Harbour Office, Invercargill,
23rd September, 1863.

Sir:—In accordance with your Honour’s instructions, I now beg to send the follow-ing statement of the improvements made in the Harbour during the last twelve months.

Signal Staff (outer).

A Signal Staff, ninety feet in length, erected on Steep Head, and a weather-board house for the Signalman, twenty feet by twelve, having two apartments: Signalman provided with Marryatt’s code and signals, tidal signals, and telescope.

Inner Flagstaff.

An Inner Flagstaff, seventy feet in length, for transmitting signals from Steep Head to Pilot Station, and the contrary; provided likewise with Marryatt’s signals, book, and spyglass; a small house, six feet by six, as a temporary shelter for the Signalman.

Triangular Beacons.

Two triangular beacons for leading vessels over the bar, thirty-two feet in height, nine feet of square at base, thirteen feet at top three feet.

Pilots’ House.

Pilots’ house re-built, twenty-three feet by fifteen, having two apartments.

Boatmen’s House.

Boatmen’s House enlarged, fifteen feet by thirteen.

Cook-house.

A cook-house, fifteen feet by ten.

Boat-shed.

A boat-shed, thirty-six feet by twenty-two.

Pilot Boat.

A new pilot boat, twenty-eight feet.

Buoy Boat.

A carvel-built boat, capable of carrying six tons, for the purpose of laying down and lifting anchors, &c.

Beacon.

A spire beacon, fifteen feet high, on Harbour Rock (not entirely completed).

Buoys.

Nineteen additional buoys have been placed on the sides of the channel between the Red and anchorage (a red buoy); seventeen of these are of iron, moored to mushroom anchors, and two of wood, moored to pieces of kentledge.

Piles.

Six piles, twenty-two feet by ten inches, driven into the sand, showing the line of channel round the Mokomoko Bend.

Wooden Buoys.

Seven buoys of wood, placed on the sides of the channel above the red buoy and the mid-channel buoys from sea upwards removed to the sides, and painted black or white, as the other buoys.

Dolphins.

Three dolphins, placed at low-water mark on the west bank, have been erected for the purpose of mooring vessels to while being discharged at the upper anchorage (the Pool).

Six dolphins, of similar construction to the above-mentioned have been placed in situations convenient for vessels in being hauled to and from the wharf, anchors and kedges having been formerly used for that purpose.

Wharf.

The platform at the outer end of the wharf has been extended, making at present the outer frontage ninety-two feet, in place of forty-two, as formerly. The doing of this has necessitated the removing of one hundred and fifty tons of mud from the east side of the platform to make a passage for lighters to the wharf, through a bank of mud formed along its south side.

The wharf itself, along its whole length, has been extended in breadth ten feet; two T’s of about fifty feet by twenty-eight each, run out on its south side; the available frontage for vessels faced with fender piles; and three lamp-posts, with lamps burning kerosene oil, erected on it, besides various other improvements of minor importance.

The other alterations on the wharf, such as the store at its inner end, a double line of iron rails, and additional waggons, I shall only thus advert to, as these do not properly come within the compass of this report.

Pilots.

Three Assistant Pilots have been appointed: one at the lower station, and two at the Upper Harbour, and an Assistant Harbour-Master, who, having been formerly an Assistant Pilot, can act as Pilot in case of need.

Boatmen.

Five Boatmen have been appointed, four of whom are stationed at Upper Harbour, and one at Pilot’s Station.

The following items are in the course of construction: