D.—No. 8,

No. 1. The Superintendent, Auckland, to the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, Auckland, 11th January, 1864. I have the honour to forward herewith copy of a letter from the Harbour-master of Manukau,. reporting the displacement of certain buoys at the entrance to the Manukau Harbour, which were placed there by the request and at the expense of the General Government. I have, &c, Bobert Graham, Superintendent. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Auckland.

Enclosure to No. 1. Thomas Wing, Pilot of Manukau, to the Superintendent, Auckland. Sib, — Manukau Pilot-Station, 31st December, 1863. I have the honour to inform you, that during the late Southerly gales more than ordinary sea has been experienced at the entrance of the harbour, causing the anchor of the outer fairway buoy to drag too near the Main Shoal in an exposed position ; also, the inner fairway buoy has parted its mooring at the connecting link, about three fathoms from the bridle. The buov drifted into the harbour, which I anchored near Puponga, when, in the afternoon of the 27th inst., Captain Bell of the " Kangaroo," got up steam, and kindly towed the buoy to an anchorage abreast of the Huia, and as soon as the weather moderated, I took the buoy alongside tho barque " Tomatin," and had the mooring hove up for inspection, and found the defect as before stated. I have now to request that your Honor will grant the service of a small vessel like the " Emma Eliza," for the purpose of laying down the buoys afresh; also I shall require fifteen (15) fathoms of 1} chain, to replace the mooring parted, with labour and materials to prepare mooring stones. I do not think we shall be able to pick up the chain parted from the second fairway buoy ; the probability is that it is covered with sand, which is always on the move when there is any strength in the tide. The remainder of the buoys and moorings have stood the test without starting or injury, giving good proof that blocks of stone or iron are more efficient to moor buoys than ships' anchors, on a sandy bottom. I have, &c, Thomas Wing, Pilot and Harbour-master. His Honor the Superintendent, Auckland.

No! 2. The Colonial Secretary to the Superintendent, Auckland. Sin, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, ]2th January, 1864. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th inst., No. 23, A. 10, and in reply to refer your Honor to the 29th and 30th sections of " The Marine Boards Act, 1863," a copy of which is enclosed, which provides that the Superintendents of Provinces shall superintend and maintain harbour marks, buoys, lights, and beacons, now or hereafter to be erected or placed, and that all buoys, beacons, and sea-marks, within any port, shall be vested in the Superintendent of the Province within which the same shall be situate. I would suggest to your Honor the desirability of having the buoys in the south channel of the Manukau replaced with as little delay as possible. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. William Fox.

No. 3. The Superintendent, Auckland, to the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, Auckland, 15th January, 1864. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter No. 6, of date 12th instant, and to inform you 1 quite understand that Superintendents of Provinces are required by the Marine Boards Act to maintain buoys within the harbours of their respective Provinces, but the buoys which I had the honor to draw your attention to in my letter No. 23, of date 11th instant, are coast buoys outside of the harbour, and placed there by the General Government. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Auckland. Eobert Graham, Superintendent.

No. 4. The Colonial Secretary to the Superintendent, Auckland. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 16th January, 1864. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter No. 59, of the 15th inst., stating that the buoys, to the replacement of which you called my attention in your letter of the 11th inst., are coast buoys outside of the harbour of Manukau, and therefore not in your opinion to be maintained by the Superintendent of a Province. If the buoys are not, as I inferred from your Honor's letter of the 11th instant, Itarlour buoys,

CORRESPONDENCE RESPECTING THE MAINTENANCE OF BUOYS.