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1877. NEW ZEALAND. 4

MARINE DEPARTMENT (ANNUAL REPORT OF THE).

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

Office of the Commissioner of Customs, My Lord, — Wellington, 4th September, 1878. I do myself the honor to transmit herewith, for your Lordship's information, the Report 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 G. Grey, the Marquis of Normanby, K.C.M.G., &c., Commissioner of Customs. Governor of New Zealand.

REPORT. Marine Department, Sir, — Wellington, 2nd September, 1878. I have the honor to submit the following report on the working of the Marine Department for the year ended 30th June last:— The Government having decided to separate the Marine from the Customs Department, I was appointed Officer in Charge, and I assumed the duties of the office on the 9th April. A good deal of the local work of the Department is, however, done by the Collectors of Customs at the various ports, and I desire to thank those officers for the cordial manner in which they have carried out the instructions conveyed to them. Lighthouses. —During the year the following lights have been exhibited for the first time, viz.:—Brothers on 21th September, Portland Island on 10th February, and Moeraki on 22nd April. The Brothers is a flashing white light of the second order dioptric, showing a flash every ten seconds, and there is a fixed red light in the lower part of the tower, which is seen from the direction of Cook's Rock. Portland Island is a revolving white light of the second order dioptric, attaining its greatest brilliancy every thirty seconds; here, too, there is a fixed red light in the lower part of the tower, which is seen from the direction of Bull Rock. Moeraki Light is a fixed white light of the third order dioptric. On the same night that the Brothers Light was first exhibited, the light on Maua Island was discontinued. It is proposed to use the Mana apparatus and tower for the Cape Egrnont Light, and steps will be taken to move them to that place as soon as a site can be obtained from the Natives. The local light at Timaru was finished towards the end of June, and was lighted on the Ist July last. This light is under the control of the Timaru Harbour Board. It is anticipated that the Centre Island Light will be lighted in September, and the lights at Puysegur Point and Cape Maria Van Diemen in December or January next. Apparatus for a new local light at Hokitika, for which gas is to be used, has been ordered from England, but advice of its shipment has not yet been received. The lamps at Nelson, Godley Head, and Soaines Island have been altered so as to burn paraffin, and, it being found that the mechanical lamps at Nugget Point were not so suitable for burning paraffin as the ordinary fountain lamps, a set of these latter has been ordered from Great Britain for that place. Works in connection with the lighthouse to be built at Akaroa Head have been commenced, and it is believed that the tower and necessary buildings will be finished during the summer. A report by the Marine Engineer on works in connection with lighthouses which have been executed under his direction during the past year is appended. The harbour lights at several of our ports are not of sufficient power, and it is supposed that this is due to faultitiess in the lamps and reflectors used. Three of the small port lights manufactured by Messrs. Chance Brothers and Co., of Birmingham, have been ordeiei as an I—H. 12.