65

D.—4,

20. You marked off about a mile and a half of Antonio's Creek ? You say all the mining is confined to that particular area?— The whole population of Antonio's Creek amounts to nine or ten men, chiefly Chinamen. 21. Was there a large population there at one time?—l understand that at one time there were a great number of miners there. A good deal of work has been done in the creek and the immediate terraces. 22. What was your motive in leaving so much ground for the Government in Section 63, east of the two lines you have drawn ?—I did not know sufficient of the ground to enable me to say it was not fit for mining purposes. The slate country exists in the Cumberland, and extends to the Merrijigs, which is marked on the boundary of 61 and 63. I believe it exists there, but how far west of that I do not know, not knowing the country. 23. We pass on to Block 59, and on the western portion of that you have a piece hatched ?— About 1,550 acres is low-level flat—really excellent agricultural and pastoral country. 24. There are no miners working on it ?—No; there has never been any mining upon it, and it is not required for mining. The railway tunnel runs through a portion of that block. 25. Dealing with the remainder of sections 59 and 61, you have allowed or reserved all that strip to the west of the hatched portion ?—Yes. 26. That, you say, is the slate belt in which the quartz reefs are to be found ?—Yes ; running generally north and south. All that land on the eastern portion of Block 61, and the north-eastern portion of Block 59, hatched, consists either of coal formation or granite country. It is not required for mining purposes. There are no operations of any kind upon it. All the country to the west is good. 27. Is there coal formation lying between this and the hatched portion on the east side of the Block 63 ?—Yes; immediately to the south of the Progress Company, and about a mile further south, Breen has a coal-mine, which supplies Eeefton with coal. 28. Down to Eeefton, you think, with a careful survey, more land could be taken out ?—Not having been over the land, I cannot say, but there might be. [Exhibit No. 94 handed in—Section 54.] 29. In Section 54, do you say there is coal formation not required for gold-mining purposes?— I should say about 1,000 acres could be taken out of that block without interfering with the goldmining industry. 30. Hon. E. Blake.] In which part? —In the north-western part. 31. Mr. Joties.] You have hatched that?— Yes. 32. But you say you might have taken out about twice as much more?— Yes; about 1,000 acres. 33. You have taken 380 acres ?—Yes. 34. You say that is coal formation? —Yes. 35. Are there any miners at work there ? —No. 36. What is the nature of this particular piece of country?—lt is very low birch land. The frontage of it is nearly all freehold, occupied for paddocks and grazing purposes. It is the same class of land as the freehold already occupied. 37. Is that birch land?— Yes; there is birch upon. it. The freehold has been pretty well cleared. 38. It is what you would call birch-bush land?—l would call it birch bush. It is land adjoining very fair grass land, which is used for fattening-paddocks. The grass is good. It is river-flat land. 39. You then pass Fryingpan north to Eedman's and Boatman's Creek. You include that as properly reserved ?—Yes. The remarks made about the other portion refer to this. There is more reserved than is actually required. 40. There has been considerable prospecting in some of these parts ? —Yes. Tunnels have been brought in to the eastern portion a considerable distance. Some of the tunnels have been subsidised by Government. 41. Hon. B. Blake.] Do you mean recent prospecting ?—There is one European on the portion of the block between Boatman's and the southern reserve portion. I think there is only one European, named Davy, prospecting there, and there are about seven or eight Chinamen. 42. You say there has been prospecting, within what date ? —These prospecting-tunnels have been brought in, speaking from memory, about five or six years ago. 43. Do you know how many prospecting-tunnels the Government subsidised there ?—Two, to my knowledge. 44. With what result ?—The low-level tunnel was started close to the River Inangahua, but that was abandoned as they did not get good results. They brought in one at a higher level, but there was some mistake in the surveys, and that was abandoned. 45. Did they find any payable gold?— No. 46. The whole of the working has been abandoned ?—Yes, with the exception of the one man, Davy, who was prospecting and trying to see if there was anything there. 47. Now we come to Boatman's Creek?— Nearly all that land, of course, is freehold land—all sold. It is outside the reserve. To the north of Boatman's Creek there is an area of 3,300 acres not required for mining purposes. At Yorkey's Creek gold-workings have been carried on, but abandoned. There have been two men there prospecting, but there is no claim at all, nor are there any water-races : there is just a small reserve. That reserve Ido not personally agree with, because I look upon the creek as being wholly worked out. 48. Then we come across Larry's Creek. You have made the reserves there a quarter of a mile wide? —Yes; of course, it is nearly all freehold land. 49. That block of 2,640 acres at Larry's Creek?— Yes; there are no mining operations ou the land. It is good land, and forms part of the Buller Valley. 9*— D. 4.