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and with his successors in the said office of Superintendent, as follows:—

1. That they, the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood will, at their own expense and charges during the continuance of this contract, once at least in each month despatch the screw steam ship Gothenburg from Melbourne to New Zealand, and will also cause the said steam ship to return once at least in each month from New Zealand to Melbourne, and so that on each voyage from Melbourne to New Zealand, the port of New River, in Southland, shall be the first port of call at New Zealand, and so that on each voyage from New Zealand to Melbourne, the said port of New River shall be the last port of departure from New Zealand.

2. That on each of the said voyages to New Zealand, the said steam ship shall convey Her Majesty’s mails from Melbourne to New River aforesaid, and also Her Majesty’s mails from New River to such other ports in New Zealand as the said steam ship may proceed to.

3. That on each of her said voyages from New Zealand, the said steam ship shall convey to New River aforesaid Her Majesty’s mails from such ports in New Zealand, as she may sail from or touch at on her return voyage from New Zealand to Melbourne, and also Her Majesty’s mails from New River aforesaid to Melbourne aforesaid.

4. That the said service hereunder shall commence on the fourteenth day of August next, or as soon thereafter as it may be practicable to despatch the said steam ship from the said port of Melbourne, and shall continue for the term of six calendar months, to be computed from the said fourteenth day of August next, or from the day of such despatch as last aforesaid, whichever day shall last happen, and shall further continue from and after the end of the said term of six calendar months, until the expiration of one calendar month from the time at which the said James M’Meckan and John Hutchison Blackwood, or the survivor of them, or their or his executors, administrators, or assigns, shall have given to, or shall have received from, the Superintendent for the time being of the said Province of Southland, notice in writing of a desire or intention to determine this contract and the service thereunder.

5. That the said steam ship shall in every voyage from Melbourne aforesaid, during the continuance of this contract, if the state of the weather will permit, call at the said port of New River; but in the event of the weather being, in the opinion of the master of the said steam ship, such as to render it hazardous or unsafe for the said steam ship to take the bar at the said last named port, he shall be at liberty to proceed to the Bluff Harbour, in the said Province of Southland, and that if the said master and the Harbour Master at the Bluff aforesaid shall be of opinion that it would be practicable for the said steam ship to return to New River, and to land her mails and passengers there, within twenty-four hours from the time of her first arrival off the said port of New River on her then voyage from Melbourne, the said steam ship shall forthwith return to New River aforesaid, but that if the said master and Harbour Master shall not form such opinion as aforesaid, the said master shall be at liberty to land the said mails and passengers at the Bluff, and to proceed therefrom to any other port or place in New Zealand.

6. That the said steam ship shall not at any time be required to wait off the port of New River aforesaid, in the event of there being no pilot in attendance there ready to take her into the said port on her arrival abreast of the heads of the said port, and in that event she shall be at liberty to proceed forthwith to the Bluff, and thence to any other port or place in New Zealand.

7. That the said steam ship shall on every occasion of her entering the port of New River aforesaid, during the continuance of this contract, remain there for a period of not less than twenty-four hours from the time of her arrival, unless the special permission of the Superintendent of the said Province of Southland for her departure shall have been given, or unless she shall have on board the English mails to any other Province or Provinces of New Zealand.

8. That the said steam ship shall, during the continuance of this contract, be exempted from all port charges and dues whatsoever, which are or may be payable in any present or future port of the said Province of Southland.

9. That the said steam ship shall be at liberty to enter and to clear respectively at, and to depart from, any port in Southland on any Sunday during the continuance of this contract, if the master of the said steam ship shall deem it advisable so to do for the sake of expedition or of avoiding tempestuous weather.

10. That, except as hereinbefore provided, the said steam ship shall in no case be bound to wait for mails, either at