H.—29.

1892. NEW ZEALAND.

MARINE DEPARTMENT. (ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1891-92.)

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

My Lobd, — Marine Department, Wellington, 31st August, 1892. I do myself the honour to transmit herewith, for your Excellency's information, the report of the Marine Department of this colony for the financial year ended on the 31st March last. I have, &c, E. J. Seddon, Minister having charge of the Marine Department. His Excellency the Eight Honourable the Earl of Glasgow, &c, Governor of New Zealand. The Assistant Secbetaky to the Ministeb of Marine. Sic, — Marine Department, Wellington, 2nd August, 1892. I have the honour to submit the following report of this department for the year ended the 31st of March last :— Lighthouses. — The only accident that happened to any of the lighthouses was at Portland Island, where the screw of the collar which held up the pinion of the clutch of the machine became loose, and fell through the weight-hole, which caused the light to become stationary for about ten minutes on the night of the 26th September last. The light on French Pass Beacon was not extinguished during the year. At Pencarrow Head several panes of glass were renewed, as they had become yellow through age ; a further supply of spare panes has been procured from England, and the remainder will be renewed as soon as convenient; this glass has been in the lantern since 1859. New dormant panes were fitted to Nugget Point Lighthouse, and a small store erected in Soaring Bay, to the south of the lighthouse, so that that bay may be used when the ordinary landing is impracticable. Eepairs were effected to Farewell Spit Lighthouse, but it was found that the whole structure was so much decayed that it would probably be cheaper to build a new iron lighthouse than to put the present structure, which was built of timber in 1868-69, in a thorough state of repair. In anticipation of this a new lantern has been ordered from England, so that when the new tower is erected the exhibition of the light may be impeded for as short a time as possible. The question of the re-erection of the tower is standing over until the Engineer-in-Chief has an opportunity of visiting the station. The dwellings at several of the stations will shortly require repairs of a more or less extensive nature ; several have now been erected for upwards of twenty years, and so repairs are required owing to the natural decay of the materials of which they were constructed. One lightkeeper resigned during the year owing to the state of his wife's health. At the request of the Government, Mr. T. Perham made an examination of and reported on the various landings at the lighthouses with the view of ascertaining what could be done to improve them. This question is, of course, principally a matter of expenditure. The attention of the department has been called to a new oil called mineral colza, which, it is believed, could be procured at a less cost than the oil now used. A trial of a sample was made with fair results, and a small shipment has been procured with a view of making an extended trial. The saving of cost would arise principally through the fact that this oil would be procured from the United States, the freight from New York on mineral oil being only about one-half that from the United Kingdom. New Lighthouses.—A lantern and apparatus have been ordered for Stephen's Island Lighthouse. The apparatus will be of the first order—revolving, showing a double flash every half minute. The lamp will be a five-wick lamp, and will burn .paraffin oil, that illuminant being now consumed in all the coastal lighthouses. This will be the first " double-flashing " light erected in the colony. Since the end of the financial year a working party has been sent to Stephen's Island to get the tramway, landing-place, &c, ready to begin the work of constructing the lighthousekeepers' dwellings, &c. It is proposed to construct the tower of cast-iron on the same pattern as I—H. 29.