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keep their rates, and find the longitude by them from an observation of the sun; to work the latitude by single altitude of the sun off the meridian, and be able to use and adjust the sextant by the sun.

In seamanship: In addition to the qualifications re-quired for an only mate, a more extensive knowledge of seamanship will be required, as to shifting large spars and sails, managing a ship in stormy weather, taking in and making sail, shifting yards and masts, &c., and getting heavy weights, anchors, &c., in and out; casting a ship when on a lee-shore; and securing the masts in the event of accident to the bowsprit.

10. Master Ordinary.—A master must be twenty-one years of age, and have been six years at sea, of which at least one year must have been as first or only mate, and one year as second mate.

In addition to the qualification for a first mate, he must be able to find the latitude by a star, &c. He will be asked questions as to the nature of the deviation of the compass, and as to the methods of determining it and correcting his course, and will also have to answer questions relative to the heeling error of an iron ship; copies of these questions may be obtained on application to the superintendent of any Mercantile Marine Office. He will be examined in so much of the laws of the tides as is necessary to enable him to shape a course and to compare his soundings with the depths marked on the charts. He will be examined as to his competency to construct jury rudders and rafts, and as to his resources for the preservation of the ship’s crew in the event of wreck. He must possess a sufficient knowledge of what he is required to do by law, as to entry and discharge and the management of his crew, and as to penalties, and entries to be made in the official log; and a knowledge of the measures for preventing and checking the outbreak of scurvy on board ship. He will be questioned as to his knowledge of invoices, charter-party, Lloyd’s agent, and as to the nature of bottomry; and he must be acquainted with the leading lights of the channel he has been accustomed to navigate, or which he is going to use.

11. Service in Fore-and-Aft Rigged Ships.—In cases where an applicant for a certificate as master ordinary has only served in a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, and is ignorant of the management of a square-rigged vessel, he may obtain a certificate on which the words “Fore-and-aft rigged Vessel” will be written. This certificate does not entitle him to command a square-rigged ship. This is not, however, to apply to mates, who, being younger men, are expected for the future to learn their business completely.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY FOR A HOME-TRADE PASSENGER SHIP.

13. Mate.—A mate must write a legible hand, and understand the first four rules of arithmetic. He must know and understand the rule of the road, and describe and show that he understands the Admiralty regulations as to lights. He must be able to take a bearing by compass, correct it for deviation, and prick off the ship’s course on a chart. He must know the marks in the lead line, and be able to work and heave the log.

14. Master.—A master must have served one year as a mate in the foreign or home trade. In addition to the qualifications required for a mate, he must show that he is capable of navigating a ship along any coast, for which purpose he will be required to draw upon a chart produced by the examiner the courses and distances he would run along shore from headland to headland, and to give in writing the courses and distances corrected for variation and deviation, and the bearings of the headlands and lights, and to show when the courses should be altered either to clear any danger or to adapt it to the coast. He must understand how to make his soundings according to the state of the tide. He will also be questioned as to his knowledge of the use and management of the mortar and rocket lines in the case of the stranding of a vessel, explained in the official log book.

15. International Code Signals.—All masters and mates will be required to pass a satisfactory examination in the use of the International Code of Signals.

GENERAL RULES AS TO EXAMINATIONS AND FEES.

16. Time allowed for working Problems.—The candidate will be allowed to work out the various problems according to the method and the tables they have been accustomed to use, and will be allowed five hours to perform the work: at the expiration of which time, if they have not finished, they will be declared to have failed, unless the examiners see fit to extend the time.

17. Fees to be paid by Applicants for Examination.—The fee for examination must be paid to the Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office (Shipping Master, Custom House). If a candidate fail in his examination, half the fee he has paid will be returned to him by the Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office on his producing an order, which will be given him by the examiner. The fees are as follow:—

For Foreign-going Ships.
£ s. d.
Second mate ... 1 0 0
First and only mate, if previously possessing an inferior certificate ... 0 10 0
If not ... 1 0 0
Master, whether extra ordinary ... 2 0 0
Master, if previously in possession of a certificate for “fore-and-aft rigged vessels” ... 1 0 0

N.B.—Any person having a master’s certificate of competency for foreign-going ships may go up for an extra examination without payment of any fee; but if he fails in his first examination, half a master’s fee will be charged for each subsequent examination.

For Home-trade Passenger Ships.
£ s. d.
Mate ... 0 10 0
Master ... 1 0 0

Notification of having passed will be given to successful candidates.—If the Applicant passes, he will receive an order from the examiner, which will entitle him to receive his Certificate of Competency from the Superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office at the port to which he has directed it to be forwarded. His testimonials will be returned with his certificate.

19. Unsuccessful Candidates may receive Certificate for inferior Grades, by competent.—If an applicant is examined for a higher rank, and fails, but passes an examination of a lower grade, he may receive a certificate accordingly, but no part of the fee will be returned.

20. Examination to commence with that for Second Mate.—In every case the Examination, whether for Only Mate, First Mate, or Master, is to commence with the problems for Second Mate.

21. In all cases of failure the candidate must be examined de novo. If a candidate fails in seamanship he will not be examined until after a lapse of six months, to give him time to gain experience. If he fails three times in Navigation, he will not be examined until after a lapse of three months.

22. In every case that there is reason to believe that any examination has been improperly made, the case may be remitted, either to the same or to any other Examiners, and a re-examination of the applicant, or a further inquiry into his testimonials and character, may be required before granting him a Certificate.

Notice to Candidates for Examination for Certificates of Competency as Masters and Mates.

Office of the Commissioner of Customs,
Wellington, 12th July, 1873.

THE Regulations heretofore published provide only:

I. For the examination of persons who have been domiciled in the Colony for three years immediately preceding the date of application to be examined. This condition was imposed by the Queen’s Order in Council of the 9th August, 1872, with regard to certificates of competency issued in New Zealand under the provisions of “The Merchant Shipping (Colonial) Act, 1869,” which certificates have the same force and effect as those issued by the Board of Trade.

The Regulations published herewith have been framed to enable persons who have not been domiciled in New Zealand for three years to obtain certificates of competency.

Candidates will understand, however, that such certificates, although valid in this Colony, will not be recognized by the Board of Trade, and that the holders of them who, after having completed the necessary domicile, may desire to obtain certificates under the Queen’s Order in Council quoted above, will have to pass another examination; but they will not be required to pay the usual fee for this second examination.

WILLIAM H. REYNOLDS,
Commissioner of Customs.