D.—4,

43

41. Mr. Cooper.] Do you think there was any reason whatever for making a reservation, either for present or future mining-purposes on that portion of 3,500 acres?—■Nβ, I do not think it is required for either present or future mining. 42. You say there are no workings and no men at work on that portion which is hatched? —No men at present. 43. The land runs along the railway ?—Yes, on two sides. 44. From Stillwater ?■—Yes, up to Lake Brunner. 45. Hon. E. Blake.] It is intercepted by alienated land?— Yes. 46. Mr. Cooper.] This land between the Grey Eiver and No Town, and the boundary of the block, are freehold alienated lands ? —Yes; all cultivated lands. 47. Settled lands?— Yes, mostly. 48. We have dealt with that portion of the block that is hatched; what do you say of the portion of Block 81 which is not hatched ? Describe what you found there ?—ln that portion of it there are several small creeks—Eyan's Creek, Bough-and-Tumble—running into the No Town Creek; and in those portions we found mining going on, and we thought they were rightly reserved. 49. You thought that portion would be required for mining, containing about 1,000 acres, I think ?—Yes, although portions of that could be cut out as not required for mining; also between the creeks. 50. Hon. B. Blake : You said "we " ?—There were several others as inspectors. 51. Mr. Cooper.] Who were with you?— Messrs. Daniel, Perotti, Dowling, Kaine, Wisdom, Harper, and Kyle. 52. The hatched portion was the result of your joint judgment ?—Yes. 53. You might tell us, in dealing with the portion which is not required in your opinion, and never will be required for mining, have you dealt with the minimum quantity in this hatched plan ? —There were nine or ten of us together, and in every ease we gave the largest quantity required to the Government, and did not hatch it. 54. Hon.E. Blake: Your judgment is most favourable to the Government in each case? — Yes. 55. And that applies generally to your evidence which you are going to give ?—Yes, quite so. 56. Mr. Cooper.] You say you found workings in these creeks; that would be to the westward of that dividing range ?—Yes. 57. There are 1,000 acres?— About 1,000 acres. 58. Can you say how many men were working or prospecting for gold there ?—About twentynine men in this block; seventeen in the small creeks, and twelve along the No Town Flat—the bed of the creek. 59. In your judgment, do you think that 1,000 acres is sufficient for future as well as present mining ? —Yes. 60. Have you any doubt about it ?—Not the slightest. 61. In giving that estimate did you take the matters incidental to mining into account, such as water-races, dams, residence sites?— Yes. 62. Everything incidental, as well as actual ground?— Yes. 63. Hon. E. Blake.] About the dividing range, these are flats, you say, here?— Yes, flat land, part of No Town Creek; and all this lower portion is flat from the Arnold Eiver. 64. Mr. Cooper.] We may get a little general information on this point. These are alluvial patches?— Yes. 65. Where is the gold generally found in these creeks ?—ln the creek-beds. 66. Does gold-mining extend much beyond the banks of the creeks ?—Very little. 67. Can you say, in order to conserve mining industries, future as well as present, whether it is necessary to reserve anything beyond the creek-beds ? —Not in this block. 68. I mean as to this particular part ?—No. Mr. Gully : That is not our interpretation of the contract. The contract, of course, intended that the land should be reserved in blocks, and not that it should be reserved as the witness suggests, only taking the banks of the creek, as under that it would be like a spider's web over all the plan. Hon. E. Blake : The witness says, " in his opinion," it does not affect the contract. 69. Mr. Cooper.] Notwithstanding your opinion, you have, in preparing this information, allowed 1,000 acres out of the 4,soo?—Yes. Hon. E. Blake : In fact he has acted, in the reservation, on what his opinion would be. 70. Mr. Cooper.] He has acted on the block system. Would there be any necessity to reserve any portion of that part for the deposit of tailings ?—No; no necessity at all. 71. Do you consider that that portion hatched—Bl—would be of value for selection by the company ? —Yes, a very valuable block. 72. Why?—On account of the timber on it. There is an amount of silver-pine. Some parts of it are very fair land. 73. Because of the timber, and because the land itself is very fair ?—Some of it is very fair land. 74. And on account of its contiguity to the railway ? —Yes. 75. In fact, I think you have told us there were cultivations along the boundaries of that block ? —Yes, all round it near the railway-station is in grass. 76. Hon. E. Blake.] On one side of it ?—Yes. 77. Mr. Cooper: Well, now the next block, upwards, is 77, that is a block extending from the No Town Creek, and has its bottom boundary at a place called Hatter's. Hon. E. Blake : Nelson Creek is the boundary of that. 78. Mr. Cooper.] What do you say about that, Mr. Fenton ?—I say all the hatched portion of this block, like Block 81, is not required for mining purposes.