THE EVENING SITTING.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1933, 15 March 1875, Page 2

THE EVENING SITTING.

Smith's Case Continued, Business was resumed at seven o'clock. The Warden asked if anybody had anything to say further in reference to Smith and party's claim. Patrick Dillon said he had to cor-, roborate the evidence of Smith, who found the gold he spoke of at the latter end of January, 1869. Dixon came forward to make a statement dating from 1841. He did not make the statement, however, but conjured the Warden, solemnly, to " get at the bottom of the affair," and not to give a decision until he had done so. Thokpe's Party. John W. Thorpe, claimant, said—ln April, 1862, went with native land owners to prospect in Kotokohu, and found gold there ; also in Waitekauri. Subsequently he had a numberof natives prospecting. Napier was one of them; They prospected in Hotokohu, in the Gorge Creek, and Waitekauri. Got most specimens from the Waitekauri. lel~ November. 1868, was prospecting in the Creek, and picking quartz out of leaders. ', Saw Arnold, Holes, Alex. McKay and Keepa. Holes told him he had a good show up the Creek, and would give him a share. Subsequently they arranged to have the block surveyed, sometime in 1869. B. C. Jordan surveyed the clock. Holes in the meantime showed witness some "quartz he had taken out of the Kafangahake block. Thry took the land several times before the Court, but it was never passed through. The reserve was in the block surveyed by Jordan. Keepa was one of the party. (Witness here put in a letter which was a reply to the application sent by him to the Governmeut for a prospector's claim.) After the arrangement was made about the three«thirds wrote to Dr. Pollen mentioning Logan as one of the party. Logan afterwards repudiated any connection with the party, saying that he would stand on his own bottom. Then witness wrote to Sir Donald McLean, which was the letter made a minute of by Mr. Mackay. Captain Fraser read the letter which reported the discovery of gold and applied fcr a prospecting claim, the application being recommended by Mr Mackay. A letter from the Civil Commissioner, H. T. Kemp, was also reai, which stated the opinion that to. issue an order before native matters were settled would be premature. By Tom Baird through the Warden : I never heard that Tom Baird found gold until the present time. I showed him gold which I got at the Waihi, and he said: " That is the first gold I have seen in Ohihemuri. I will believe that OHinemuri is a goldfield after that." Phillip Holes deposed—ln August, 1563, he arrived in Ohinemuri. September he got permission to prospect. November he found the reef on the reserve. Showed the cap whero he had found it. Also showed Mr Mackay some of the reef, with gold in it; also some of the other parties—James Verrali, Alex. M'Kay, Tom Arnold, Willie Turnluil, who was away. He was stopping at the Gorge, supposed to be sawing timber for

Te H ira, but was prospecting. That was on the reserre. Also helped Jordan cut the survey line. The reserre was about the centre of the survey plan produced. The object of getting the survey made was. to secure the gold. He would gay positively that the.survey was made for no other reason. By Pat O'Neill: I could not'positively , show the gold, as there are so many workings. James Verrall said he was in Ohinemuri in 1868. Came up with last witness. Prospected for a tew weeks in the Gorge. Ho believed their party were tho first to break the ground on the Karangahake spur. They got quartz there and gold, and expected (o get gold there, when Mr Mackay turned the diggers away. Holes went to Waitekauri, and witness went to Ihorpes place on the Waihoii. They then got the land surveyed, and tried to get it through the Lands Court. Helped to survey tho land. .He could show the workings and show the gold. Tom Baird wanted to know who paid for the survey. Verrall answered that Thorpe did. Alex. McKay said he came to Ohinemun with Verrall and Holes in 1868. .bound some specimens in the creek towards Waitawheta. Followed up to this reserve. Sunk two holes, but got nothing . Sunk three holes, and came on the cap of the reef, and found it to be goldbearing Filled the hole up and left the district! Got the quartz tested by Spencer, then living in Willoughby street. The result was about 17 ounces to the ton—picked stone. Showed the stone to Mr Mackay on the cutter Una going to the Thames. Witness was on the surrey giving a,hand to cut the lines. It was on account of the discovery in reserve A that the land was surveyed. William Turnbull,, was the only one of the party now missing. Had applied to Mr Gillies for a prospecting license when (two years afterwards) they saw that somebody had been working on it.' Witness' party got the cap of the reef, and were prepared to show it to--morrow. Logan asked witness whether he showed him as the part where ThorpeYwas prospecting the part he now claims. Witness: I did not. I showed you that as the place where I had been pros-" pecting. Thomas Arnold said he came up with/ the last three witaesses in 1868. Came up to Turner's, opposite the Paeroa. Came up with the intention of prospecting, which they did for about *ix weeks. Got some gold in that little creek this side of the reserve. That was about the latter end of October. He was at this time -•• down at Turner's, sick. In witness' absence the party broke down some stuff from the cap of the reef. They showed ' witness the stuff they got. He went up with them, and saw the workings on the spur. It was inside the pegs that hare since been put in. They went to Shortland in a cutter, tho Una, taking some of the stuff to Shortland,.-where,. ifc was crushed. There was a return* of gold from the stuff. Witness crushed the stuff. After that Mr Thorpe made arrangements for getting the ground surveyed. By Pat O'Neill: There was no drir» put in. The ground was sunk upon. By Thorpe: There was no sign of working on the ground except those of our own party. By Logan: All my mates had shares in the ground. I don't know whether De Moulin had a share in it. Logan: Did you gain the information about the gold being found there from HoeraP . . Arnold : Certainly I did not. Henry Dunbar Johnson was sworn as interpreter, to translate the evidence of the Natives. Te Keepa Raharahi said: In September, 1868, he spoke to Phil and Willie to go and look for gold on Karangahake. About the 3rd of November he heard they had found gold. After| they found the reef they told him (witness) that it was at Karangahake. He and Phil went to see it. He found their workings, which were covered in. They told him it was a good reef, and he suggested they should keep it for themselves. He told Phil that because he (witness) was one of the principal owners of the land. It was in consequence of this discovery that he was so anxious to get the country opened. Some time after the discovery the land was surveyed. He.saw no other work-^ ings before Phil and party. . By the Warden : Only one hole showed to me is within the pegs of the reserre. A ffcer the survey I was one who made application that the land should pass the Court. I was not at the survey, but saw the lines afterwards. The reserve is inside the litfes. I did not intend to sell the land. I intended keeping it for myself, and my European mates. It was on account of the gold being found that the •' land was surveyed. That is my signature. (The letter was addressed to Sir JDonald McLean by certain natives asking for a lease for the land surreyed "lesttrouble should arise." With the letter was a minute by Mr Mackay recommending that a prospecting claim bo allowed, as the Natives refused to sign the agreement . unless their title was protected). By Pat O'Neill—l think I can point out the hole where the gold is said to have been got. Adam Porter said he arrived in Ohinemuri in 1868, and stopped three days. He went to the West Coast, came back, and^ arrived at Ohinemuri in 1869, when McKay showed him a piece of gold which he said was obtained from Karangahake. He did not know where 3£grangahake was. Hoera showed hi<ffP^ place to peg out just above the present pegs of the prospecting claim. John Dixon said that Mr Win. Logan had asked him the way to the reef. The Warden said he would think over the evidence adduced till 10 o'clock the following morning, and if he wai not

then in a. position to decide finally, he 1 should be prepared to require them to do something as he wished to get through the rase as quickly as possible. The miners loudly approved of this course, and indeed Capt. Fraser's coaducfc of the field throughout has given general satisfaction.