172
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

Native Office,
Wellington, 31st March, 1869.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to
appoint

PEETI TE AWEAWE

to be an Assessor for the purposes of "The Resident
Magistrates Act, 1867," "The Native Circuit Courts
Act, 1858," and "The Native Circuit Courts Act
Amendment Act, 1862," within the District of Otaki.
J. C. RICHMOND.

General Post Office,
Wellington, 27th March, 1869.

THE following Report of the Court of Inquiry
held under "The Inquiry into Wrecks Act,
1863," on the wreck of the ship "Ida Zeigler," is
published for general information.
J. C. RICHMOND
(Acting Postmaster-General).

INQUIRY INTO WRECKS.
REPORT on the Wreck of the "Ida Zeigler."
To the Honorable the Postmaster-General of New
Zealand,-

WE, the undersigned Henry Stokes Tiffen and John
Alexander Smith, Justices of the Peace for the
Colony of New Zealand, having been, on the 10th
day of March, 1869, applied to by J. M. Tabuteau,
Esq., Principal Officer of Customs at the Port of
Napier, for a formal investigation, pursuant to "The
Inquiry into Wrecks Act, 1863," respecting the loss
of a certain British ship called the "Ida Zeigler," of
the Port of London, on the 27th day of February,
1869, did duly proceed with the said investigation,
assisted by Captain Johnson, as Nautical Assessor,
to wit, on the 11th and 12th days of March instant,
and had before us and examined on oath divers
persons as witnesses, the original depositions of
whose evidence are hereunto annexed, and we hereby
make the following Report:-

1. That the official number of the said ship
   called the "Ida Zeigler" is 4,317, of which
   George Sellars was captain, who holds a
   certificate of competency, No. 23,097, Board
   of Trade, and which ship belonged to William
   Eales, of 22, Great St. Helen's, London,
   and was built about the year 1854, at Bremen:
   it is classed in French Lloyd's 3-3rds, and
   registered 878 3/10 tons; was manned by a crew
   of twenty-nine men, including three officers,
   who also hold Board of Trade certificates.

2. This ship, it appears, has been in the New
   Zealand trade for some years. Captain
   Sellars took the command of the vessel on the
   15th of July last, when, he states, she was in
   good order and thoroughly equipped, and that
   the cables had been examined by the Emi-
   gration Officer, and the Agent for French
   Lloyd's, previous to his taking charge. The
   carpenter, James Williamson, was working on
   board at the time the cables were examined,
   but states that only the portion on deck, about
   45 fathoms of each, was examined.

3. The ship sailed from London on the 3rd of
   August, 1868, bound for Auckland and Napier,
   laden with a general cargo. Nothing par-
   ticular occurred during the voyage; she made
   some water, and was pumped out every four
   hours,-a spell of from twelve to twenty
   minutes, according to the weather; arrived in
   Auckland on the 7th November, 1868; left
   the 23rd December, and arrived at Napier on
   the 26th December. The usual signal for a
   pilot was hoisted on nearing the harbour; but

he not coming off, the ship was anchored by
the captain, and topgallant yards and masts
sent down. The cables were hauled on deck,
and examined by the first mate and carpenter.
The Harbourmaster was absent on duty, and
did not return to Napier until late on the 31st
December. He went on board on the 2nd or
3rd of January, 1869, shifted and moored the
ship into what he considered a better berth in
6 1/4 fathoms.

4. Although there is some discrepancy as to the
   statements with regard to the state of the
   weather, we consider that from the 26th of
   December to the 2nd or 3rd of January was
   a long period for the ship to remain without
   a visit from the pilot; but he (the pilot) makes
   the badness of the weather, with other work,
   an excuse. During the time the ship remained
   at these moorings, about three weeks, the
   wind blew on several occasions as heavily as
   on the day the vessel was wrecked, but not
   so heavy a sea running: the vessel rode
   out this weather with ease on 75 fathom of
   cable, and seemed to ride easier than the ship
   "Excelsior" at the Government moorings,
   which may fairly be accounted for by the
   difference in the depth of water at the two
   places. After the "Excelsior" sailed, the
   "Ida Zeigler" was taken to the Government
   moorings by the Harbourmaster, who then
   removed the buoy to the shore, as it appeared
   to float deep. The ship's starboard chain was
   shackled on to the Government chain with an
   ordinary shackle of 2 1/4 inch iron, provided by
   the Harbourmaster. Although the Harbour-
   master was under the impression that the
   depth of water at the moorings was 5 fathoms,
   the captain on sounding some time after
   found only 4 1/2 fathoms at low water, and
   reported to the Harbourmaster that he did
   not consider the ship safe, and he intended to
   remove her out the first favourable opportunity,
   fearing she would strike if it came on bad
   weather. He states no such opportunity
   occurred, therefore the vessel remained at the
   moorings.

5. Taking into consideration that the ship had
   gone to the moorings about the 24th of
   January, and the gale in which she was lost
   did not occur until the 26th of February, it
   appears to us extraordinary that she was not
   moved out into deeper water, either by sail or
   with the assistance of a steamer. The weather
   during this interval appears to have been
   variable and for the most part fine, with one
   exception, until the 26th, when indications of
   bad weather appeared. The captain was on
   shore, but went on board at noon, at which
   time the vessel was riding at the moorings
   with 50 fathoms on the starboard chain.
   Towards evening and during the night the
   weather became cloudy, with increasing sea
   and wind, attended with rain. About 9 a.m.
   on the 27th the port anchor was let go, and
   35 fathoms were veered away on each cable,
   thus making 85 on the starboard one. At
   this time there were 4 1/4 fathoms of water
   forward and 4 3/4 fathoms aft. In a squall,
   about half-past 10, the starboard chain parted
   about 30 fathoms from the hawse, as stated by
   the carpenter,-the whole of the port chain
   was veered out,-the vessel then commenced
   striking heavily aft. Endeavours were then
   made to heave in the 30-fathom starboard
   chain, with the object of shackling it on to
   the starboard anchor, when the port chain