E.—No. 3

RETURN of WRECKS on which Inquiries have been held under the Inquiry into Wrecks Act, from 1st July, 1865, to the 30th June, 1866.

No. 2. Copt of a Letter from Mr. Atlhee to Captain Sharp. Report on site for lAghthowe at Cape Farewell. Sib,— Nelson, 28th December, 1865. I have the honor to report that in accordance with the instructions contained in your letter of the 6th instant (223-65), I left Wellington on the 9th instant, arriving at Nelson on Sunday, the 10th. I immediately placed myself in communication with the Provincial Secretary, who kindly afforded me all the assistance in his power. Owing to a prevalent head wind, it was decided that the boat and crew which had been placed at my disposal should be towed as far as possible by the first steamer proceeding toward the Sand-spit. The s.s. Wallaby left Nelson on Thursday, the 15th, and by her the boat was towed to Separation Point, and sailed thence to the Sand-spit. Up to Wednesday, the 21st, I was engaged in examining the spit, taking bearings, and the elevations of the highest points, &c, &c. I returned to Nelson on Friday, the 23rd, having been absent eight days, a greater part of which were occupied by the passage, on account of baffling winds. On arriving at the Sand-spit I at once commenced to search for a site for the lighthouse, examining the entire portion from a!sout the centre of the spit to the outer extremity. I took the levels of some of the highest portions, and sunk shafts in two or three places, in order to ascertain the nature of the ground. I also took bearings from the centre of the spit, and from the spot marked in the chart as " Bushend Point," which is the outer end of the spit at high water. A day also was spent in taking soundings in the vicinity of Spitend. By these bearings and soundings I found that Bushend Point is correctly laid down on the chart, but that the bank which runs under water from the point has extended towards the south-east, the depth of four and a half fathoms where given on the chart has now decreased to two and a half. 3

9

PRESIDENT OP MARINE BOARD.

Name of Vessel. Tonnage. Description. Wit ether insured. Nature of casualty. Where casualty occurred. Pilot Sir Francis Drake... Au Revoir ... Alabama ... Vernon Montezuma New Zealand Titania Start Effort Not stated 158 52-100 138 337 3-95 891 Not stated 56 41-100 Not stated 32 25 35 Cutter Schooner Brigantine Americanbarque Ship ... Brigantine Paddle steamer Screw steamer Paddle steamer Schooner do. do. Not stated do. Insured £1,600 Not stated do. do! do. do. do. Total loss do. Stranded Total loss Damaged Total loss do. do. West Wanganui, Nelson. Hokitika. Port Waikato. Port Hutt, Chatham Islands. At sea. Hokitika. do. do. Waitara. Awanui River. Tauranga Nui. Melville Cove, Queen Charlotte's Sound. Plat Point, Cook's Strait. Gem Insured Not insured do. Damaged Total ioss do. do. /Vugusta Midas 26 do. do. do. Christina Thompson Swan Leonidas ... Mount Alexander... 85 36 111 72 76 149 do. Cutter Brigantine Schooner Paddle steamer Three - masted schooner do. Insured Not insured Insured do. Not insured do. do. do. Stranded Total loss do. Stranded Grevmouth. do. Hokitika. do. do. do. Samson John Bullock Maria Emerald Isle Maid of the Yarra Star of the South ... 161 22 111 117 Schooner Screw steamer do. Insured Partly insured Not stated Insured £5,000 do. Total loss do. Stranded do. Port Underwood. Hokitika. Chalky Inlet, West Coast. Eleanor Catherine .. Wonga Wonga 5S 153 40 do. Barque Screw steamer Not stated do. Insuredfor twothirds Insured £700 Not stated Total loss do. do. Greymouth. Chatham Islands. Greymouth. Maria Wilbam 161 62 Schooner do. do. Stranded Hokitika. do. G. Elk lecretary, G< jtt Eliott, ;neral Post Office.