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steamers, named to and approved by the Government, of a deadweight-cargo capacity of not less than 4,000 tons, upon a draught of water which will enable them to enter and leave and to discharge alongside the wharves at the ports hereinafter mentioned or referred to, where such facilities exist, for the purpose of maintaining a regular monthly service between New Zealand and South Africa in accordance with the terms and conditions hereinafter contained. The said steamers shall in all respects fulfil all the requirements of the Board of Trade of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland necessary to obtain a passenger certificate for foreign trade, and also all the requirements of the Marine Department of the Colony of New Zealand. Passenger accommodation. 4. The said steamers shall contain passenger accommodation for not less than thirty saloon passengers, and for such a number of second-class and steerage passengers as the Government may from time to time direct the Contractor to provide. Such accommodation shall be in every respect equal to the accommodation provided for the respective classes on board the first-class passenger steamers running to the said colony from the United Kingdom. The victualling of and service for the passengers on board the said steamers shall be in all respects equal to that on board such first-class passenger steamers. Mail accommodation. The Contractor shall provide on board the said steamers such space for the carriage of mails as the Postmaster-General of the Colony of New Zealand may from time to time require. Refrigerating-machinery and insulation. 5. The said steamers shall be properly insulated for the carriage of about 500 tons of refrigerated produce, and shall be fitted with modern refrigerating-machinery, which shall be at all times maintained in efficient working-order by the Contractor. Fittings for horses and live-stock. 6. The said steamers shall have permanent fittings of approved modern design built upon the upper deck for the carriage of horses and live-stock. Gear for loading and discharging cargo. 7. The said steamers shall be fitted with approved modern steam or hydraulic appliances for loading and discharging cargo, capable, under ordinary conditions, of discharging not less than 400 tons of cargo in every twelve hours. Steamers to be registered in New Zealand. 8. The said steamers shall be registered at a port in the said colony, and shall, as far as possible, be victualled, docked, repaired, and refitted in the said colony. Voyages. Monthly sailings. Loading-ports. Date of first sailing. 9. The Contractor shall despatch one of the said steamers once in each calendar month, on a date to be fixed by the Government, from a port in New Zealand (hereinafter called " the port of departure") from time to time named by the Government, and shall call in geographical order at three other ports in the said colony (hereinafter called " the loading-ports ") named from time to time by the Government: Provided always that the Government shall not after having once named the port of departure and the loading-ports alter the port of departure or the loading-ports, unless the Government shall, not less than four weeks prior to the date fixed for the commencement of any voyage, inform the Contractor or his agent in New Zealand, in writing, of the new ports of departure and of call. The first steamer shall leave the port of departure on a day not more than one month after the date of this contract. Sailings to be advertised. 10. The Contractor shall, at his sole expense, advertise the proposed dates of the sailing of each ship in such newspapers or in such other manner as may be agreed upon, or, in default of agreement, may be appointed by the Government. Steamers to call in West Australia. 11. The Contractor shall, on each outward voyage from New Zealand, call at Fremantle or such other port in Western Australia from time to time appointed by the Government (hereinafter called " the West Australian port "), and shall, in the event of sufficient cargo not being supplied in the said colony to fill the cargo-space in the said steamers, other than that reserved for cargo for the West Australian port, be at liberty to call at any ports in Australia, not exceeding two, other than the West Australian port, for the purpose only of filling up such cargo-space with cargo for South African ports and for no other purpose. Cargo-space for West Australian port. 12. There shall be reserved in each of the said steamers not less than three-sixteenths, or more than one-quarter, of the steamer's deadweight-capacity for cargo for the West Australian port, provided always that if at the time when any steamer leaves the last loading-port there shall not have been shipped, or offered for shipment, upon such steamer sufficient cargo to fill the said three-sixteenths of the deadweight-capacity. Ports of disoharge. 13. The steamers shall discharge at Fremantle, and also at Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town (hereinafter called " the South African ports ") : Provided that if shippers in New Zealand shall offer cargo for Beira, Lorenzo Marques, or Bast London (hereinafter called " the South African ports of call ") to an extent not less than 300 tons for each of the South African ports of call, the Contractor may direct any steamer to call at all or any of the South African ports of call; but no

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