Stewart Island in proceeding to and from the Southern settlements of New Zealand.

Its position, which appears to have been determined with some accuracy, is as follows:—

• 7 1-10th miles, E. by N. ¼ N. from Owen Island, off Lord’s River.
• 5 1-10th miles E. by N. ¼ N. from the extreme of the Break Sea Isles.
• 8½ miles, E. by S. 2-3rds S. from Wreck Reef off Port Adventure.
• 7¼ miles, S.E. ¾ E. from East Head, north of Port Adventure.

Or, in latitude 47° 7' 35" S., and long. 168° 21' 8½" E.

Soundings, though tried for, were not obtained in its neighbourhood, from the rapid rate of sailing of the ship in passing the danger.

Caution.—It is creditable to Captain Meiklejohn to have entered the discovery of this Reef in his Weather book; but it is greatly to be regretted that he did not take some steps immediately on his arrival at Calcutta or England to make public the existence of this very serious danger which lies but little out of the sailing track of ships bound to the Southern settlements of New Zealand.

Had not the remark been seen by Rear-Admiral Fitz Roy (who was searching this book for Meteorological facts, and at once transmitted it to the Admiralty for publication) this reef might not have been heard of until it had caused the wreck of a vessel. On being applied to for further information, Captain Meiklejohn readily sent up his original Chart, on which the reef was marked at the time, and there can be but little doubt of its existence; Masters of vessels are therefore warned to keep a good look out in this neighbourhood. They are further requested, on the discovery of any danger, to report the same immediately on arriving at the first port, in order that other vessels may be put on their guard, and for the general benefit of the Mariner.

[All bearings are Magnetic. Variation, 16° 20’ East in 1861.]

By command of their Lordships,

JOHN WASHINGTON,

Hydrographer.

This Notice affects the following Admiralty Charts:—

• New Zealand, General, No. 1212;
• Foveaux Strait and South Island, No. 2538;
• New Zealand Plans No. 2542; Pacific Ocean, General, No. 2683, and Sheet 10, No. 2468;
• New Zealand Pilot, p. 224.

(From the New Zealand Gazette, Dec. 7.)

A PROCLAMATION

Disallowing certain Ordinances of the Province of Otago.

By His Excellency Sir George Grey, Knight, Commander of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty’s Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c., &c.

WHEREAS by an Act made and enacted in the Imperial Parliament, holden in the fifteenth and sixteenth years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled "An Act to grant a Representative Constitution to the Colony of New Zealand," it is amongst other things enacted that whenever any Bill shall have been assented to by the Superintendent as in the said Act provided, the Superintendent shall forthwith transmit to the Governor an authentic copy thereof, and it shall be lawful for the Governor at any time within three months after any such Bill shall have been received by him to declare by Proclamation his disallowance of such Bill and that any such disallowance shall make void and annul the same from and after the day of the date of such Proclamation or any subsequent day to be named therein:

And whereas the Ordinances hereinafter specified have been enacted by the Superintendent of the Province of Otago with the advice and consent of the Provincial Council thereof, and the said Ordinances were received by the Administrator of the Government on the thirty-first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one:

And whereas it is expedient that the said Ordinances should be disallowed:

Now therefore I, George Grey, the Governor of the said Colony, in pursuance of the authority vested in me in that behalf by the said recited Act of Parliament, do hereby proclaim and declare my disallowance of the following Ordinances passed by the Superintendent and Provincial Council of the Province of Otago, viz.:—

• "The Diseased Cattle Ordinance, 1861."
• "The Education Ordinance, 1861."
• "The Roads Ordinance, 1861."

Given under my hand, at the Government House at Auckland, and issued under the Seal of the Colony of New Zealand, this fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.

G. GREY.

By His Excellency’s command,

WILLIAM FOX.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

A PROCLAMATION

Constituting Hundreds in the Province of Otago.

By His Excellency Sir George Grey, Knight, Commander of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty’s Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c., &c.

WHEREAS it is enacted by the "Definition of Districts Act, 1858," that it shall be lawful for the Governor, from time to time, by Proclamation in the New Zealand Gazette, to divide the Colony into Counties, Hundreds, Parishes, or such other divisions as he may deem expedient, which shall have such limits, and shall have and be...