It strikes me that the General Govern ment are beginning to feel tho pinch of poverty juat now. They are just under standing that the unlimited resources

Another large steamer has been lost on the Coast through gross carelessness. It is astonishing the number of steamers that have been wrecked on our coast in fine weather. That the officer in charge was incompeteut, the evidence very clearly shows, and the punishment allotted him is not all too severe. In giving his evidence, the captain certainly seemed a little inclined to put as much blame as possible on the second officer, though from all accounts Captain Calder is one of tho most careful officers on the coast. But, though this case div not arise from anything but carelessness, I should just like to draw attention to the unfair way the under officers of coastal steamers are worked. A large steamer with only two mates comes into port. The mates, all the time she is in port, are kept hard at work from daylight to dark discharging and receiving cargo, and, as a rule, the vessel leaves port in the evening, her officers thoroughly knocked up with their day's work, are

[I)eoember' 16 187(».
otagK) Witness.
Passing Notes.
obliged to navigate her along a dangerous coast without any rest. The wonder is that more accidents do not happen. Either an extra officer should be em ployed, or each steamor should have a supercargo, or some such officer, to attend to the loading and discharging cargo.
time in obtaining, by personal investigation in New Zealand and Australia, the material necessary for the required report. He speaks Chinese fluently. The Avalanche sailed close to the Crozets, but saw no sign of any life thereon. December 11th.
