32 Transact ions. 



despatch-boat between New Plymouth. Waitara, and Onehunga. In 1862 

 she was engaged in trade from Auckland to Coromandel, and about Auckland 

 Harbour. In June, 1863, she was purchased by the Government for £4,000. 

 She was renamed " Sandfly," and armoured, being also armed with two 

 12-pounder Armstrong guns. Lieutenant Hunt, H.M.S. " Harrier," hoisted 

 the pennant on the 23rd June, 1863, and his crew consisted of twenty-two 

 men from the warships. On the 12th October Captain Marks, of the 

 gunboat " Caroline," was transferred to the " Sandfly," while Lieutenant 

 Hunt was transferred to the paddle-steamer "Lady Barkly," which had 

 been purchased by the Government and partially plated, when it was 

 decided that she was unfit for service, as intended, on the Waikato River. 

 She was used for transport work in and from the Manukau Harbour. 

 The " Lady Barkly" is still (1920) running on the coast as a screw-steamer 

 under the name " Hina." The " Sandfly " was stationed on the east 

 coast of the North Island, her headquarters being Auckland. She took 

 part in the blockade of the Firth of Thames and the Tauranga campaign. 

 She captured on the 31st October the cutter " Eclair," a vessel of about 

 20 tons, owned by the Maori, and loaded with provisions. In 1865 the 

 " Sandfly " was sold by the Government, after a short service about Cook 

 Strait transporting troops to Wanganui, and doing a little survey work 

 for the Cook Strait submarine cable. The new owners changed her name 

 back to " Tasmanian Maid." and she was wrecked off New Plymouth on 

 the 16th January, 1868. 



In 1863 the Imperial Commissariat Department purchased the 80-horse- 

 power steamer " Alexandra " for transport work. She cost £13,000, and 

 was also wrecked somewhere near New Plymouth, 9th August, 1865. In 

 1863 the Government owned a sailing gunboat, " Midnight," but I have not 

 been able to trace her commission, except that she appears to have been 

 on service on the east coast, north of Auckland. 



In a memorandum dated 20th October, 1863, the Minister of Defence 

 stated, " Towards the end of 1862 the Government determined to place 

 a small steamer on the Waikato, and after some inquiry the ' Avon ' was 

 purchased for the purpose. Her draught of water is too great to be 

 available as is desirable ; but, notwithstanding this disadvantage, the 

 vessel has been of great service. The importance of having a suitable 

 steamer for the navigation of the Waikato determined the Government to 

 have such a vessel constructed in Sydney, and after many delays and much 

 anxiety the gunboat 'Pioneer' (Plate VI, fig. 1) has been obtained — a 

 vessel, it is believed, well adapted for the purpose." The " Pioneer " 

 was launched from the shipyard of the Australian Steam Navigation 

 Company, Pyrmont, Sydney, on the 16th July, 1863, having been 

 under construction for a period of about seventeen weeks, the super- 

 intending engineer of the work being Mr. T. Macarthur, of the com- 

 pany's staff. A report in a local paper, the Empire, says, " Yesterday 

 morning there was launched from the A.S.N.- Co.'s patent slip, 

 Pyrmont, a rifle gunboat for the New Zealand Government, and 

 intended for the service of the inland waters of the Waikato district. 

 She is intended to carry 300 men, on a light draft of water. Her 

 dimensions are 140 ft. in length, 20 ft. beam, 8 ft. 6 in. depth of hold, 

 and draws only 2 ft. 6 in. of water. She will be propelled by an overhang- 

 ing stern wheel, 12 ft. diameter, 7 ft. broad, driven by two engines, each 

 30 horse-power. She is constructed of fin. iron, which is pierced for 

 rifles, and which will render her ball-proof. She is fitted with watertight 



