119

I.—7a

154. You say "give a trial." You mean driving? —Yes, from a shaft. 155. Have you known experienced people leave good ground by not driving from a shaft ? —I have known them. 156. I ask where you are working ?—Callaghan's. 157. Were shafts sunk there in the early days ?—Yes, and got good gold. 158. You have a claim there. Is that an old shaft ?—No, I went and was told that gold existed there if we could contend with the water. I got a party, and we sank a shaft to a depth of 144 ft. We found payable gold when we got 110 ft. from the surface—gold that would go 2gr. to the dish out of one face. At 130 ft., we drove westward 60ft., and found payable gold there that would go lgr. to the dish out of the face. 159. Were there any old shafts close to this shaft ? —Yes, right alongside of it, where they had been beaten out by the water. 160. You would not say that because that shaft*was sunk some years ago that that was prospecting the ground ? —Not at all. 161. Have you abandoned this ground or are you working it; and, if so, by what means?—We have not abandoned it. We have driven a tunnel. It is now in 1,400 ft., and it will be 3,000 ft. in length when completed. And by the tunnel being there we prospect most of the auriferous ground at Callaghan's. 162. That means that you drain a large extent of country ?—Yes. 163. That land has been open for selection by the company. Would it be advisable to let it go ?—No. 164. Why ?—Because if granted to the company we should be interfered with for timber royalties, and so on, and we should be interfered with by the settlers. 165. You know the application that was made by William Morris for land in this locality?— Yes, well. 166. Would it have been in the interest of mining to allow that selection to be made ?—lt would not. . 167. How would it interfere with it ?—ln the first place the miners want the timber to mine with ; and another thing is, that if Morris had got the land we might have been stopped prospecting in this same block of land. 168. Then this shaft you sank is close to where Morris's land was applied for ?—lt was the very same land. 169. Then, you say that the land which was refused Morris is land required for mining purposes ?—Yes. There is only one shaft of 128 ft. in depth sunk on this land. Anywhere on the banks of the creek you can get a small prospect. There are always a few colours to the dish. There are not more than 30 or 40 chains from this block of land to my claim. 170. And mining operations in that locality would have been hampered if this land had been alienated ?—Most decidedly. 171. And if the land at Callaghan's is not reserved for mining purposes, you say it should be at once reserved as being payable ground ? —Yes, as payable ground. 172. Do you know anything about the mining near Jackson's, on the Christchurch Eoad?—l know a little about it. 173. Would it have been advisable to alienate«land from the Government in that locality ?—I think it is advisable not to alienate land in that locality, because I believe the whole of Westland is the best part of New Zealand. 174. Mr. Wilson.] From your experience—l take it from the evidence you have given—you find it impossible to say where paying gold is or is not on the Coast ?—From my experience you cannot tell on what day you will find payable gold. 175. Is it your opinion that when you sink a shaft it is a toss-up, practically speaking, whether you get gold or not ?—Yes, it is an uncertainty. 176. Does that apply to all the reserves made and proposed to be made ?—My experience of Westland is that it is all a gold-bearing country. 177. Is it very doubtful what should be made reserves, and what should not ? —I think the whole of Westland should be made a reserve for mining purposes. 178. It is so uncertain that it is impossible to say what should be reserved ?—Y ? es. 179. And therefore the whole should be reserved? —Yes. 180. Hon. Mr. Seddon.} What is your opinion as to the length of the alluvial drifts?—My opinion, from the distance I have been—that is, from Martin's Bay up to Kumara—is that it is all auriferous right through. 182. What is the depth back?—lt varies. The further you go south the gold-bearing country gets right into the sea. As you go to Milford it gets narrower. 182. Take the widest and narrowest ? —lt would go from seven to eight miles from the sea, inland. That is about the widest. The narrowest would be about two and. a half miles. 183. What extent of that country is wanted for actual mining, and for purposes connected with mining, such as water-rights, and timber?—lt is all required for mining. 184. Mr. Wilson.] Do you say that it is all required for mining, or that it is so uncertain that it is impossible to select what is required ?—lt is all required. All the West Coast is required for mining purposes.

Monday, 26th Septembek, 1892. Mr. J. A. Montgombeie examined. 1. Hon. Mr. Seddon.] What is your name?— John Ainslie Montgomerie 2. You are a district surveyor ?—Yes, for the Eeefton District.