I?.—2a,

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Quantity of wool exported from Ist October, 1881, to 30th September, 1882, 64,402,812 It. „ wheat exported from Ist January, 1882, to 30th September, 1882, 2,511,753 bushels. „ tallow exported from Ist January, 1882, to 30th September, 1882, 4,327 tons. „ frozen meat exported from Ist January, 1882, to 30th September, 1882, 11,412 cwt. Number of hides exported from Ist January, 1882, to 30th September, 1882, 11,675. The following statistics, respecting freights, relate to the three regular lines of sailing ships between the United Kingdom and New Zealand: —■ The New Zealand Shipping Company took out in 1881 a total of 83,854 tons of goods, of which about 6,500 tons were fine goods ; their average of fine goods for the five years 1877-81 was 6,750 tons. Bates of freight were from 255. to 455. per ton, the average net freight earned being between 275. and 285., but large shipments of salt, cement, deals, &c, had always to be carried at nominal prices. Freight on wool by their ships during the past few years has been fd. for washed and |-d. for greasy ; the rate for wheat has lately averaged 455. a ton of 20 cwt., though, during one season it was carried as low as 265. On tallow, preserved meats, gum, &c, freights have ranged from 40s. up to 60s. a ton. Shaw, Savill, and Co. took out in 1881 a total of 87,296 tons, at an average freight of from 275. to 30s. for measurement, and 255. for weight; about 4,000 tons were fine goods; and freights home for wool and wheat were about the same as the New Zealand Shipping Company, the two lines really dividing the London trade. The Albion Company took out in 1881 a total of 13,324 tons, including 1,875 tons of fine goods, being about 1,000 tons over the average of the five years 1877-81. The rates were from 20s. to 30s. for weight, 20s. to 355. measurement, and about 40s. for fine goods. Taking the cargo sent out by the three lines in 1881, the total outward freight was nearly 185,000 tons. Fine Goods. In looking at the prospects of a direct Steam Service to New Zealand, the amount of fine goods capable of bearing steam freights is of course a material point. The value of the drapery goods shipped from the United Kingdom to Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago direct, during the three years 1879-81, was as follows : — 1879 (to New Zealand) ... ... ... ... £1,243,840 1880 „ ... ... ... ... 935,130 1881 „ ... ... ... ... . 1,220,790 For the three years „. ... ... £3,399,760 or an average of about £1,130,000 a year. Comparing this with the value of drapery goods shipped in the same years to New South "Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, these are the figures : — 1879 (to Australia) ... ... ... ... ... £4.785,660 1880 „ ... ... ... ... ... 5,497,430 1881 „ ... ... ... ... ... 6,641,880 _ , « For the three years ... ... ... £16,924,970 or an average of about £5,600,000 a year, the increase being at the rate of about a million sterling each year. Of this total of nearly £17,000,000, for 1881, South Australia took £2,500,000, New South Wales, £6,800,000, and Victoria, £7,500,000. Two firms alone sent close on 700 tons of fine goods in 1881, by steam, via Australia to the single port of Dunedin, at the following freights : In one case the highest rate by Orient ships was 100s., and average 935. ; by P. and O. ships 955., and average 765.; and by other steamers at an average of over 70;-i.; the average all round being over 82s. per ton, besides primage of 5 per cent., payable in London, or 10 per cent, in the colony. In the other case, the highest rate by P. and O. was 905., and by the Orient 100s., besides primage of 10 per cent. The Orient ships were able to get the best freights all through the season, because they made shorter time to Dunedin. The same two firms also sent nearly 4,000 tons of soft goods by sailing ships. F. D. Bell, New Zealand Government Offices, Agent-General. 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W. 15th February, 1883.

This Contbact, made the day of , one thousand eight hundred and eightythree, between Sir Fbancis Dillon Bell, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, the Agent-General for the Colony of New Zealand, for and on behalf of Her Majesty the Queem", of the one part, and (hereinafter designated " the Contractors ") of the other part, witnesseth that, for the considerations hereinafter appearing, the said Sir Francis Dillon Bell, for and on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, and in order to bind the Government of the said colony so far as the covenants hereinafter contained are to be observed and performed by Her Majesty, her heirs and successors, doth covenant with the Contractors, their executors, and administrators, and the Contractors, so far as the covenants hereinafter contained are to be observed and performed by them for themselves, their heirs, executors, and administrators, do, and each of them separately, for himself, his heirs, executors, and administrators, doth, covenant with Her Mi jesty the Queen, her heirs and successors, in manner following, that is to say, — 1. In the construction of this contract the following words and expressions shall mean and include (unless such meaning shall be inconsistent with the context) as follows : " The Government " means Her Majesty the Queen, her heirs and successors, as represented by and acting by means of Her