454
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 30

Each ship is to be ready to be fitted fourteen days before the day fixed for the ship to sail from
London, and the ship is to be fitted in the Port of London, and to the satisfaction of the Government.

All the fittings are to be completed, the cargo, provisions, and water shipped and stowed away—
space being left in an approved part of the ship for the emigrants' baggage, as hereinafter provided—
the 'tween-decks cleared, and the ship in all respects ready for the reception of emigrants at the Port
of Plymouth, six hours before noon of the day fixed for the ship to leave Plymouth, after which time no
other cargo may be shipped, and a certificate of the ship having been so ready is to be obtained by the
Contractors from an officer to be appointed by the Government for that purpose to that effect. The
emigrants are then to be taken on board with their baggage by the Contractors, and the victualling of
them is to commence, the Government being allowed until six hours after such noon of such day to
provide emigrants; and the ship is to proceed to sea on the completion of the embarkation, or as soon
afterwards as the state of the weather will permit.

In the event of the ship not being ready for the reception of emigrants, as before described, of
which the Government will be the sole judge, the Government may provide the surgeon, matron, and
emigrants with board and lodging on shore, until all preparations shall be completed to the satisfaction
of the Government, the expense of which will be deducted from the sum payable for the passage of the
emigrants.

The Contractors, or some person duly authorized by them, are to provide, fill in, sign, and issue
all contracts required to be given to emigrants by the law for the time being in force relating to
emigrants.

The Contractors are to provide an emigrants' steward, whose duty it will be to issue to the
emigrants daily the provisions and water to which they will be entitled according to the under-written
dietary scale.

The Contractors are to provide, for the exclusive use of the emigrants, a competent baker and a
cook, and such an additional cook, if any, as required by "The Passengers Act, 1855," and to be
approved respectively by the Government.

The Government will appoint a surgeon to each ship, who is to be provided with a separate cabin,
properly fitted up to the satisfaction of the Government, and a first-class passage, with 40 cubical
feet of space in the hold for luggage, and to be provided with one bottle of ale daily, and three bottles
of wine weekly, for his personal consumption, or the Contractors may agree with the surgeon to give
him a sum of money instead of wine or ale.

The Contractors are to provide a competent person, approved of by the Government, to assist the
officer appointed by the Government in the embarkation, to put the emigrants into their proper berths,
to see that efficient provision is made for victualling them, and generally to do whatever is necessary
for the comfort and convenience of the emigrants, and to remain on board until the ship is cleared for
sea. The person so provided will be required to see that the arrangements for messing the emigrants
are properly understood and acted upon, both by the officer charged with the serving-out of the
provisions and the emigrants' cooks, as well as by the emigrants themselves, and generally to do what
may be necessary for the establishment of order and regularity in these respects. These arrangements
for the messing and general management of the emigrants, as well as all others which concern their
convenience and comfort, must be completed to the satisfaction of the Government before the ship
sails.

Full rations, according to the scale mentioned in Schedule A, are to be issued during the voyage,
and until the emigrants are landed at their respective ports of destination in New Zealand, to each
male and female emigrant of twelve years of age and upwards, and half rations to children of one year
and under twelve years of age. The water and all articles of food are to be of the best quality, and
are to be shipped in not less quantities than mentioned in the same Schedule, and are to be in sweet
and good condition when issued for the use of the emigrants.

Children between one and twelve years of age are to receive preserved meat instead of salt mea
every day; and, in addition to the articles to which they will be entitled by the scale in Schedule A, a
further allowance as set forth in Schedule B. Children under one year of age are to receive the
rations specified for them in Schedule B, which are to be shipped in not less quantities than therein
mentioned. To infants under four months old such nutriment is to be issued as the surgeon may
consider necessary. All or any of the children are to be messed separately if and so long as the
surgeon shall during the voyage so require.

While in any port in the United Kingdom or in New Zealand, or in any other port into which
the vessel may put before completing the voyage, and for two days after leaving it, and while any of
the emigrants remain on board in their respective ports of disembarkation, the Contractors will be
required to issue two-thirds of a pound of fresh meat, one and a half pounds of soft bread, and one
pound of potatoes per statute adult daily, with a suitable supply of vegetables, in lieu of other rations,
except tea, coffee, sugar, and butter. Children between one and twelve years of age, in addition to
the rations provided for in this scale, are to have a pint of fresh milk daily. Children under one year
and above four months of age are to have the same rations as detailed in Schedule B, substituting fresh
milk for preserved; and children under four months of age are to have such nutriment as the surgeon
may consider necessary.

An additional quart of water, in excess of the quantity provided by the dietary scale, is to be
issued to each statute adult daily while the ship is within the tropics. An additional quart of water
is also to be issued daily for the use of each person sick in the hospital if the surgeon shall so order.
These quantities to be net, exclusive of the water required for cooking the provisions which the
Passengers Act requires to be served in a cooked state. Proper arrangements are to be made for the
efficient cooking of these provisions, and for the distribution of them among the emigrants at the stated
hours for meals. The slush is not to be the perquisite of the cook, but to be reserved for the use of
the emigrants.

The Government are to be at liberty at any time to alter the scale of rations set forth in Schedules
A and B, on giving three months' previous notice in writing to the Contractors; and if by reason of