63

D.—4

691. Are there any mining rights or privileges on that portion? —No; there are no mining rights or privileges, but there is a water-race there connected with Curries sawmill. 692. Where does that race take its rise?— From Orwell Creek. 693. Do you know whereabouts ?—No; I did not bother about tracing it up. 694. Is that the only one ?—Yes. 695. Is the ground timbered ground ? —About Eaupo it is, but towards the southern portion it is an open plain. 696. Is it required for mining purposes ?—No ; not in any way. 697. What is the nature of that ground on the southern portion ? What sort of country is it It is terrace country. It rises about 250 ft. above the Ahaura, and it is a flat plain on the top. It is party timbered, but the bulk of the land is open plain. I believe the bulk of it is sold as freehold. 698. Take 71. You have left a piece there which you say was rightly reserved?—l do not know that it is rightly reserved. There is a difference of opinion there. 699. What is your opinion of that portion of Block 71 ?—My opinion of Block 71 is that all the land south of Orwell Greek is not required for mining purposes. The miners are of opinion that at one point the water of the creek went over the plain, and emptied into the Ahaura. Ido not believe in that theory at all. I see no warrant for it. They thought, in deference to the opinion of some miners, that large reserves should be made there, and that is why that portion was left unhatched. 700. You do not agree with it ? —I do not agree with the hatching of it. I would allow 5 chains on the south bank of Orwell Creek as a reservation. 701. That would be taking three-fifths of it?— More than that ; I should say four-fifths. 702. Is there any mining anywhere near the Ahaura in that block?— Not at that point; but in the portion allowed there are two water-races—one coming from Pickapick, and leading into Eiverview opposite this point; and the other lower down, about an inch below on the plan, leading to Franzini's claim. 703. Do you know where Eeece is working there ?—Yes ; just opposite the freehold section on the southern, bank of the Ahaura. He is working on the northern bank. 704. And do you think that the gold which Eeece is getting had anything to do with the theory of the miners that Orwell Creek emptied itself over that portion of the block into the Ahaura Eiver ? —No; I am thoroughly convinced that the run of gold is directly connected with the Ahaura Eiver. 705. There is that portion in Block 71 which has been hatched : is that necessary for mining purposes? —No ; no workings of any kind exist there. There is only one water-race, about a mile long, bringing water from one of the creeks to Errick's sawmill. 706. And there are no other mining rights or privileges ?—None whatever. There is a survey now in progress to see if they can bring any water fromßandall's Creek to command Napoleon Hill, but that would be outside the block altogether. 707. Now, as to Block 69, dealing with that northern corner : Are there any mining rights or privileges there ? —ln that portion of the block there are no workings of any kind whatever. It is all what is called the Old Man reef—barren formation with timber on top; but there is no alluvial there at all. 708. Are there any water-races on that ? —None at all. All the mining rights and privileges are confined in the portion left unhatched. 709. There is another portion of the eastern side, 3,200 acres. Are there any mining rights or privileges there ?—I know for a fact that there are no workings there of any kind. I have been up the left-hand and right-hand branch, which run right through the block. 710. What is the nature of the workings in the rest of Block 69 ?—All the workings there are in Mosquito Creek and its branches. 711. Are they tunnelling or sluicing?— Some tunnelling, some sluicing. 712. If workings were going on in the rest of that block, would you expect to see traces of that? —They could not exist without leaving some sign of dirty water or tailings. 713. You saw none ?—None whatever. 713 a. The inference you draw from that is, what ? Does it enable you to say whether that is wanted or is not wanted for mining purposes? —I say it is not wanted. 714. Do you recollect the rush a few years back at Granville ?—Yes. 715. Was that on new ground or on the old ground ?—On the old ground—on the continuation of the old Half-ounce lead. It is just where the bend of the Half-ounce lead is shown. 716. Would you call it a new find, or merely a piece of the old lead which, for some reason or another, had been slipped ?—lt was undoubtedly a piece of the old lead. 717. It did not open out any fresh country ?—Not at all. It was simply a continuation of the old lead. 718. Could the Government have marked off these sections since 1879 in the same form and shape as you have done ?—There would not be the least difficulty about it. Some thousands of men have been working there during the Napoleon's Hill rush, and all those rushes there. At one time it carried a population of eight to ten thousand people. The country has been traversed in all directions. Where the country was such that an experienced miner could tell there was no likelihood of alluvial wash, he did not sink a shaft. 719. And you think that part of the country has been thoroughly prospected?— Undoubtedly. 720. We will now take 65 : what do you say as to that ?—On that portion south of Snowy Eiver, 4,234 acres, there are no workings of any kind if Mossy Creek is excepted. It is a small creek which has been thoroughly worked out and turned over by Chinese, who took out every speck of gold in the creek. There is no mining right of any kind there at the present time ; so that that portion is not required for mining purposes. The place has been thoroughly well prospected. The same remarks