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In June, 1852, His Excellency Sir George Grey led the public to believe that a thoroughly useful lighthouse should be as soon as possible erected by the Government on Pencarrow Head, at the entrance of Port Nicholson, and that in the 6/ v meanwhile a temporary light should be placed there, which it was hoped might be useful at least to coasters. Nothing, however, has yet been done beyond the erection of a light-keeper's house, in the window of which is shewn a light of an extremely inferior description, which appears to be of little, if any, real utility, and is indeed considered by an experienced coasting navigator—the late commander of the Government brig—as likely to mislead the unwary. A decided majority of the evidence before your Committee leads to the conclusion that Pencarrow Head, as determined on by Sir George Grey, is the best site for a lighthouse. at the entrance of Port Nicholson. They cannot omit to notice, however, that Point Dorset has been suggested by Captain Drury to be possibly a better site (Appendix A), and that that officer's reasons are deserving of serious attention, although he expresses them with diffidence, on acconntof his limited experience of the locality. Your Committee are therefore of opinion that the most practical and speedy means of erecting a lighthouse at Port Nicholson would be to carry out at once the plan made by Mr. Roberts, f of the Engineer department, in April, 1852, by direction of Sir George Grey, for the erection of an iron lighthouse on Pencarrow Head. According to that plan, a dioptric white light, revolving, in order to distinguish it from the bush fires, w/uld be exhibited at a ofheight of 400 feet above the level of the sea, and would be seen about 18 miles. The then estimated cost was, in the whole, £2596, including about £340 for a light-keeper's house, which has already, as above mentioned, been erected. To the balance, however, amounting to £2256, must now be added 50 per cent., to meet the present advanced value of labour and materials. The details of information on this subject will be found in a separate appendix (Appendix A). Other Existing Lights. The only other existing lights on the ceast of New Zealand, although hardly deserving of the name, yet appear to require some notice. 1. At Nelson, a small red light is exhibited at the entrance of the harbour, but it barely serves as a guide to boats going in at night. 2. On Taiaroa Head, at the entrance of Otago harbour, a small light is sometimes shown, in order to guide the pilot home at night. As these have, by some inadvertance, been described in various publications as lights for shipping, your Committee are of opinion that means should be taken to remove the false impressions which have been produced, and the continued prevalence of which might occasion danger to shipping. Lighthouses to be erected. Your Committee are of opinion that it is expedient that lighthouses should be erected as soon as possible, and maintained in the following situations, which are arranged according to the order of their importance in the opinion of your Committee. Ist. Pencarrow Head, at the entrance of Port Nicholson. The harbour itself is more difficult of access at night than any other in the Colony equally frequented by shipping; and the coast in its immediate neighbourhood is so formed that both life and property are endagered, to a great extent, by the want of such a safeguard. It is therefore of the most urgent importance that a lighthouse should be erected there at once : and Mr. Roberts' plan, already alluded to, appears well calculated for the purpose. 2nd. Manukau. This harbour affords the only refuge to vessels which may be driven into the deep bight on a lee shore of the western coast. It is also admibly situated as well for the purposes of communication between Auckland and the southern ports of the Colony, as for those of speedy and direct communication between that important Province and Australia. It should therefore be at once rendered easy of access at night. Two lights are required in a line to guide