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all the lighthouses which have been recommended as necessary for the proper lighting of the coast, it will be real economy to purchase a steamer for this department, not only for the purpose of official inspections after they are built, but for the purpose of carrying the material and plant for the erection of each to its selected site, and so save a large item in all tenders for the erection of the lighthouses, it being evident that either the Government or any contractor must pay for such special services at a high rate, seeing that the work is always of an exceptional and frequently of a dangerous character. The latter fact points strongly to the necessity for a special steamer for such purposes, as the captain and his officers become expert by practice at the peculiar work required of them, which demands both skill and experience to avoid accidents and loss of life, which might otherwise happen under less experienced hands. Attached to this memorandum is a sketch of The Brothers, which will illustrate the remarks herein, and render the description clear and intelligible. The sketch is drawn very nearly to scale, and with the slopes and altitudes as measured. John Blackett, Marine Engineer.

No. 2. Memobandum for the Hon. the Commissioner of Customs. The Brothers Lighthouse Site Landing-Place. The most suitable of the two Brothers for a lighthouse site is the northern one; and on examining this island yesterday, a landing-place was found on the eastern near the northern end, which is capable of being improved so much, that a boat in ordinary N.W. weather will find no difficulty in landing the usual lighthouse and keeper's stores. Owing, however, to the first 60 or 70 feet of the track being so steep, it will be difficult to carry heavy material to the site. On the northern end of the island the ground slopes more gradually towards the. sea, and here an overhanging cliff, of about 50 feet above sea level, was found, under which, in fine weather, a boat could safely lay, and, with help of a derrick and a winch en the top of the rock, the heavy material for building the tower, dwelling, with the apparatus and lantern, could easily be landed and conveyed to the site. 21st September, 1874. E. Johnson".

No. 3. Mr. Blackett to the Secbetahy of Customs. Sib, — Marine Office, Wellington, 25th January, 1875. I have the honor to forward, for the information of the Hon. the Commissioner of Customs, the following memorandum on lighthouses, containing information collected during the last trip of the p.s. "Luna" round the Middle Island, which extended from 15th December, 1874, to Bth January, 1875. The various sites which have been proposed are described in the order in which they were inspected, and attached to this memorandum is a series of rough sketches, Nos. 1 to 10, illustrative of the positions and peculiar features of each. An approximate estimate of the cost of erecting lighthouses on these sites is also appended hereto. This has been prepared with the assistance of Captain Eobert Johnson, with whose report (supplementary to that of last year) the present memorandum is now forwarded. I have, &c, John Blackett, Marine Engineer. ¥m. Seed, Esq., Secretary and Inspector of Customs, Wellington. Light for Akaroa and the Adjacent Coast. Three sites were examined, the first of which, marked A on Sketch 1, is situated on Akaroa Head' Its height above sea level is 247 feet; the nearest, or in fact the only, landing for boats is situated in a deep bay to the east of the head ; the landing is on a ledge of rocks, and is distant about 15 chains from the site A. It will be necessary to cut a road for the whole of this distance, mostly in deep sideling ground, and in many places, if not for the whole length, more or less in rock of variable degrees of hardness. The second site, marked B on Sketch 1 is situated within the entrance to Akaroa Harbour, and is called Point Trueni; its elevation is about 90 feet. It is composed entirely of rock, very rough and broken, and access can only be gained to it by means of a road cut from the same landing-place as described for site A, which road would have this disadvantage, viz. that it would cross the summit of the range, which is 607 feet high, and would be necessarily very steep and impracticable. The ground embracing the above sites and the landing is all open. The third site, marked. C on Sketch 2 is on Flat Point, a few miles to the north of Akaroa Head ; its elevation is 170 feet. The nearest good landing-place is situated in a small bay to the southward, where there is a shingly beach, from which to the site C would be required a road at least If miles long, part of which would be in rough sideling ground, rocky in places, and part on undulating table land. The country is open, with the exception of a small portion in the bay near the landing, where there is bush. Of these three sites there can be no doubt that the one on Akaroa Head is the best, whether considered in reference to the requirements of navigation, or in cheapness of first construction, and the 3—H. 12a.