E.—No. 6

10

REPORT ON THE MARINE DEPARTMENT.

13. AVhere whistles are fitted, should the whistle of the lightkeeper who has to be called be out of order, the keeper on watch must use the whistle of his own house ; and some of the inmates shall call the other keeper, so as by all means to avoid leaving the lightroom without a constant watch during the night. 14. He whose watch is about to end is to trim the lamps, if required, to cleanse the lantern glass, and otherwise to leave the light in perfect order when he is relieved ; and he who has the watch at sunrise is then to extinguish the lamps, and draw down the lantern blinds, or otherwise protect the lighting apparatus from tho direct rays of the suu, which, if not properly excluded, might do irretrievable damage. 15. If the efficiency of any light shall become impaired, or its proper continuous burning be endangered, through the fault or negligence of any lightkeeper on watch at the time, the Marine Engineer shall investigate the case. On receipt of information thereof the Postmaster-General will, on the recommendation of the Marine Engineer, award a fine or such other punishment as to him shall seem fit. 16. If any light; shall, through the fault or negligence of any keeper on watch at the time, become extinguished, tho offending keeper shall be forthwith dismissed from the service. 17. Except in cases where there is but one lightkeeper, no bed, sofa, or other article on which to recline, shall be permitted in the lightroom, or in the watchroom beneath, or in any part of the establishment which the lightkeeper is permitted to visit while on watch ; and any lightkeeper convicted of sleeping during his watch (at any station where there is more than one lightkeeper) shall be liable to instant dismissal; but the Postmaster-General may remit this extreme- punishment in favour of a fine or reduction of rank (if the offending keeper be a principal lightkeeper) or of seniority, should he see fit, after due investigation. 18. If a lightkeeper be dismissed he shall have no claim for wages, past or future, beyond what may have been paid to him at the last pay-day ; but the Postmaster-General may grant the same to the date of his leaving. 19. The lights are to lighted at sunset, and to be kept burning bright and clear tiU sunrise, when they are to be extingushed, as provided in section 13. 20. In order that the greatest degree of light may be maintained the lightkeepers arc to observe:— (a.) That when Argand Lamps are used the wicks must be attended to and trimmed or " coaled" as often as required, but, at least, once during the night (a sinking of the flame is the indication that trimming is necessary), and the keeper who has the'first watch must turn the oil valves, so as to let the oil flow into the burner, not less than ten minutes before lighting. AVliile burning the flame shall be kept as nearly as possible at the height shown in the engraved diagram furnished by the Marine Engineer, which is to be hung up in the lightroom as a guide. (b.) AVhen the Mechanical or Pressure Lamp is used for Dioptric Lights (or any other form of lamp with concentric wicks) care must be taken that there is an ample overflow of oil to prevent the too rapid charring of the wicks; and the flame must be kept as nearly as possible at the height shown in the Standard Diagram supplied to the station. The maximum height of flame is only to be attained by great watchfulness and careful adjustment of the height of the shoulder of the lamp-glass above the burner, and of the opening of the damper. By raising the shoulder of the chimney the volume of the flame is somewhat increased ; but this adjustment is mainly resorted to to equalize as much as possible the heights of the flames from the outer and inner wicks, and the height of the flame as a whole is principally regulated by the damper. By increasing the opening of the damper the flame is reduced in height and made whiter ; by diminishing the opening the height of the flame is increased, but it tends to become red and smoky ; but when the lamps are in good order, with well trimmed wicks and a plentiful overflow of oil, a careful manipulation of the damper will produce a flame of a good colour, nearly, if not. quite, of the height shown in the diagram. The Mechanical Lamp, when in proper order, and when the oil is of good quality, and has sufficient overflow, does not generally require to have its wicks trimmed throughout the night; but should the flame fall off, owing to the excessive charring of the wicks (from whatever cause), they must be trimmed with the " hooks " provided for that purpose, or in any other way which does not temporarily involve the total extinction of the light. In all lamps the wicks should be kept low at first, and only gradually raised during the first twenty minutes of burning to the level of a quarter of an inch above the burner, a height which should be rarely, if ever, exceeded. In preparing wicks for lighting they must be cut perfectly smooth and level, and after being used a night the charred part must be cut away before they are relit. If the flame cannot be maintained at the standard height, the keepers should endeavour to ascertain whether or not this is due to want of cleanliness of the burner, want of proper flow of oil, or any imperfection in the wicks or oil, or in the draft of the chimney of the lamp. The glass of the lantern is to bo rubbed during the night in all lights as often as it becomes dim through "sweating," or moisture deposited by condensation from the heated air of the lightroom ; but it should be the great aim of a skilful keeper to prevent the development of sweating by so admitting air from without as to keep the temperature in the lightroom as nearly as possible the same as the temperature of the external air. When this is perfectly attained no condensation of moisture on the windows can take place. 21. Especial care is to be taken that neither lamps, candles, coals, or any other article be left burning anywhere so as to create any risk of fire. 22. At stations where there is more than one lightkeeper the day duty shall be laid out in departments according to the number of keepers, and the lightkeepers shall change from one department to the other every Saturday night, the changes being noted in the journal as they occur. The departments