E.—Bb

52

201. Was it not a picnic? Did you not have tea up there?—We had no tea. They would bring bread up. 202. Mr. WardelL] How often have you been up four times a day during the last year ?—I have been up about three days —three times the first day, and four times on the other days — twice in the morning, and twice in the afternoon. 203. Mr. Fell.] When you went up, you all went to the bottom on the other side ?—Yes. 204. Is the valley on the other side as low down as the Orphanage on this side ?—Not quite ; nearly. 205. Did each boy bring up a post to the top of the hill?— Yes. 206. Mr. WardelL] What sort of posts are they?— For putting into the ground. 207. Mr. Fell.] Did you then bring them down the hill ?—About 4 o'clock, we would each bring one down to the cricket-ground, where the cart could get them. 208. When you went up the hill three times a day, did you go into the gully too ?—No; the posts were brought to the top of the hill the day before. 209. Did you go up twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon on the second and third days ?—Yes. 210. How did you bring them down?—We tied a piece of flax to them. 211. What standard were you in when you left the school?— The Fifth. 212. What did you do for work when you were not pulling posts ? —I was the butcher. That would take all the morning. I would be at lessons in the afternoon. 213. Mr. WardelL] How many sheep did you kill in the morning?— Two, and dressed them. Lane would help me. When he went away I did it myself. I was butcher about two years. I also got the sheep in. 214. Mr. Fell.] Did you do any other work ?—Yes; ditching, putting in posts, minding horses, and harvesting. 215. Can you swim and play football ? —Yes ? 216. Where did you come from?— Auckland. 217. Are there enough Auckland boys in the school to make up a football team?— Yes. Wβ have played the other boys. 218. How many years were you there ?—Four and a half. 219. Did you like your lessons better than butchering?— Yes. . 220. Better than tree-pulling ?—I like the lessons best. 221. You had new shirts the day before the visitors came?— Yes. We all had new ones. Some were cotton and some woollen. 222. Who did the washing ?—Four boys. 223. Did you never give them your socks to be washed ?—We would have to go without if we did, as we had none to put on. 224. How many shirts did you have?' —-Two. They were washed once a week. 225. Did you never go about barefooted ?—Sometimes. 226. Do you know what Davis had done when Brother Kilian punched him ?—He was laughing at prayers in the schoolroom. 227. Was the boy kneeling when Brother Kilian punched him?— Yes; it was just after prayers. 228. And the Maori boy Moap—what was he doing when he was going upstairs ?—I do not know. I think he was late going up to bed. 229. What did the Brother say to you '—Nothing. He let me go by. He had allowed me to go out to the closet. The other boy had been out in the yard. 230. Sort of playing truant in a small way ?—Yes. 231. Did Moap complain to Brother Loetus ?■—l do not know. 232. What was Jimmy Owens doing?—He was just whispering in the school. 233. Did you ever complain to Father Mahoney about not having enough to eat ?—No. 234. Were you as fat then as now?—l was fat when I went there, and have been fat ever since. 235. Did you see Brother Kilian pull down the boards from that cell ?—Yes. I was going for firewood down the road in front of the Orphanage. 236. What could you see ?—I could see him pulling them down. I saw the boards afterwards. '237. Where were the boards put? —He put some in his room, and some I got and chopped up for firewood. 238. Were you ever in the cell ?—No. 239. Mr. WardelL] Did you see the boards being taken out ?■—Yes, from outside. 240. Mr. Fell.] How did you know what the cell was for ?—The boy Newman told me. You could see the bars, too, from outside. 241. How high was the window from the ground ?—About 4 ft. 242. Did you ever look in ?—Yes ; through the door. 242 a. Was anybody in there when you looked in ? —Yes; Lowe. 243. Was the door open?—No ; I looked through the crack. 244. Mr. WardelL] And saw Lowe in the cell ?—Yes. 245. Mr. Fell.] Could you see into the cell from outside?— Yes; I could see through the window by getting up and looking through a crack. 246. Was there no glass to the window?—l do not know ; they put new panes in. 247. Could the window be opened ?—I think so; but it was barred down. Through the boards being there you could not reach your hand out. .248. You say Brother Kilian pulled down the cell under the tower?— Yes. 249. Did you know the cell was there? —Yes. When I was outside I saw a boy put his hand out once and wave it about.