The Publishers having spared no trouble or expense in compiling the work, can confi dently recommend the Southern Provinces Almanac as the best production of its kind'in the colony WARD & REEVES, Printers and Publishers, Lyttelton Times < illice, ChHstehurch. WM. RAYNER, •' Agent, Caxton Printing Office, 7690 Lyttelton. TO CAPTAIN 'CHAi.tLfc.is HODGn. DEAR SIR, —Before leaving here, we, the undersigned passengers per s.s. Star of the South, under your command, bound from Dunedin to Hokitika, wreckedolf Great Island, Chalky Inlet, on a sunken rock not laid down in the chart, desire to express our deap sym pathy and regret at the loss of your ship, return our most hearty thanks for your kind and attentive treatment to us under the dif ficult circumstances you were placed in. We cannot but record the eff'iits you and your ship's company have used during the past week to effect repairs sufficient to enable you to conduct the ship during a favourable change of weather to a port where you could procure assistance to convey us from here, bat which exertions, unfortunately, were, from the severe injury the ship had received, unsuccessful. We part from you with regret, and shall always remember the great care, skill, and seamanship that you have shown throughout the voyage, hoping you may soon have the command of another vessel, and wishing you success in your future career. We also tender our thanks to Mr. Gannon, supercargo, for his indefatigable exertions during the difficulties we have encountered, and particularly for his self-sacrifice in stationing himself at Cape Providence as " a look-out" for relief. We are, dear Sir, Yours faithfully, Annie Boyne A. Adain Emma Thatcher Mary Divily Mary M. Bright Thos. Clias. Skinner J. M. Thomson David Thunisou C. Brown * .Joshua Hews Jno. Magan Donald Robertson Alex. Robertson A. Adam R. A. Low Alfred W. Gilles John Gray James Iveir Thomas Kerr William Robertson S. Polkinghorn Thomas Carthew David Balsillie Chalky Inlet, Dec. 22, 1865. 