, bearing
date the fourteenth day of September, one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-eight.

EDWD. DENHAM,
Registrar of Joint Stock Companies.

I, the undersigned JAMES RAE, hereby make
application to register "The Royal Gold Mining
Company, Registered," under the provisions of "The
Mining Companies Limited Liability Act, 1865,"
and I do solemnly and sincerely declare that the
following statement is, to the best of my belief and
knowledge, true in every particular, namely :-

1. The name and style of the Company is "The
   Royal Gold Mining Company, Registered."
2. The place of operations is at the Te Papa
   Creek, Shortland.
3. The nominal capital of the Company is six
   thousand pounds, in one thousand shares of six
   pounds each.
4. The amount already paid up is two thousand
   four hundred and forty-eight pounds sterling.
5. The name of the manager is James J. Rae.
6. The office of the Company is at Rae's Store,
   Shortland Town.
7. The names and several residences of the share-
   holders, and the number of shares held by each at
   this date, are as follows:-

No. of
Shares.

John Thorp, Shortland ... ... ... 34
James Rae, Shortland ... ... ... 34
Edward C. Mahoney, Auckland ... ... 34
William Adams, Shortland ... ... 34
William McDuff, Shortland ... ... 34
William Patterson, Shortland ... ... 34
Richard R. Armstrong, Graham's Town ... 17
George Pulsford, Shortland ... ... 34
Thomas Donovan, Shortland ... ... 34
Edward Brown, Auckland ... ... 34
Martin J. Wilkes, Shortland ... ... 34
George Sherlock, Shortland ... ... 34
Michael Hanniford, Bank of Australasia,
Sydney ... ... ... ... 17

Dated at Shortland, this twenty-second day of
July, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.

Signed—Alan Baillie J.P.

JAMES RAE.