39

D.—3.

Enclosure in No. 63. Immigeation Commissionebs' Eepoet on Ship " Crusader." The Commissioners report the arrival of this ship on 31st December, after a passage of ninety-seven days. The general health of the immigrants had been good. Seven births and seven deaths occurred on the passage. The ventilation in the married-people's compartment was defective, and the fittings were not so well arranged as in previous ships. On this subject the surgeon-superintendent in his report says : —" Would it not bo well to have berths arranged in regular rows, fore and aft the ship, so that straight passages are left between them ? Dark corners here and there, branching off on either side, are difficult to keep in order, even admitting that ventilation be good. All the compartments were exceedingly clean. The provisions had been served out regularly, and the quality had been good. The cooking and distilling apparatus had worked satisfactorily throughout the passage, and no complaints of any kind were made. The class of immigrants appeared admirably adapted for the colony, and their conduct during the voyage was highly spoken of. The Commissioners observed a number of pigs on board ; the styes were placed immediately before and sheep-cotes aft the main hatchway. They strongly recommend that instructions be given to prevent a similar nuisance occurring iv future. The immigrants spoke in high terms of the kind treatment they had received from the captain, surgeon-superintendent, and officers. The Commissioners recommend payment of full gratuities. We have, &c, Wm. Donald. John F. Eouse. Lyttelton, 4th January, 1875. J. E. Maech.

No. 64. The Hon. H. A. Atkinson to the Agent-Geneeal. (No. 15.) Sic, — Immigration Office, Wellington, lGth January, 1875. Herewith I have the honor to forward the following documents relative to the "Assaye," which vessel arrived at Auckland upon the 2Gth December ultimo: — 1. Eeport of Immigration Commissioners. 2. Eeport of tho Immigration Officer. 3. Memorandum by the Immigration Officer relative to threo single women found to be pregnant. . 4. Certified list of births and deaths. There is nothing specially calling for remark in these documents, with the exception of the case of the three single women, who have been found to bo far advanced in pregnancy. I have to request that you will cause inquiry to be made as to tho certificates upou which free passages were granted to these persons. I have, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. H. A. Atkinson.

s Enclosure in No. 64. Immigeation Commissionebs' Eepoet on Ship "Assaye.", Sic, — Immigration Office, Auckland. We have the honor to report the arrival of the ship "Assaye " on the 2Gth ultimo, 115 days from London, with 419 Government immigrants. The surgeon-superintendent reports that no infectious disease had occurred throughout the voyage. There were ten deaths in all —two female adults, married women, from natural causes; and eight of children, principally under twelve months, of diarrhsea, croup, consumption, and meningitis. We found the ship and passengers upon the whole in a cleanly and healthy condition. The "Assaye," being of 1,281 tons measurement, her 'tween-deck accommodation is sufficiently ample for all necessary purposes ; but the fittings-up, and the means adopted for providing ventilation, were not such as to secure the largest amount of light and fresh air to the immigrants' compartments. The hatchways were needlessly darkened by crowding the ship's boats overhead, causing obstruction, also to the free ventilation of the space below. In other respects the arrangements for the comfort of the passengers were very satisfactory. A single man. named W D , was reported by the surgeon-superintendent to have exhibited symptoms of insanity during the voyage. It appears there was no evidence of such a tendency for more than a month after leaving England. The symptoms in this case are not of a violent or dangerous character, and Dr. Young is of opinion that with careful treatment the man may shortly recover; he has been sent in the meantime to the Provincial Hospital, at the Health Officer's suggestion. The surgeon-superintendent also reports that three of the single women are, in his opinion, in an advanced state of pregnancy. If this statement should prove to be true, and at present there appears to be no good reason to doubt its correctness, it serves to show the necessity that exists for increased circumspection on the part of the Home Agency in strictly inquiring into the character of the single women applying to be sent out to tho colony before tho applications are granted. None of these persons were nominated from the colony. We found the supplies of all kinds on board the "Assaye" to be of excellent quality, and sufficient in quantity. There was also an abundance of fresh water for all purposes. Complaints were