452

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

anchors, cables, fire-pumps and other proper means | Bluff Harbour. For the purposes of this agreement
for extinguishing fire, lightning conductors, charts, each day shall be reckoned as a day of twenty-four
chronometers, proper nautical instruments, medicines, hours.
and whatsoever else may be requisite for equipping 8. The said steam vessels shall, without any
the said vessels, and rendering them constantly
efficient for the service hereby agreed to be per-
formed; and also manned and provided with compe-
tent officers, and with a sufficient number of efficient
engineers, and a sufficient crew of able seamen and
other men-to be in all respects, as to vessels,
engines, equipments, officers, engineers and crew,
subject to the first instance, and from time to time,
and at all times afterwards, to the approval of the
Postmaster-General, or of such other competent
person or persons as he shall at any time or times,
or from time to time, authorize to inspect and
examine the same.
3. The steam vessels to be employed under this
agreement, when carrying mails from Melbourne,
shall proceed thence by way of and calling at Bluff
Harbour, Port Chalmers, and Lyttelton, in New
Zealand; and when carrying mails from Wellington
to Melbourne, shall. proceed thence by way of and
calling at Lyttelton, Port Chalmers, and Bluff Har-
bour aforesaid. At each of the ports named in this
clause the said steam vessels shall land and receive
mails, whether on the trip from Melbourne to
Wellington or from Wellington to Melbourne, and
such service shall be included in and be deemed to
be part of the service herein agreed to be performed.
4. One of the said steam vessels shall within a
reasonable time after the arrival of the European
Mail at Hobson's Bay in each month, leave that port
for Wellington aforesaid, proceeding thereto by the
route specified in clause 3; and shall deliver the
said mails in New Zealand within the following
times from the arrival of the European Mails in
Hobson's Bay, that is to say,一
At Bluff Harbour, 168 hours, or 7 days.
, Port Chalmers, 192 hours, or 8 days.
, Lyttelton, 228 hours, or 9 days.
, Wellington, 252 hours, or 10 days.
Provided that if the said European Mail shall arrive
in Hobson's Bay more than forty-eight hours before
its due date, then a proportionate time shall be added
to the number of hours fixed for the delivery of the
mails at Wellington.
5. One of the said steam vessels shall, in the event
of the European Mail not arriving in Hobson's Bay
at its due date, await the arrival of such mail for a
period of forty-eight hours without extra remunera-
tion, but not longer. In the event of the European
steamer not arriving on the expiration of the above
period, the Contractors shall despatch the said
European Mail by first opportunity after its arrival
in Hobson's Bay by some other steam vessel, without
extra payment; and such last-mentioned steam vessel
shall not be bound to proceed by the route men-
tioned in the last clause.
6. One of the said steamships shall leave Welling-
ton once every four weeks, at the date specified in
a Time Table to be furnished by the Postmaster-
General: Provided that the Postmaster-General
may from time to time alter the dates specified in
such Time Table, on giving reasonable notice to the
Contractors of the required alteration; and the
altered dates shall be observed and kept as if the
same had been specified herein.
7. The steam vessel from Wellington to Melbourne
shall be despatched from Wellington not less than
264 hours (eleven days) before the date fixed for the
departure of the mail to Europe from Melbourne;
and the said mail shall be delivered on board the
European Mail steamer as hereinafter provided,
within 156 hours (six and a half days) after leaving
further or extra charge, convey the said mails to and
from the ports of Nelson, Greymouth, and Hokitika,
and shall deliver and receive at the ship's side such
mails at the said Ports of Hokitika and Greymouth,
but only at the Ports of Greymouth and Hokitika, if
the weather shall permit, and in any case the said
steam vessels shall not be bound to remain at the
said Ports for the purpose of landing or receiving
mails as aforesaid.
9. All mails for New Zealand by the European
Mail ships vid Melbourne, and from New Zea
land, for transmission by the European Mail
ships vid Melbourne, shall be respectively taken
from and delivered on board the European Mail
ships in Hobson's Bay, at Melbourne, by and at the
expense of the Contractors, in boats seaworthy and
suitable for the purpose, furnished with effective
covering for the mails, and properly provided,
manned, and equipped by the Contractors, to the
satisfaction of the Postmaster-General or his Agent.
10. A chief-cabin passage to and from Hobson's
Bay and back, free of cost either for passage or
victualling, shall be provided by the Contractors on
all occasions when required by the Postmaster-
General for an Agent of the New Zealand Post-
office; and also a safe and proper place of deposit
for the mails.
11. The Contractors, and all commanders and
other officers of the vessels employed in the per-
formance of this agreement, and all agents, sea-
men, and servants of the Contractors, shall at all
times punctually attend to the orders and directions
of the Postmaster-General, his officers or agents, as
to the mode, time and place of landing, delivering
and receiving of mails.
12. The Contractors shall not, nor shall any of
the masters, officers, seamen, or other servants of the
Contractors, on any of the vessels employed or to be
employed under this agreement, receive, or permit to
be received on board any of the vessels employed
under this agreement, any letters for conveyance
other than those duly in charge of the said Mail
Agent, or other person authorized to have charge of
the said mails in accordance herewith, or which are
or may be privileged by law; and in case of any such
default in the provision of this clause, the Con-
tractors shall be liable to be proceeded against for
a breach of this agreement.
13. The sum of one hundred pounds shall be paid
by the Contractors to the Postmaster-General if on
any occasion either of the said steamships shall not
deliver the European Mails in New Zealand within
the times specified in clause 4 of this agreement,
and an additional sum of four pounds per hour after
the first twenty-four hours shall be in a like manner
paid for every delay in delivering the mails after-the
expiration of such first period of twenty-four hours.
14. If the Contractors shall fail in any period of
four weeks herein provided for to deliver the home-
ward mails to the European Mail steamship at Hob-
son's Bay before her departure from that port with
her homeward mails, the Contractors shall pay to the
Postmaster-General the sum of one hundred pounds
in addition to any other penalties which they may
become liable to under these presents.
15. If there be no Post Office Agent on board, the
masters of the said steamships shall, without charge
to the Government, take care of, and the Contractors
shall be responsible for, the receipt, safe custody,
and delivery of the mails, according to the terms of
this contract.
16. The Contractors shall not assign, underlet, or