increased to £200 a year, with fees, and then altered to £250, without fees. Evans left the Station 14th September, 1861. One steamer and about six small traders came into the port monthly. Some of the traders require a Pilot, and some do not. I made no application for a crew for the life-boat because I was informed there weie no funds applicable to that purpose. I put in the following letters, and copies of letters, and papers, as corroborative of my evidence : 11th January, 1860—" Captain Wing to Superintendent" (copv). 1st September, 18G0— Do. do. do loth December, I860— Do. do.' do. 22nd January, 1862— Do. do. do :50th April, 1862— Do. do. do 13th September, 1862— Do. do. do. 27th November, 1862— Do. " Sir George Grey"—Enclosure—(copy. 12th December, 1862—"Mr. Gisborne to Captain Wing"' (original.) 26th February, 1863—"Captain Wing to Superintendent" (copy.) 23rd September, 1863—" Captain Renuer to Captain Wing" (original.) I have no recollection of having received any reply, either in writing or verbally, to my letter of the 30th April, 1862, either from the Superintendent, Dr. Pollen, or Mr. R. Lusk. I do not recollect that Mr. Robert Lusk told mo that by the Superintendent's orders the requisites applied for in that letter would not be supplied until the buoys were laid down. All I recollect upon the subject, is that when the buoys were laying at Onehunga, I met Mr. Williamson there, and he asked me when T was going to lay them down. I replied, that I was only waiting for his permission to obtain the mooring chains, and that I had sent him notice of what I requited for that purpose. When the buoys were ordered, the chains were not ordered. When I received authority to get the buoys I did not also receive authority to get the chains. I received a letter enquiring what chains would be required. By Dr. Pollen.} Gmette produced, publishing Signal Code. This is the Code of Signals recommended by me ; they were in use at the time of the wreck of the Orpheus. Before the " Won»u Wonga" came down to the Heads the signal-man had ceased to make signals to the ship because he saw the Wonga Wonga coming. The last signal made was the arm projecting North. When the Wonga Wonga arrived the arm was taken down and the signal No. 6, " Take the South Channel" was made. This signal was intended for the Wonga Wonga, and should have had a ball upon the top, but the ball was out of order and could not by hoisted. The ball denotes a vessel leaving the, harbour. The taking down the North arm would indicate to the vessel signalled that she was in a fairway. If the signal-man had known the " Orpheus " was ashore, he could have signalled the "Wonga Wonga" to take the North Channel. He did not signal to take that channel. He had been told by Captain Renner always to signal for the South Channel when that channel was practicable It was about three hours from the time I left the " Wonga Wonga " before she returned. In the interval, I went up to my house, and took the position of the " Orpheus ;" then I returned to the boat and polled towards the wreck. I did not go to the Signal-Station. When I saw the " Orpheus" was in danger, I could not signal to the " Wonga Wonga " in any way which he would have understood to ♦lirect him to return. The Captain would have seen a signal. By Mr. 0'iVeil/.] I had not the permission of the Government to use the oars and sails of the life-boat for the other boat. By (he Chainnan.] At the time of the wreck the life-boat was bottom up in the cave ■ she was turned over to preserve her. Wednesday, October 13th, 1863. Present—Mr. Daldy in the Chair j Mr. Harroj), Mr. O'Neill, Mr. Ridings. Dr. Pollen being present, made the following statement : I held the office of Provincial Treasurer for five years, from the year 1857 till the end of 1862. Whilst I held that office, Captain Wing was appointed Harbour Master at the Manukau. His original salary was £150 per annum together with Pilot Fees. In 1859 his salary was raised to £200 per year, he still receiving the fees. He had also a free house at the Pilot-station, and the use of the Government Reserve of Land there situated. In the year 1861 an alteration was made with the concurrence of the Provincial Government, in the mode of payment. Fifty pounds a year were added to his salary, and he was required to pay the Pilot fees collected by him into the Provincial Treasury. Mr. Wing was very much dissatisfied with this arrangement. An arrangement of a similar kind was made in the Auckland Harbour Department, in the previous year. The money for the management of the several Pilot and Harbour Establishments of the Province is voted annually by the Provincial Council. The vote is made under two heads, viz., Salaries and Contingencies. Salaries include the pay of the Pilots and Harbour Masters, Signal-men and Harbour boats crews. The Contingencies include the supplies for the Station, in the shape of rope boat repairs, Ac, <fec, for the Signal Station. I hand in an official statement by the Provincial Accountant, showing the amount voted for Contingencies for the Manukau Harbour for the years 1858 to 1862 inclusive, from which it appears that the actual expenditure by the Provincial Government was greatly in excess of the sums voted :—

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D.—No. in.

THE LOSS OF H.M.S. "ORPHEUS."