H.—26

1876. NEW ZEALAND.

ELEVENTH REPORT OF THE MARINE DEPARTMENT, FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1876.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Office of the Commissioner of Customs, Mt Loed,— Wellington, 14th September, 1876. I do myself .the honor to transmit herewith, for your Lordship's information, the Eeport of the Marine Department of this colony for the financial year ended the 30th June last. I have, &c, To His Excellency the Most Honorable Geo. McLeait. the Marquis of Normanby, K.C.M.G., &c, &c, Governor of New Zealand.

EEPOET. Customs Department (Marine Branch), Sib,— Wellington, 31st August, 1876. I do myself the honor to furnish the following report of this department for the year ended on the 30th June last: — 2. Lighthouses. —All the lights have been properly maintained during the past year. New cottages have been built at Nelson Lighthouse -one in order to increase the accommodation of the Principal Keeper, and the other to provide quarters for the Assistant Keeper, the necessity for whose appointment I pointed out in my report for 1874. Timber has been supplied to Tiri Tiri for the purpose of building a workshop, fence, &c, at that station. Burners adapted for paraffin oil, by using which a large annual saving will be effected, have been procured from England for Farewell Spit, Cape Campbell, Taiaroa Head, Nugget Point, and Dog Island; these it is proposed to have fitted at an early date. 3. New Lighthouses. —l attach hereto a report by the Marine Engineer (Mr. Blackett) on the works executed in the colony in connection with the new lights, and beg to supplement the information given therein by the following particulars:—The lanterns and apparatus for The Brothers, Puysegur Point, Centre Island, and Moko Hinau, and the lantern for Cape Maria Van Diemen, have been 2'eceived in the colony ; the lantern for Portland Island is now on the way from England. In order to show the cost of apparatus, &c, I may say that the cost in England of the six lights ordered will be about £17,750. Details of the cost of three of these lights, viz. Puysegur Point, Brothers, and Centre Island, are given below, which show the relative cost of First and Second Order Devolving and First Order Fixed Lights.

Name of Light. Description. Lanterns. Apparatus. Stores and Sundries. Totals. Puysegur Point Clie Brothers Centre Island 1st Order Revolving 2nd Order Revolving 1st Order Fixed £ s. d. 954 14 6 509 11 0 988 9 3 £ s. d. £ s. d. 1,284 0 0 898 4 4 800 0 0 I 761 4 6 1,250 0 0; 168 12 6* £ b. d. 367 8 4 327 16 5 330 18 6 £ s. d. 3,504 1 2 2,398 11 11 2,738 0 3 * Lamp! only. 1—H. 2