H.—26,

2

January, from San Francisco; and, now that the whole country is under deep snows, and railway trains much impeded, there is a chance of this not catching the steamer of the 12th February from San Francisco. In my last, I advised the shipment of the logs you mention to Messrs. J J Wallace and Co., of the International Forwarding Company, 108, Leidesdorff Street, San Francisco. I will direct them as to where they are to be forwarded to —namely, Defiance, Ohio, which are the nearest works to San Francisco. 1 will see that these logs are treated by the Wood Preserving Company, and returned to you as you may direct. I intended writing for you a professional paper on the preservation of timber, the causes of decay, &c, but other pressing duties, and not being well during the past month, has prevented my getting this paper ready to send to you. I will send it by the next mail. I think I can satisfy you thatitisnot necessary to procure an expensive and cumbersome apparatus, which must be local, and use expensive chemicals, to be able to preserve timber in the best way yet discovered, invented, or designed by man; and, at the same time, I will satisfy you that by the use of a simple apparatus that you can have easily, quickly, and cheaply built, and by the use of chemicals you can manufacture yourselves, you can at small expense preserve all your timber, so that fungi will not destroy it when used for railway sleepers. The Teredo navalis and the Limnoria terebrans will not eat it when exposed to salt water in warm climates, and fire will not burn it when used in buildings. By treating timber as I will explain to you, your colony will save many thousands of pounds sterling every year. I have, &c, John Knowles, Esq., Under-Secretary for Public Works, W W Evans. Wellington, New Zealand.

No. 4 The Undeb-Seceetaey for Public Woeks, Wellington, to Mr. W W Evans, New York. Sie,— Public Works Office, Wellington, 19th March, 1881. I am directed by the Minister for Public Works to acknowledge receipt of your letters of the 6th and 31st January, and to thank you for the same. The Minister looks forward with much pleasure to the further communication you intend making on the subject of preserving timber, and in the meanwhile does Dot propose to take the contemplated action in reference to forwarding logs to America for experiment, until he has received the same. I have, &c, John Knowles, W W Evans, Esq., New York. Under-Secretary for Public Works.

No. 5. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey, Wellington. Sib, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 26th January, 1881. Herewith I enclose for the information of Government, prospectuses, &c, relating to dredging, and the seasoning of timber. I have, &c, Julius Vogel, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Agent-General. [Acknowledged 27th March, 1881.]

Enclosure to No. 5. Messrs. Connoe and Co. to the Agent-Geneeal. Sib, — 11, Queen Victoria Street, E.G., London, 25th January, 1881. We beg leave herewith to bring to your notice Blythe's system of preserving timber for all purposes, but especially for railway, harbour, and other works where the wood would be exposed to the alternating action of the weather, or the ravages of insects. The process is acknowledged by every one who has seen.it to be the most scientific and perfect method of preserving timber; and it is so complete in its effects, and renders the wood so durable, that it is of even more than usual importance to a country like New Zealand. Its importance in relation to the public works now being constructed by your Government has caused us to address you upon the subject, and we therefore venture to submit the enclosed prospectus to your notice. We may mention that Sir John Hawkshaw, Sir John Coode, and Mr. G Berkeley have all inspected the process on behalf of the Crown Agents for the Colonies, and, having approved of it, we are nowdoing work for the Crown Agents. Amongst those for whom we have done work, we may mention the Great Western; London, Brighton, and South Coast; and Metropolitan Railways; the Victoria, and East and West India Docks; INewhaven Harbour; Bilbao Iron Ore Company; Postal Telegraph Department; Metropolitan Board of Works ; London Gas Company, &c, &c. We are also on the list of firms who are invited to tender for sleepers by the India Office. If your time permitted, an inspection of the process at our works would probably best enable you to form an opinion as to the merits of this system. We are, &c, Sir Julius Vogel, K.CM.G., Agent-General for New Zealand, Connoe and Co. 7, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, Westminster.

Sub-Enclosure to No. 5. Blythe's Process for Timber Seasoning and Preserving. Blythe's process, termed " carbolizing," is now generally acknowledged to be the most scientific ano! efficacious method cf treating timber that has ever been invented. Under this system, the antiseptic