9

A.—2b.

in the case of that ship have been wholly useless. To place depots on each of the islands would, therefore, appear to be the only solution of the proposal recommended, and to do this would involve much risk and a great outlay of time. 4. Their Lordships further consider that it would be very undesirable to carry out the suggestions made in the communications before referred to, as ships can have no possible excuse for nearing the Crozets when making a passage to Australia or New Zealand; and if depots were provided there it would be tantamount to offering a premium for them to navigate in the neighbourhood. There is abundance of ocean room to the northward of these islands, and in their Lordships' opinion it is a dereliction of duty in any captain going near them, considering the fogs and tempestuous weather that prevail in their neighbourhood; and, further, that in the lower latitude of 40° S., or thereabouts, finer and more favourable winds are found. 5. In conclusion, my Lords would remark that, in all the discussion which has been brought about by the lamentable affair of the " Strathmore," the fact that this ship was more than eighty miles out of her reckoning at the time of the wreck appears to have been entirely lost sight of. I have, &c, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office. Robert Hall.

No. 8. The Earl of Carnarvon to the Marquis of Normanby. My Lord,— Downing Street, 17th March, 1877. I have received your despatch of the 12th of December,* enclosing a memorandum from your Ministers expressing their hope that tho Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty will, in addition to the orders they have already given that any of Her Majesty's ships proceeding from the Cape of Good Hope to Australia shall, when possible, sight the Crozet Islands sufficiently near to examine them, issue further instructions that a depot of food and clothing shall be established on the islands for the use of any persons who may unfortunately be wrecked there. 2. I have been in communication with the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty upon the subject, and I enclose a copy of the reply I have received from their Lordships.f 3. From this letter your Ministers will learn that great difficulties exist in complying with their suggestion, owing to the inaccessible nature of the Crozet Islands; and, moreover, that depots would have to be established on each of the islands, owing to the scattered nature of the group, in order to insure that persons shipwrecked there would be able to avail themselves of them. 4. But in addition to these difficulties, their Lordships again point out, as they did in their letter to the Secretary of Lloyd's, dated the 10th of May, 1876.J to which your Ministers refer, that the Crozet Islands do not lie in the proper track of vessels trading to Australia and New Zealand, and that great and unjustifiable risks are incurred by those captains who persist in making their course in such high latitudes. 5. The opinions which their Lordships express appear to me to be conclusive, and, as it is desirable that their views should be known as widely as possible, I propose to lay the correspondence which has passed on the subject before Parliament. I have, &c, The Marquis of Normanby. Carnarvon.

No. 9. The Admiralty to the Colonial Office. S IE _ Admiralty, 19th March, 1877. With reference to previous correspondence respecting the Crozet Islands, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to send you herewith, for the perusal of the Earl of Carnarvon, a letter, dated the 4th January last, from Captain Lindesay Brine, of Her Majesty's ship "Wolverene," reporting his visit to these islands in the South Indian Ocean. I have, &c, The Under Secretary of State for the Colonies. Robert Hall.

Enclosure in No. 9. Rei>ort respecting the Crozet Islands, South Indian Ocean. H.M.S. " Wolverene," at sea, lat, 37° 9' S., long. 150° 57' E., Sib, 4th January, 1877. I have the honor to submit to you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the following report of an examination of the Crozet Islands, made in accordance with the directions of their Lordships, to ascertain if there was any appearance of castaways or vessels which may have wrecked there. 2. We left Simons Bay on 18th November, and proceeded to the south until we fell in with the prevailing westerly winds in lat. 38° S., long. 18° E. We then steered straight for the Crozet Islands until we reached lat. 43° 26' S., long. 36° 10' E., the islands then being 622 miles distant. We now entered a dense fog which continued with rare intervals of open sky until the morning of the 30th, at which time we had nearly run our estimated distance. * No. 5. + No. 7. % Vide Enclosure to No, 3. 2—A. 2b.