H.—l9.

1873. NEW ZEALAND.

LIGHTHOUSES ON THE COASTS OF NEW ZEALAND, (REPORT ON THE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by command of His Excellency.

No. 1. Memorandum by the Hon. Mr. Reynolds. Me. Seed will please request Captain Johnson and Captain Edwin to take into consideration the whole question of Lights on the Coast, and to prepare a comprehensive Plan and Report, showing where thejr would recommend the erection of additional lights, and the transposition of those already existing; the class of each proposed light, and the probable cost of the same in detail. Without desiring to influence their judgment, I may state that my idea is, — 1. That there should be an alteration in the position and class of the present lights in Cook Strait. 2. That the Cape Saunders Lighthouse should be completed ; and it would be a question for consideration whether the light now at Otago Heads could not with advantage be removed there, and a simple harbour light substituted instead. 3. That a light should be placed somewhere in Favorite or Foveaux Strait, western entrance; also one on or near the Snares (Stewart's Island). 4. That a light be placed on one of the islands near Auckland, on the route from San Francisco. I would like to have the report ready on my return to Wellington. Melbourne, 2nd January, 1873. William H. Reynolds.

No. 2. Memoeandum for Secbetaby of Customs. Me. Seed, —As directed in your Minute of 16th January, 1873, we forward herewith the Report on the Lighting of the New Zealand Coast (accompanied by a chart), required by the Hon. tho Commissioner of Customs in his Memorandum dated 2nd January, 1873. R. Johnson, 3rd March, 1873. R. A. Edwin, Commander, R.N.

Enclosure in No. 2. Repobt on the Lighting of tho New Zealand Coast. In drafting the following scheme of lighting the seaboard of tho Colony, we have endeavoured to make it as comprehensive as possible ; and, while it treats existing lights generally as a part of the proposed system, will also admit the placing such future lights as it may be deemed necessary to erect, and at the same time insure that each newly placed light shall he part of one continuous system. In devising such a scheme as we now propose, it is necessary to consider the direction from which the principal foreign trade of the Colony arrives, as by this our opinion as to the position of the more powerful lights should be guided. With the exception of vessels bound to Auckland from North America and the South Sea Islands the whole of the over-sea vessels arrive from the westward ; for it will be found that ships from England' bound to Otago and Canterbury, and possibly also to Napier, first make the Snares Islands, upon which we recommend tho erection of a First-order light, revolving once a minute. This light will also be of great benefit to homeward-bound Australian vessels ; and we believe that the desirability of placing a good light on these islands has been already noticed in Australian newspapers. Vessels from Australia and Tasmania bound to Otago and Canterbury pass through Foveaux Strait. As the weather in this locality is often thick and winter nights are long, wo propose the erection of a First-order light, revolving once in every two minutes, to distinguish it from the Snares (revolving every minute), and from Dog