CO129-263 - Acting Governor Barker Governor Sir Robinson - 1894 [5-8] — Page 170

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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,