3

F.—2a

No gunpowder, hides, or any commodity likely, in the opinion of the Government, by reason of its nature, quality, or quantity, to be detrimental to the safety or health of the emigrants, is to be taken as cargo or otherwise. Such gunpowder as may be necessary for the ship's use is to be properly stowed in a place of security. Rail, bar, hoop, and pig iron are not to be taken in quantities exceeding onefourth of the ship's register tonnage, nor salt in quantities exceeding one-tenth of such tonnage. The cargo, of whatever kind, is to be stowed to the satisfaction of the Government if emigrants are carried. Fourteen days prior to the day fixed for the ship to sail from London the Government will furnish in writing a list of the numbers and ages of the emigrants expected to embark, according to which list the Contractors are to proceed to fit up the ship, and the Government will not be liable to make any payment in respect of any person who shall not actually embark as an emigrant, notwithstanding such person may have been included in any list furnished by the Government, except that if the short shipment exceeds ten statute adults the Government will pay one moiety of the passagemoney which would have been payable for each statute adult above ten short shipped. Each ship is to be ready to be fitted fourteen days before the day fixed for the ship to sail from London, and the ship is to be fitted in the Port of London, and to the satisfaction of the Government. All the fittings are to be completed, the cargo, provisions, and water shipped and stowed away— space being left in an approved part of the ship for the emigrants' baggage, as hereinafter provided — the 'tween-decks cleared, and the ship in all respects ready for the reception of emigrants at the Port of Plymouth, six hours before noon of the day fixed for the ship to leave Plymouth, after which time no other cargo may be shipped, and a certificate of the ship having been so ready is to be obtained by the Contractors from an officer to be appointed by the Government for that purpose to that eCect. The emigrants are then to be taken on board with their baggage by the Contractors, and the victualling of them is to commence, the Government being allowed until six hours after such noon of such day to provide emigrants ; and the ship is to proceed to sea on the completion of the embarkation, or as soon afterwards as the state of the weather will permit. In the event of the ship not being ready for the reception of emigrants, as before described, of which the Government will be the sole judge, the Government may provide the surgeon, matron, and emigrants with board and lodging on shore, until all preparations shall be completed to the satisfaction of the Government, the expense of which will be deducted from the sum payable for the passage of the emigrants. The Contractors, or some person duly authorized by them, are to provide, fill in, sign, and issue all contracts required to be given to emigrants by the law for the time being in force relating to emigrants. The Contractors are to provide an emigrants' steward, whose duty it will be to issue to the emigrants daily the provisions and water to which they will be entitled according to the under-written dietary scale. The Contractors are to provide, for the exclusive use of the emigrants, a competent baker and a cook, and such an additional cook, if any, as required by " The Passengers Act, 1855," and to be approved respectively by the Government. The Government will appoint a surgeon to each ship, who is to be provided with a separate cabin, properly fitted up to the satisfaction of the Government, and a first-class passage, with 40 cubical feet of space in the hold for luggage, and to be provided with one bottle of ale daily, and three bottles of wine weekly, for his personal consumption, or the Contractors may agree with the surgeon to give him a sum of money instead of wine or ale. The Contractors are to provide a competent person, approved of by the Government, to assist the officer appointed by the Government in the embarkation, to put the emigrants into their proper berths, to see that efficient provision is made for victualling them, and generally to do whatever is necessary for the comfort and convenience of the emigrants, and to remain on board until the ship is cleared for sea. The person so provided will be required to see that the arrangements for messing the emigrants are properly understood and acted upon, both, by the officer charged with the serving-out of the provisions and the emigrants' cooks, as well as by the emigrants themselves, and generally to do what may be necessary for the establishment of order and regularity in these respects. These arrangements for the messing and general management of the emigrants, as well as all others which concern their convenience and comfort, must be completed to the satisfaction of the Government before the ship Bails. Full rations, according to the scale mentioned in Schedule A, are to be issued during the voyage, and until the emigrants are landed at their respective ports of destination in New Zealand, to each male and female emigrant of twelve years of age and upwards, and half rations to children of one year and under twelve years of age. The water and all articles of food are to be of the best quality, and are to be shipped in not less quantities than mentioned in the same Schedule, and are to be in sweet and good condition when issued for the use of the emigrants. Children between one and twelve years of age are to receive preserved meat instead of salt mea every day ; and, in addition to the articles to which they will be entitled by the scale in Schedule A, a further allowance as set forth in Schedule B. Children under one year of age are to receive the ■rations specified for them in Schedule B, which are to be shipped in not less quantities than therein mentioned. To infants under four months old such nutriment is to be issued as the surgeon may consider necessary. All or any of the children are to be messed separately if and so long as the surgeon shall during the voyage so require. While in any port in the United Kingdom or in New Zealand, or in any other port into which the vessel may put before completing the voyage, and for two days after leaving it, and while any of the emigrants remain on board; in their respective ports of disembarkation, the Contractors will be required to issue two-thirds of a pound of fresh meat, one and a half pounds of soft bread, and one pound of potatoes per statute adult daily, with a suitable supply of vegetables, in lieu of other rations, except tea, coffee, sugar, and butter. Children between one and twelve years of age, in addition to the rations provided for in this scale, are to have a pint of fresh milk daily. Children under one year and above four months of age are to have the same rations as detailed in Schedule B, substituting fresh milk for preserved ; and children under four months of age are to have such nutriment as the surgeon may consider necessary.