Volunteer Officers appointed.

Defence Office,
Wellington, 29th July, 1891.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to approve of the under-mentioned appointments and promotions:—

• Lyttelton Naval Artillery Volunteers.
  Robert Richard Knight to be Sub-Lieutenant. Date of commission, 1st July, 1891.
• Peninsula Naval Artillery Volunteers.
  Sub-Lieutenant David Carvosso to be Lieutenant-Commanding. Date of promotion, 30th June, 1891.
• Wakari Rifle Volunteers.
  Frederick Baily Muir to be Lieutenant. Date of commission, 1st July, 1891.
• Port Chalmers Naval Artillery Volunteers.
  Edward Knewstuble to be Sub-Lieutenant. Date of commission, 1st July, 1891.
• Christchurch City Guards Volunteers.
  Arthur James Weekes to be Lieutenant. Date of commission, 1st July, 1891.
  Rev. John Merton to be Honorary Chaplain. Date of commission, 6th July, 1891.
• Waikouaiti Rifle Volunteers.
  Rev. William Stanley Lucas to be Honorary Chaplain. Date of commission, 24th June, 1891.
• Unattached Active List, New Zealand Volunteers.
  Captain William Henry Quick, New Zealand Militia, to be Major. Date of commission, 1st July, 1891.
• Palmerston North Rifle Volunteers.
  John Robert Montague to be Lieutenant. Date of commission, 1st July, 1891.
• Dunedin Engineer Volunteers.
  George Barclay to be Lieutenant. Date of commission, 1st July, 1891.
• Dunedin Highland Rifle Volunteers.
  James Sinclair Nelson to be Lieutenant. Date of commission, 1st July, 1891.

R. J. SEDDON.

Volunteer Officer resigned.

Defence Office,
Wellington, 29th July, 1891.

HIS Excellency the Governor has been pleased to accept the resignation of the commission held by the under-mentioned officer:—

• Dunedin Naval Artillery Volunteers.
  Honorary Surgeon Thomas Moreland Hocken. Date of resignation, 11th July, 1891.

R. J. SEDDON.

Result of Poll for Proposed Loan, County of Wairarapa South.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 25th July, 1891.

THE following notice, received from the Chairman of the Wairarapa South County Council, is published in accordance with “The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1886.”

P. A. BUCKLEY.

WAIRARAPA SOUTH COUNTY.

I HEREBY give notice that the following is the result of a poll taken at Martinborough, in the Riding of Otaraia, on the 16th day of July, 1891, upon the proposal to raise a loan of £850 under “The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1886,” and “The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1886,” for the purpose of constructing a water-race for irrigation purposes on the lands of Messrs. Jacob Joseph and Coleman Phillips:—

Number of ratepayers on special rate-roll 1, representing 5 votes; number of ratepayers who voted for the proposal 1, representing 5 votes; number of ratepayers who voted against the proposal, nil; number of ratepayers who did not vote, nil.

As the number of ratepayers who voted in favour of the proposal and the number of votes represented by same were in each case a majority, I declare the proposal carried.

HENRY R. BUNNY,
Chairman, Wairarapa South County.
Carterton, 18th July, 1891.

Notice to Mariners, No. 28 of 1891.

Marine Department,
Wellington, 24th July, 1891.

REFERRING to Notice to Mariners, No. 32 of 1890, issued by this department on the 26th August, 1890, the following Notice to Mariners, received from the Department of Ports and Harbours, Melbourne, is published for general information.

JOHN McKENZIE,
For the Minister having charge of the Marine Department.

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. — WESTERN ENTRANCE TO BASS STRAITS.—EAGLE NEST OR SPLIT POINT.

REFERRING to Notice to Mariners published on the 6th August, 1890, notice is hereby given that, on and after the 1st September, 1891, a red and white light will be exhibited from a lighthouse-tower built on the southern extremity of Eagle Nest or Split Point.

The lighthouse-tower is of concrete, coloured white, 83ft. high, and the lantern is 220ft. above the mean level of the sea, from which will be exhibited a first-order dioptric fixed red light, which should be seen in clear weather at a distance of eighteen nautical miles.

The red or principal light will illuminate an arc of about 153° seaward, with an arc of white light illuminating about one mile off Point Addis to the eastward, and one mile off Cape Paton to the westward, of the lighthouse.

An auxiliary white light, to cover a distance of three miles from the lighthouse-tower, will illuminate an arc of 180° to seaward. This auxiliary light will be invisible to an observer 14ft. above the level of the sea until within about three miles distance from the lighthouse.

Approximate position, lat. 38° 28' 10" S., long. 144° 5' 45" E. Caution: The white lights are to warn mariners of their too close proximity to the shore or to the lighthouse.

A. W. MUSGROVE,
Secretary, Trade and Customs.

Ports and Harbours,
Melbourne, 26th June, 1891.

Government Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations, Wellington, for the month of June, 1891. Altitude above the sea, 140ft. Observations taken at 9.30 a.m.

• Means.

REMARKS. — Showery early part of month, fine latter part, with cold frosty nights, clear sky; prevailing southerly wind, but light or calm, except fresh on