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805. Mr. Lawson.] The side was on the north side, looking towards the bush ?—Yes. 806. The Chairman.] Was there much water in the drain?—No, sir, there was none. 807. Was there much water in the shafts you sank? —No, nothing to speak of; no more than is seen in every shaft. 808. Had you to bale ?—No. 809. You took no buckets of water out ?—None whatever. 810. Did you work in the deep shaft that was sunk in the slope at the back of the airingcourt ?—No. 811. You did not work in that ?—No, not in the deep one. I only worked in the shafts in the airing-court, bringing the pipes through. Of course they were dry. 812. Mr. Skinner.'] What date was this drain put in?—l could not tell that. 813. Was it in 1881, 1882, or 1883 ?—lBB4. 814. The Chairman.] What position was the building in—how far was it advanced—when the drain was put down ?—When No. 1 drain was put in ? 815. Yes ?—The building was finished, sir. 816. Mr. Blair.] You said just now you had to do with the shafts in the airing-court ? —Yes. 817. In connection with putting in the pipes?— Yes. 818. Were these shafts dry or wet ? —Dry. 819. Quite dry ? —Yes. 820. When you put this middle drain through did you strike up a shaft at the top ? —Yes, so as to save a lot of deep cutting. 821. Was that dry ?—Yes. 822. And that was immediately behind?— Eight behind the concrete wall. 823. And that was dry ?—Yes. 824. Mr. Gore.] Which concrete wall was that? —Eight along the back of the building, coming up into the back of the airing-court. 825. Mr. Skinner.] Do you mean the foundation-wall ?—Yes. We brought the pipes underneath the foundation, and brought them straight up. 826. Mr. Gore.] What wing was this—the north wing?— The whole four of the airing-courts we brought up like that. 827. Mr. Blair.] And were they all dry?— Yes, sir. 828. Just one other question. At this place where you were caught in the drain in this fashion, was it very solid ground —original ground —or part made ground ? —Some made ground. 829. The Chairman.] In putting the drain through the back of the concrete wall at the low level you describe, did you see any signs of an old drain at a higher level ?—No, sir, not there where I put them through I did not. 830. Mr. Blair.] Did you drive under the airing-court ?—No ; I drove underneath the building. 831. Under the colonnade? —Yes—brought it right up underneath. 832. The Chairman.] Then, where the drain was put under the walls it was not an open drain, it was driven ?—I drove it underneath the walls, but through the rooms there it was open. It was very shallow. 833. You saw no signs of any other drain at a higher level ?—No, sir. 834. A contractor's drain?—No, not to my knowledge. 835. Mr. Gore.] If I remember right it was you who put the drain through this wing on the south side of the centre block to the kitchen ?—To the kitchen ? 836. Did you put a drain through close by the side of the centre block—through to the kitchen ? Was it you that put it in. I think it was? —Yes; I brought one to the kitchen. 837. Did you not make a hole in the concrete there that you could pass through and that you did pass through many times ?—No, sir, not to my knowledge. 838. You never passed through this concrete wall by a hole that you made yourself—you never passed through from here to get the pipes up the back ?—No ; I never broke any foundation down. 839. Above the foundation ?—No. 840. You never did it ? —No. 841. The Chairman.'] You never broke the concrete ?—Never broke the concrete, sir. 842. Mr. Gore.] Was there any one else who was likely to have done it? —There was no one else but me brought the drains from the front to the back. 843. If there was a hole made there, no one could have done it except yourself?— There was none made for the pipe unless I made it. But I made none for the pipe, for my orders were strictly to take it under the foundations. 844. Did you see a hole in the concrete above the cement floor ? —Not to my recollection. 845. The Chairman.] Above the floor of the ambulatory? Mr. Gore: Yes. Witness : Not to my recollection. 846. The Chairman.'] This place where you were cutting into the drain, you say, came down the side of the north wing?— Yes. 847. And when you were caught the slip came from the opposite side of the drain to the building ? —Yes. 848. You are positive of that ?—Yes, sir. 849. If Mr. Brindley said that it came from the building side, would you contradict him ?—lf Mr. Brindley said that. 850. Mr. Brindley helped you out ?—He was there. 851. If Mr. Brindley says that it came from the building side, and other witnesses say that it came from the building side, would you contradict them ?—I say it came from the north side. Looking towards the hill, the slip caught me on the right side. 852. What depth of made ground was there there ?—I could not tell.