Appendix to the Journals
House of Representatives
IMMIGRATION
COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT on
Ship “Reichstag.”
We have the honour to report the arrival of
the ship “Reichstag” from Hamburg, on the 6th instant, with 280 adult
immigrants. Only one death occurred during the voyage, viz. a child from dropsy. On
inspecting the vessel, we found the single women located under the poop. They had plenty
of room, light and ventilation in their compartment, and the hospital and water-closet
were exceedingly good. The married people had the use of the after and main hatches. The
entrances were built up like deck houses, and were a very great improvement on the flimsy
booby hatches in the British ships which bring immigrants to this port. The berthing
arrangements, however were not so good as in the British ships, but the compartment was
clean and sweet. The single men were comfortably located in the fore part of the ship. In
fact, all the compartments were very comfortable, and this was to be attributed in a great
measure to the unusual height of the ’tween-decks in a vessel of the tonnage of the
“Reichstag.” The immigrants are a
very fine body of people, and contrast most favourably with recent shipments of our own
countrymen. They all expressed themselves in
the highest terms of praise of the surgeon-superintendent and captain, not only to us, but
in an address which was published in the local papers.
In conclusion we have to recommend the payment of all gratuities, and have
to congratulate Captain Hanschild and Dr Waterhart upon bring the “Reichstag”
into port in such admirable order, and especially on the fact of their having a lower
death rate, so far as we are aware, than any vessel which has yet arrived in the colony
We
have, &c.,
ALEXANDER
JOHNSTON, M D
H.
J. H. ELLIOTT
JOHN
HOLLIDAY
His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington