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4

68. The Chairman.] Do you think that removing the snags from Snag Fall, about four miles up theBuller Biver, would have a good effect, by relieving what is now the overflow, and confining the water coming down the river. Many are of opinion that if the snags were removed, the whole river would have a straight flow right out ?—I should not anticipate very much good from that. 69. Do you not think that the removal of the snags, which now divert the river, and cause an overflow would have a material effect in confining the river ?—I am not so well acquainted with it as to be able to give a decided answer. But I think it is very doubtful if it would have any appreciable effect on the mouth of the river. 70. Of course it would allow the whole body of water to come down ? —I think its effect in improving the mouth of the river would be very fractional in amount. I cannot see any but the smallest amount of good likely to come from it. 71. Mr. Fergus.] Supposing this wall (eastern breakwater, shown on map) were continued out for half a mile, are you of opinion that it would have any permanently good result to the channel, by cutting off these streams which now flow over the sand banks. I mean not touching any other works, but simply constructing this wall on the Westport side, half a mile out, according to Sir John Coode's plan ?—According to Sir John Coode's plan, you cannot make the eastern breakwater as designed, without making the western one also. One is very strong and high in comparison with the other. If you made only the eastern one, it would have to be made stronger, because it would then have the full force of the sea upon it. This is really a half-tide wall for a great portion of its length. And if the other, that is, the western one, was not made, the eastern one would have to be built proportionately stronger. 72. Mr. Macandrew.] I understand, then, that your opinion is that an outlay of £120,000 would give 18 inches more permanent depth than there is now on the bar—that is, roughly speaking ?—Yes ; this is an approximate statement. 73. It is said this field contains 100,000,000 to 200,000,000 tons of coal; assuming it to be 100,000,000, one penny a ton would give £416,000, or within a fraction of what would really provide for the works ?—Yes; but the getting out of these millions of tons would take a generation or two, whereas you would be called upon to spend the money on works at once. 74. Are you aware that during the greater portion of tfie year the water is comparatively smooth at the Buller ? —Yes ; they have a fair share of fine weather there. 75. More so than on any other part of the coast?—lts position behind Cape Foulwiud and the Steeples shelters it from south and south-west winds, and thus it is more favourably situated than other harbours on the coast. 7G. So that a margin of 3 feet under the vessel's bottom would only be required in comparatively exceptional circumstances ?—I think that whatever might be the depth or the weather, masters of vessels would go in with a less margin than 3 feet, seeing that they now frequently scrape the bar in going out. 77. Mr. Fergus.] Do you know the average draught of the vessels trading there just now?—There is a depth of water on the bar of 10 feet 6 inches to 11 feet now at neap tides, and 14 feet to 14 feet 6 inches at springs, and vessels go out touching the bar under these circumstances ; this will give an idea of their draft. 78. Mr. Allwright] When vessels are loaded, will they plough through the bar?—l do not say they plough, but that they touch it. 79. Tlie Clmirman.] I have seen schooners towed out ploughing through the sand. 80. Mr. Fergus.] What is the average depth of the largest class of vessels trading there at the present time ?—I do not know; I only know the depth of water, and it may be estimated from that when they touch. 81. Could not some large vessels go in with a comparatively small draft of water?—Yes; if purposely built so, but they make use of every inch of water now. Excepting the " Westport, " the class of vessels frequenting the Buller are not adapted for the service—they may bo called a " scratch ' ' lot. You want wide vessels with flat bottoms, and they should be trimmed nearly on an even keel. I think more might be done usefully in that way, than in spending hundreds of thousands in works intended to improve the bar. 82. Mr. Wright] Is the sand at the mouth, sand brought down by the river, or driven along the coast ?—The sand belongs to the coast. Part of it, of course, has come down the river. There is more shingle than anything else brought down the river. 83. The river itself brings down a considerable volume of shingle and sand during floods?—No doubt of it; an immense quantity. 84. So that there would be the risk of a large deposit, even if the works were carried out ?—The risk is lessened according to how much of the works you carry out. 85. But unless the works were carried out to a considerable depth of water, there would be the risk o£ an accumulation ?—Not in the immediate channel. 86. But immediately outside the channel ?—lt would be spread out like a fan, and its shape would be altered continually by the floods and currents and the waves along the shore. 87. So that unless the works were carried out to four or five fathoms, there would be a risk of a bar forming at the entrance to the breakwaters ? —I would not say that every foot you added to the work would lessen the risk of that. 88. I mean would there not be the risk of an accumulation at the mouth of the walls, unless they were carried out to a considerable depth ?—The risk would be small, and it would be a very temporary inconvenience, I think, should an accumulation occur. 89. Mr. Hutchison.] Do you not think that one wall could be dispensed with, and the other made sufficiently strong to answer all purposes. The outer one, I understand, would be the most expensive ? — In such a position as this you cannot do with only one training-wall. It might be a good experiment to try the effect of the inside or training-walls first, and to build them as far as you safely could on account of the sea. You would quickly see when the outer protecting breakwater became necessary ; but a certain amount of good might be looked for from the construction of the inside training-walls alone.

Mr. Ulackett.

14th June, 1882.