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Semaphores.

Three Semaphores, to establish a line of communication between Steep Head Flagstaff and the town; one to be placed at Inner Flagstaff, one at Sandy Point, and one at reserve southward from the Pilot Station.

Boats.

4 new Pilot Boats, of same construction as used on the coasts of Northumberland and Yorkshire, North of England.

Piles.

Eighteen piles, cut for the purpose of being driven into the bank along the course of the channel, Upper Harbour.

Anchors.

Twelve mushroom anchors, with chains, reserved, and forthwith to be made use of.

Buoys.

Six iron buoys ordered, but not yet delivered, which will be sufficient to complete the buoying of the channel.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

J. B. GREIG,

Harbour-Master.

Invercargill, 23rd Sept., 1863.

I beg thus to lay before your Honour, as directed, a statement of the further improvements which I think this Harbour stands in need of, viz.:

Additional house room for the Pilots.

At the Station, four Pilots are living in one house (23 feet x 15 feet—two apartments), two of them having wife and family each, although these do not yet reside at the Station.

House at Sandy Point to accommodate Signalman, two Pilots, and two Boatmen.

House on reserve below the Jetty to accommodate Signalman, one Pilot, and two Boatmen.

Breakwater run out at Pilot Station about seventy feet, with curve at outer side to protect the boats from the surf while being hauled up or launched.

Moorings.

Moorings laid down above Pilot Station, in consequence of the shallowness of the channel, a little further up, not admitting a vessel drawing over fifteen feet to pass at high water ordinary tides. Such vessel could remain at the moorings until lightened. It would likewise be a convenience for the mail steamer until the channel got deepened. The moorings would consist simply of a chain stretched across the channel, the inner end secured to a rock, the outer end to an anchor embedded in the sand, backed by a strong framework loaded with stones. At mid-channel, made fast to this chain, would be a short piece of chain, of about ten fathoms in length, to which the vessel would ride. To get hold of the end of this chain, a small chain would be made fast to it, the end of which would be floated up by a small buoy. A hundred and fifty fathoms of two-inch chain, strong swivel, and two-ton anchor, would be required.

The old channel is now closed up a little below the Bombay Rock. No channel through the sandspit, were such to form, could remain permanently open; and even the old channel, were it to open of itself again, could it be counted on to remain so for twelve months, unless the whole current of water downwards was caused to pass through it? This, so far as my judgment goes, can only be effected by making an obstruction to the water passing out to sea between that part of the channel opposite the Bombay Rock and the point of sand above it. Could this be done, it is obvious that a permanent channel would be opened of not less depth than eighteen feet at low water, and from twenty-nine to thirty feet at the highest tides along its whole length to the bar. The effect this would have on the bar I will not pretend to determine, but I do not see that it could in any way tend to lessen the depth of water there; rather, I should think, the contrary.

The insufficiency of berthage room at the wharf for vessels drawing eight feet water, is a source of great inconvenience. The steamers William Miskin and Titania take up nearly the whole face of the platform, which is only ninety-two feet, and there is scarcely a vessel which comes to the wharf but has to be removed for the convenience of these steamers. In place of ninety-two feet, a hundred and eighty feet of available frontage for vessels drawing eight feet would be quite little enough, as it sometimes happens that vessels over a hundred feet in length are discharged at the wharf.

The mud bank formed along the south side of the wharf is a serious obstruction to lighters in getting to it; but it would be an expensive matter getting it removed, and I believe money would be spent to better purpose in extending the platform downwards in the line of the deep water channel.

The necessity for having a powerful steam-tug will increase as the trade to