167
shewn in detail.
I attach a table in which these results are
The figures I would remind you cannot be
checked by those in the Estimates as I am dealing with the
Police on duty in the harbour only, and have not taken into account water police on station duty, painters, carpenters, &c.
6. With regard to the comparative efficiency
of the old service and the one I propose I think there cannot be two opinions.
The present whale boats are in my opinion
quite unsuited for police work in this harbour. The boats
are good & very seaworthy but they are necessarily heavy and their crews of 4 oarsmen are not able, except under very favourable circumstances, to propel them at a sufficient speed to make them really efficient for the work they have
to perform.
This harbour is especially unfavourable to their
use because of the strong currents which prevail. These when adverse make fast rowing an impossibility, and cause when meeting another strong wind a nasty lumpy sea to get up
— an impediment to the progress of a row boat.
But the strongest of all reasons against their
use is that nearly every native boat is fitted with an extremely handy sail which can be hoisted in a second and will in
99 cases out of a 100 place a pursuing police boat at a hopeless disadvantage,