D.—l

54

serious dread and anxiety to women possessed of the slightest feeling of decency. The hatchways and ladders were of the cheapest and most inconvenient description, being low booby hatches and ladders without backs or hand rails, offering no protection or assistance to persons passing up and down. The cooking galley and apparatus appeared to be commodious and efficient, but the water condenser had been damaged by the bursting of some tubes in the boiler, which very much impaired its capacity. The deck was crowded by a large building measuring 7 feet by 8 feet by 6 feet 2 inches, erected for the accommodation of a quantity of birds, directly in opposition to the terms of contract which provides for the upper deck being kept quite clear for the use of immigrants, excepting the space occupied by spare spars and long boat. The Commissioners are of opinion that under very adverse circumstances the captain has brought his ship into port in good order and discipline; the people on board all speak highly of his general management and kindness. How far he is personally responsible for proceeding to sea with so inadequate a supply of water and fuel must rest with the Government; but under this proviso, the Commissioners are happy to recommend in his case the usual gratuity offered to captains of immigrant ships who have fulfilled their duties satisfactorily. The Commissioners regret that they cannot report so favourably of the surgeon-superintendent. His diary was not kept after the 19th November, 1872, so that there is no history of the sick cases, and no information given as to the sanitary steps taken during the voyage, such as rates of temperature in the different compartments, ventilation, airing of bedding and clothes, &c, &c. But as the passengers all appear to be well satisfied with the treatment and care of them, and the Commissioners believe that his professional duties generally were performed with ability and kindness, they think that a reduction of twenty-five per cent, on the amount of gratuity usually given to surgeons in charge of immigrants on arrival in the Colony would be sufficient to show the Government's disapproval of the neglect that has occurred in this case of the regulations laid down by the Agent-General, according to clause 18 in the conditions of contract made by him with Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Co. The Commissioners recommend that all other usual gratuities be paid, as they believe that the duties of the different officers have been performed faithfully. Alexander Johnston, M.D. John Hollidat. A. Follett Halcombe. J. Hackwoeth.

No. 56. Memorandum No. 40, 1873, for the Agent-General, London. Herewith is forwarded report of the Immigration Commissioners uj)on the ship " Charlotte Gladstone," which arrived at Port Chalmers upon the 16th February ; also copy of notes by Dr. O'Donoghue, one of the said Commissioners. As in consequence of a memorandum sent in by the surgeon-superintendent of the ship to the Board of Health, the Government have appointed a Commission to investigate the statements contained therein, I defer any remarks until their report has been considered. Immigration Office, Wellington, New Zealand, G. Maukice O'Korke. 14th March, 1873.

Enclosure 1 in No. 56. Kepoet by Immigration Commissionebs on Ship " Charlotte Gladstone." Sic, — Immigration Office, Dunedin, 27th February, 1873. "We have the honor to report that the ship " Charlotte Gladstone," from London, with G-overnment immigrants equal to 301^ statute adults, arrived in port on Sunday, 16th instant, after a passage of 106 days, her passage being prolonged by having called at the Cape of Good Hope. The report of the surgeon-superintendent, which was handed to the Immigration Officer and Commissioners alongside, having shown that typhoid fever prevailed on board on the passage; that there were seventeen deaths from that and other diseases; that there were fifteen sick then, and some dangerously ill, —it was resolved to place the ship in quarantine, and await the orders of the Board of Health as to further proceedings relative to the passengers. In the meantime, however, we thought that no time should be lost in taking action in the matter, and, having called upon His Honor the Superintendent, as Chairman of the Board of Health, we received his sanction to the removal of the sick and the convalescents at once to Quarantine Island, which was effected the same day as carefully as possible, Dr. Bakewell, the surgeon-superintendent, having been put in charge of the patients. The captain of the ship received instructions, pending the meeting of the Board of Health, to thoroughly fumigate the ship, clothing, &c. The Board having met on the 17th, the action of His Honor the Superintendent was approved of, and it was resolved by a majority, that, should no new case of sickness in the meantime arise, the ship should be admitted to pratique on Wednesday, the 19th instant. It was also resolved that about sixty of the young men be removed to the Island, in order to give more room to those on board for washing and airing their clothes. To complete the cleansing and fumigating, the Board, as an additional precaution, detained the ship until Thursday, the 20th, when, after proper medical inspection, she was released, and the immigrants conveyed to Dunedin on the following day. The Commissioners, accompanied by the Immigration Officer of the port, examined the .chip thoroughly, and found her exceedingly clean in every compartment, and well ventilated. She is