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1873. NEW ZEALAND. IMMIGBATION TO NEW ZEALAND. LETTERS FROM THE AGENT-GENERAL. Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey. (No. 389.) 7, "Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W., Sic, — 9th August, 1872. I have the honor to report that the ship " Palmerston" sailed on the 29th ult. from Hamburg for Dunedin, under the contract made with Messrs. Louis Knorr and Co., having on board Government immigrants to the number of 228 statute adults, made up as per enclosed certified list, viz. : — Married couples ... ... ... ... 100 statute adults And children ... ... ... 43 „ „ Single women ... ... ... ... 51 „ „ Single men ... ... ... ... 34 „ „ Total ... ... 228 „ „ Being myself unable to attend the inspection of the vessel and emigrants, I deputed Mr. C. R. Carter to this duty, and I beg herewith to forward you copy of his report. It gives full details of the inspection ; and you will learn from it that the ship with its fittings, stores, berthing arrangements, &c, were in every way satisfactory, and that everything had been done which was likely to conduce to the health and comfort of the emigrants during the voyage. An advance of £15 has been made to the surgeon, Dr. Bohrdt; this sum will be deducted from the amount payable to him on the arrival of the vessel at Dunedin. I have, &c, I. E. Featheeston, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington, N.Z. Agent-General. Enclosure in No. 1. Mr. C. E. Caetee to Dr. Featheeston. Sic,— Hamburg, 29th July, 1872. I have the honor to report that, in conformity with your written instructions (dated 18th July, 1872), I proceeded to Hamburg for the purpose of ascertaining that all the conditions of the contract made between yourself and Messieurs Louis Knorr, and relating to the ship " Palmerston," and the emigrants to be embarked in her, had been complied with. I arrived at Hamburg on the 20th instant. At that date none of the emigrants had arrived. Next day a few of them arrived, and on the following day they all came to hand from various parts of Germany, Denmark, and Norway. The ship "Palmerston" is a four-masted iron ship, of 950 tons register. She was built by Messrs. Laird, of Birkenhead, in 1853, as a steamer called the " La Cubana," and about six years ago was converted into a sailing ship. She left the dry dock, with her berths for emigrants completed, on the 18th instant. After several inspections, I find her capabilities for carrying emigrants to be very desirable. She is lofty 'tween decks, and is also spacious and well ventilated. She measures 7 feet 3 inches from deck to deck. She has sufficient scuttles in her sides, eight gang or hatch ways, four large iron pipe ventilators, and two windsails to her main deck, to afford light and yentilation below. Four of the ventilating shafts—two to married people's compartment, one to single women's, and one to single men's compartments —are carried right down to the lower deck floor, and there they are secured to the floor; four holes, 10 inches square, are cut in the four sides of the shaft. By this means the fresh air is introduced to the lowest part of the 'tween decks, where it takes the place of the vitiated air, which being the lighter body, naturally ascends, and escapes by the hatchways. This is an improvement on the English shaft ventilation. I—D. 2.