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No. 15. The Agent-Genera.! to the Hon. the Minister of Immigration. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 18th April, 1883. Eeferring to my letter No. 107, of the 6th instant, respecting the ship i; Oxford," I am glad to be able to report that there is a good prospect of the ship being able to re-embark her emigrants at Plymouth in the course of next week. There is no fresh case of fever since the 4th instant, and the three weeks which the Board of Trade requires to elapse, dating from the last case, will therefore expire on the 25th instant. All the emigrants who originally sailed in the ship have had special notice to be at Plymouth ready to embark on that day. Embarkation orders have also been issued to about seventy additional emigrants, so that it is hoped that the number of those who embark next week will not fall far short of those who embarked in January last. Messrs. Shaw, Savill, and Co. have agreed to take these additional emigrants in the place of those who from illness and other causes will be unable to resume their voyage; and a large amount of the half-passage-money which has been already paid will thus be saved. I shall await the final sailing of the ship before I send you a final report on the whole matter, accompanied by such papers concerning it as it may be necessary to transmit to you. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Immmigration, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

No. 16. The Agent- General to the Hon. the Minister of Immigration. Sir,— 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 26th April, 1883. You will hear with pleasure that the ship " Oxford" has got away at last. The Board of Trade had two of their medical officers down, and made a careful examination of the emigrants before embarkation ; and the people went off in good spirits. Under an arrangement made by me with the fShaw-Savill and Albion Companj, the places of a number of the original emigrants who did not re-embark were taken by new people supplied by us; so that the total number who have gone in the " Oxford " is now 325 souls, equal to 289 adults, instead of the 273 that originally embarked last January. I sent to-day a cablegram to the Hon. the Premier as at foot. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Immigration, Wellington. F. D. Bell. Cablegram.—" Oxford " sailed at last, 325.

No. 17. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Minister of Immigration. (Memorandum.) 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S. W., 28th April, 1883. The s.s. " lonic," chartered by the New Zealand Shipping Company, sailed from Plymouth this afternoon, with a number of cabin and steerage passengers and 212 Government emigrants (equal to 191* adults).* I transmit herewith two extracts from Plymouth papers giving an account of the ship. While she was in the Albert Docks she was visited by HE.II. the Prince of Wales, who is acquainted with her commander, Captain Halletfc, R.N., the latter having been an officer on board Her Majesty's yacht " Osborne." IT. D. Bell.

* Western, Morning News (Plymouth), 30th April, 1883. Western, Daily Mercury (Plymouth), 30th April, 1883.

By Authority: George Didsbitby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB3.