3

D—3

lease; preserved meats, 36-2 lb., preserved soups, 24-2 lb., in 1 barrel; loaf sugar, 561b., 1 keg; cheese, 2, 27 lb., 1 box. Emigrants : Boiled beef, 432 lb., 6 cases ; boiled mutton, 432 lb., 6 cases ; salt beef, 608 lb., 2 tierces; salt pork, 6001b., 3 barrels ; ex navy biscuit, 6 cwt., 6 bags; flour, 4,5301b., 3 tanks, 1 barrel, and 1 keg; peas, 2721b., 1 barrel and 1 keg; oatmeal, 6 cwt., 3 barrels; sugar, 8 cwt., 4 barrels ; tea, 92 lb., 1 half-chest and 1 box ; coffee, 125 lb., 1 crate 5 tins ; butter, 554 lb., 8 firkins ; currants, 133 lb., 1 case and 1 tin ; raisins, 362 lb., 13 half-boxes ; suet, 2 cwt., 1 barrel and 1 keg; pickles, 25 gallons, 5 jars; molasses, 44 lb., 1 bottle; carrots, 2521b., 4 cases; onions, 1671b., 3 cases; rice, 3421b., 1 barrel and 1 bag; sago, 281b., 3 tins in 1 case; arrowroot, 281b., 3 tins in 1 case; preserved soup, assorted, 12-2 lb., 1 case ; condensed milk, 24 dozen, 6 cases; fresh potatoes, 26 cwt. 2 qr. 81b., 17 barrels.

No. 3. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. the Minister of Immigration. Sic,— 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 28th September, 1883. I have to thank you for directing the report of the inquiry to be sent to me upon the complaints by steerage passengers and immigrants on board the " Catalonia." (Presented to the House of Eepresentatives in manuscript on the 3rd August, 1883.) It illustrates one of the greatest difficulties of carrying immigrants in a line of steamers taking numbers of steerage passengers who pay their own passage, and reminds me of an incident which lately occurred respecting the stores of a particular steamer. No American pork is allowed by me to be included in any immigrant's stores ; but the other day my despatching officer found that a supply of it was to be put on board for the steerage passengers. He refused even to look at it; but I might find it difficult to insist on such a refusal in the case of stores for people paying their own passage, while the result would inevitably be that the supplies for the steerage passengers and for the immigrants would get mixed up, and complaints similar to those on board the " Catalonia" become a constant source of difficulty and embarrassment. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Immigration, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

No. 4. The Agent-Genebal to the Hon. .the Minister of Immigration. Sic, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 29th September, 1883. I have at last the satisfaction of informing you that Parts I. and 11. of the new Official Handbook are in type, and that I shall be able to send you copies by the next direct steamer. Mr. Gisborne, to whom I confided the work, has executed his task admirably, and has rendered a real service to the colony by it. I shall send you, with the book itself, such details as you will probably wish to have of the scheme on which I desired him to proceed in preparing Parts I. and 11., and on which I hope he will consent to undertake the completion of Part 111. This, however, lam not yet sure his engagements will allow him to do. I have given Mr. Gisborne £250 for his work so far, but this must be deemed to be in the nature of an honorarium rather than a payment, for it could not be called adequate remuneration for the labour which was required, and which has much exceeded what I thought when I first asked him to give me his assistance in bringing the Handbook out. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Immigration, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

No. 5. The Agent-Geneeal to the Hon. the Minister of Immigration. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 10th October, 1883. When I was writing to you on the 24th ultimo about the ship " Oxford " I was under the impression that I had sent you the particulars which I obtained last April as to the source from which the water for that vessel's first voyage had been supplied ; but, on looking back through my letters, I find I omitted to do so. I now transmit copies of the Despatching Officer's reports on the subject. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Immigration, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

Enclosure in No. 5. Memorandum for Mr. Kennaway. I have made inquiry as to the source from whence the water supplied to the " Oxford" in London was obtained, and learn that it was supplied to the " Oxford " from a barge belonging to the Samaritan Company (L. W. Verdon), the barge obtained the supply from the stand-pipe in the East India Docks, and that the East India Dock Company are supplied by the East London Waterworks Company. Edwaed A. Smith. 7, Westminster Chambers, 6th April, 1883.