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Enclosure in No. 39. His Honor the Superintendent, Otago to the Hon. the Minister for Immigration. Sir, — Dunedin, 4th January, 1875. I have the honor to forward, for the consideration of the Government, the enclosed copy of a letter received from the Caithness and Sutherland Association on the subject of the desire of the inhabitants of Fair Island, midway between Orkney and Shetland, to emigrate, en masse, to New Zealand. The Provincial Government is of opinion that these people would be admirably suited for the special settlement at Stewart's Island, and I have, accordingly, therefore to recommend that instructions may be sent to the Agent-General to provide transport for them thither by a vessel direct if possible. I have, Sec, J. Macandrew, The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. Superintendent. Secretary to Caithness and Sutherland Association to Superintendent, Otago. Sir, — Port Chalmers, 22nd December, 1874. Instructed by the above Association,, I have the honor of drawing your attention to the following facts in connection with the emigration scheme and Mr. Adam's visit to the North of Scotland. From correspondence read at the last meeting of our Association, we find that the inhabitants of the " Fair Island " (an island midway between Orkney and Shetland) are exceedingly anxious to emigrate en masse to New Zealand ; but from the fact that there is neither minister, lawyer, doctor, nor Magistrate upon the island, they are unable to comply with the usual formulas in the signing of papers, &c, and the Agent-General will in no point relax the regulations to meet the requirements of their case, the consequence being that they are obliged to remain where they are. The Rev. P. Barclay proposed to take these people to Kirkwall, where they should give I O Us for the preliminary expenses, say £3 ; but this Dr. Featherston refuses to comply with. We are of opinion that we need not point out to your Honor's Government the desirability of procuring the islanders as emigrants particularly suited for the formation of a special settlement in our own province. Your Honor has once and again expressed yourself on this matter, and perhaps we may be pardoned should we draw your attention to the peculiar applicability of these islanders for this purpose. They at present inhabit a small island midway between Orkney and Shetland, isolated from intercourse with their fellow-men, and entirely dependent upon their own exertions (or rather the fruits of them) in fishing and farming for support. They number about 250 souls, and, coming out as they would en masse, would form a very respectable number to locate in any of the settlements on the West Coast, Stewart Island, or Catlin's, or Waikawa. Our Association, which has for the last twelve months been quietly—but yet we can say without egotism certainly—helping the Government in the emigration scheme from the Northern Counties of Scotland, by representation in the local Northern papers as well as welcoming new arrivals and procuring them employment, would take a deep interest in the shipment, and on arrival would do everything that lies in its power to assist the Government in settling these islanders either in situations or at some special place to be chosen by the Government. Would your Honor's Government therefore take the case of the Fair Islanders into consideration, and transmit such instruction to your Special Emigration Agent, Mr. Adam, as shall enable him to meet their peculiar requirements, either by getting a vessel to call at Lerwick or Kirkw-all for them, or providing some means by which they can be conveyed from the Island to Glasgow or London, as may seem to him best? By so doing you would confer an obligation on our Association and on its individual members. I have, &c, W. Elder. Hon. Secretary to Caithness and Sutherland Association. His Honor the Superintendent, Otago.

No. 40. The Hon. H. A. Atkinson to the Agent-General. (No. 21.) Sir, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 19th January, 1875. I have the honor to inform you that, upon the 10th January instant, the Government received information, through telegrams in the public press, of the total destruction by fire of the emigrant ship " Cospatrick," off the Cape of Good Hope, and the loss, under peculiarly distressing circumstances, of nearly all the passengers and crew. It is unnecessary for me to inform you of the deep sorrow which is felt by the Government, and the inhabitants of the colony generally, at this appalling calamity, the details of which are almost too horrible to contemplate, and I must express to you their anxiety to receive the official information upon the subject which you without doubt have lost no time in forwarding. I have to request that you will forward to this department full reports, with evidence attached, of any inquiry or inquiries which may be made into the circumstances of the loss of the ship, either by the Board of Trade or other bodies, as also the results of any investigations you may have felt yourself called upon to make through your own officers with regard to the nature and stowage of the cargo, and the provision for extinguishing fire upon the emigrants' deck. I shall also be glad to be informed of the character of your arrangements generally with regard to ascertaining, through officers of your own department, whether sections 27 and 29 of " The Passengers Act, 1855," are fully carried out in the case of all ships chartered for the conveyance of emigrants to this colony. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. H. A. Atkinson.