Volume 2 covers the period from January 1885 to April 1888 but also includes October 1884. There is an index in front of the first Volume. The correspondence is numbered from 1 to 51. Even routine requests for employment would be referred to the British Secretary of State. Topics covered include advice to England that the colonial governments, normally New Zealand and Australia, were to be consulted on a topic, the use of code in correspondence and even subjects such as the purchase of a steamer from England.
Most correspondence is handwritten and the drafts can be difficult to read.
Most messages are from Sir Peter Scratchley who had been a Major-General in the British Army and was highly regarded as an administrator. He arrived in the Protectorate in 1885 and died of malaria the same year after a number of achievements including establishing Port Moresby as the seat of government. These 30 files cover a variety of topics relating to the administration of British New Guinea 1882 to 1886. The bulk of letters received by the Special Commissioner were given an annual single number as they were received. The bulk of letters received by the Special Commissioner were given an annual single number as they were received.