H.—ls

8

collected in the tributaries of the Waitaki, of which 190,000 were hatched in the Hokitika River, 27,500 were sent to Tasmania, 12,000 were lost during hatching, and the fry from 7,500 were kept in the ponds at the Hakataramea Station. In December, 1901, the Department obtained a shipment of sockeye salmon-ova from Canada, and the fry from them were liberated in Lake Ohau. On the manager of the salmon-station at Hakataramea visiting this lake on the 29th March last he found, in a small spring creek which flows into the lake near the mouth of the Maitland Creek, between twenty and thirty spawning fish, which he identified as sockeye salmon, and the next day he found in a spring creek flowing into the Dobson River about thirty more of these fish. All the fish had finished spawning. They were covered with fungus, and were in a dying condition. They ranged in size from 8 in. to 10 in., and in weight from half to three-quarters of a pound. This is one of the most valuable of the salmon, and it is very satisfactory to find that the attempt to introduce it intc the Dominion has been successful. Marine Engineer. The report of Mr. 11. W. Holmes, Marine Engineer, on matters dealt with during the year is appended. I have, &c, The Hon. Minister of Marine, Wellington. George Allport, Secretary. The Principal Examiner of Masters and Mates to the Secretary, Marine Department. Office of the Principal Examiner of Masters and Mates, Sir, — Customhouse, Wellington, 13th May, 1913. I have the honour to submit my annual report on the examination of masters and mates in New Zealand for the year ended on 31st March last. The work, as usual, has been carried out by the Examiners at the four principal ports in a satisfactory manner. I visited the Lyttelton and Dunedin examination-rooms during the year and found everything in very satisfactory order. There has been only a slight increase during the last twelve months in the number of candidates who have presented themselves for examination for masters and mates, and there was a very marked falling-off in the number of applicants after January of this year, when some new and more difficult forms of questions in connection with the problems given in the chart examination-work were brought in for the first time. There has, however, been an increase this year of 26 per cent, in the number of successful passes. The candidates in all grades have done better this year, and instead of 50 per cent, of failures in the whole number of examinations, as was the case in the previous year, this year the failures were only 40f per cent, on the whole, and 51| per cent, for the foreign-going candidates against 64J per cent, of the previous year. The few foreign-going candidates who have gone up since the beginning of this year have managed the new chart-work problems very well. One candidate only presented himself for examination for extra master and failed. The majority of candidates now voluntarily take the higher standard of form-vision, which will come into force for all candidates when passing their first examination after the Ist January, 1914, and so far the candidates appear to have passed this test successfully. I have, &c, H. S. Blackburne, Principal Examiner of Masters and Mates. The Secretary, Marine Department, Wellington. The Director, Meteorological Office, to the Secretary, Marine Department. Sir,— Wellington, 13th May, 1913. The usual 9 a.m. meteorological observations taken throughout the Dominion are now reported in Wellington in time for the issue of the telegraphic weather report at 10 a.m. This is then immediately telegraphed to most of the principal ports in the country. This promptitude on the part of the Telegraph Office has been maintained with wonderful regularity throughout the year. The reports can be delivered at £1 per annum by application to the Secretary of the General Post Office, and shipping people and others are now availing themselves of this privilege. During the year the number of weather-forecast stations has been more than doubled, and the present number of places supplied with the morning forecast is 101 in the North Island and ninety-nine in the South, and one to Stewart Island. A new code, comprised of words of four letters, was compiled to changes of wind, weather, barometer, seas, tides, &c. This has proved highly satisfactory, and it is hoped shortly to have it somewhat extended and printed. The copies hitherto in use were typewritten and reproduced by duplication on a " Gestetner " in the office.