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Sir,

465

Inclosure 2 in No. 134.

Admiralty to Commodore, Australia.

Admiralty, August 16, 1875. WITH reference to your letter of the 17th May last,* inclosing a plan of the Bonham Islands, Marshall Group, which had been forwarded to you by Messrs. Capelle and Co., who are anxious for the establishment of an Admiralty coaling depôt at those islands, I am commanded by my Lords Com- missioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you that they approve of you having informed those gentlemen that their Lordships have no intention of forming such an establishment.

Appendix No. 4.

PACIFIC COALING

STATIONS.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

VERNON LUSHINGTON.

Inclosure 3 in No. 134.

Admiralty to Commander-in-chief, Pacific.

Admiralty, June 24, 1875.

Sir,

REFERRING to your letter of the 20th ultimo, transmitting copy of a Report from Captain Cator, dated the 17th December last, suggesting the advisability of erecting a small wooden shed at Honolulu, to be used as a coal depôt, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to signify their directions to you to furnish any remarks on Captain Cator's letter which you may consider

necessary.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

ROBERT HALL.

Inclosure 4 in No. 134.

Commander-in-chief, Pacific, to Admiralty.

September 13, 1875.

Sir,

WITH reference to their Lordships' letter of the 24th June, 1875,† relative to the advisability of erecting a small wooden shed at Honolulu, to be used as a coal depôt, I have the honour to state that I advocate the maintenance of 300 to 400 tons of coal for the use of the navy at Honolulu.

2. In furtherance of their Lordships' instructions, I made immediate inquiries relative to the subject, and beg to forward a copy of a letter I addressed to Her Majesty's Vice-Consul, and his reply, with reference to an eligible site, &c., for a coal shed.‡

I caused sketches to be taken by Lieutenant Sisson of the "Petrel," of the sites available and soundings to be noted adjacent to the wharf on which the coal shed would be erected.

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3. The lots marked "one" and two in the drawing are in all respects eligible for a naval coal store, and for a small depot of naval stores if required.

The depôt for coals for the United States' navy would be immediately contiguous to the site selected for our own store; and, as one of Her Majesty's ships is directed to be, when possible, always at the Hawaian Group, I am of opinion that a coal depôt would be very desirable, and might be placed in charge of Her Majesty's Vice-Consul.

The hire arrangements of Honolulu are good,

4. I will cause an estimate to be made at Vancouver Island of the cost of a wooden building considered suitable for the storage of 400 tons of coal, and will forward the same to their Lordships.

I beg to add that I think the political effect of having a naval coal store at Honolulu would be good, as tending to show that our men-of-war would more constantly be at the islands, and that we took an immediate interest in them.

I have, &c. (Signed)

A. A. COCHRANE, Rear-Admiral,

Inclosure 5 in No. 134.

Commander-in-chief.

Sir,

Commander-in-chief, Pacific, to Admiralty.

September 30, 1875.

WITH reference to their Lordships' letter of the 24th June, 1875,† relative to erecting a coal shed at Honolulu, and my letter, drawings, &c., of the 13th September, 1875,§ on the same subjects, I have the honour to state that I requested Mr. Innes, Naval Storekeeper at Esquimalt, to cause an approximate estimate to be made of the cost of erecting a wooden building at Honolulu, capable of containg 400 tons of coal, together with a small tramway, 80 yards long, to convey the coal from the wharf to back

Inclosure 1.

[1103]

† Inclosure 8. The inclosures named only refer to details of terms of hiring ground, area, &c.

§ Inclosure 4.

6 C

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