D.—l

66

Very serious, and apparently well-founded complaints were made by the married people, that the preserved milk, sago, and other articles which are especially provided under the terms of the contract for the use of the young children, were not supplied excepting for a short time after leaving England, and since revictualling at the Mauritius. That those articles had been short served was acknowledged by the captain and purser, but was attempted to be accounted for by the assertion that the surgeonsuperintendent, at the commencement of the voyage, had ordered a larger quantity of these articles to be served out than the contract allowance. We are, however, of opinion that there is not sufficient evidence of this to account for the subsequent deficiency. We are unable to recommend the payment of the usual gratuity to Captain Culbert; and as the matron was dismissed from her post by the surgeon-superintendent in the early part of the voyage, as being unfitted for its duties, we are unable to recommend any gratuity in her case also. We desire, however, to express our great satisfaction with the conduct of the ship's steward, Mr. Haddock, who, from the testimony of all on board, appears to have been most active and unwearied in his exertions on behalf of the sick after the death of Dr. L'Estrange. Most fortunately Mr. Haddock was able to bring a special knowledge to this work, he having studied for some time as a medical student, and he appears to have done good service in treating the patients suffering from the Mauritius fever and other ailments. We therefore recommend that his services should, receive special acknowledgment by a gratuity of £15. We have also great pleasure in recommending the first mate, Mr. Brown, for the usual gratuity ; and also the purser who served out the stores, Mr. Livingston. In conclusion, we desire to press upon the notice of the Government the necessity of prohibiting the conveyance of cabin passengers in immigrant ships where single women are being brought out to the Colony by the Government. We would point out that the spirit of the contract, by which the right to make use of the poop deck is secured to the single women, is thereby necessarily infringed, as the cabin passengers are always allowed also to make use of it; and in this case it appears to us that as no sufficient reason is alleged for depriving the single women of the use of the bathroom, the only conclusion to be drawn is, that it was taken away for the convenience of the chief cabin passengers. We consider that the bathroom to be provided for the single women should be kept for their exclusive use ; and that no circumstances can justify their being deprived of so necessary a provision for their health and cleanliness, and that prohibition of its use involves a breach of the contract with Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Co. We are also of opinion that the failure of necessary provision four days before the arrival of the " Glenlora " in port is not sufficiently accounted for by the additional demand made on the stores for the supply of the crew from the " Der Fuchs," and that the captain of the " Glenlora," and her agents, were not justified in allowing the ship to leave the Mauritius with so slender a provision against the contingency of a lengthy voyage. We have, &c, Alexander Joiinston, M.D.A A. FOLLETT HALCOMBE, ( <~l • • T n r Commissioners. J. Hackwobth, ( John Holliday, ) The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Mr. A. F. Halcombe, — The single women, per ship " Glenlora," whose names are appended, wish me to inform you that, on the 22nd January, 1873, they were told that they could no longer use the " bathroom," and the door leading out of their cabin to it was locked. One of the single women complained about it to the captain, who told her he would have her put in irons. Before that date, they were obliged to use the same water as the saloon passengers or mates had used, the pumps being removed after a certain hour. The single women also kept their provisions and tins in the bathroom, and when it was taken away they were told to keep them under their beds, which they refused to do, saying they would tell the Immigration Agent on their arrival at Wellington ; the captain then had two little shelves put up at the side of the cabin door. E. Eedwakd, Matron. (Signed by six Single Women.) Immigration Barracks, Wellington, 14th March, 1873.

Enclosure 2 in No. 68. Province of Wellington, in the ~) Colony of New Zealand, > to wit. ) Tiie information of Huntly John Harry Eliott, of the City of Wellington, a Government Emigration Officer, duly appointed under the provisions of " The Passengers Act, 1855," who cometh before me, George Sisson Cooper, Esq., one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace in and for the Colony of NewZealand, this 31st day of March, 1873, and informeth me that within the space of twelve calendar months last past, to wit, on a certain day between the 19th day of February last and the 11th day of March aforesaid, on Ihe high seas, William Culbert, then being the master of the ship " Glenlora," now lying in the Port of Wellington, on the voyage of the said ship from the Port of London to Wellington aforesaid (such ship being a passenger ship within the meaning of the said Act, and the passengers on board such ship being divided into messes), unlawfully did neglect to comply with the provisions of the 35th section of " The Passengers Act, 1855," by not issuing to Edward Filer, then being the head-man for the time being of a certain mess of such passengers, consisting of eight statute adults and one-half statute adult, the weekly allowance of provisions which he was entitled to receive on behalf and for the use of all the members thereof according to the dietary scale marked B, set