C—No. 1

29

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

Mondat, 20th December, 1869. The following witnesses were examined: —Mr. Daniell, Mr. Gully, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Pilkington, Mr. Noble, Mr. 0. Curtis, Mr. Blackett, Mr. Dreyer, Mr. Burke, Mr. Tatton, Mr. L. James. Mr. JOaniell —by Mr. Moss : I did use certain words, reported to have been used at the meeting at Wakefield (read from paper). Mr. Gully, recalled: Did you say in your evidence that you had no interest in the sale of the land? —No; I have an interest in the land. I was an official person acquainted with the auriferous land the day before the sale. Mr. Lewis, recalled: I cannot say there is a range in the position at all, marked on No. 4. Mr. Henry Pilkington :lam a miner. I have been ten years next February on and off Wangapeka. I know the Owen River and I know the mountain. I know the mount (Haast's), a high peak. I was prospecting when Haast and Mr. Mackay went down the Buller. Mr. Haast showed me a mountain from Nelson as being Mount Owen. I cannot identify the mountain on the map, but I know it from Nelson. The range breaks off at Black Valley. Black Valley begins near Lake Arthur, and continually ascends to Mount Owen. A range of mountains runs from Mount Owen to the river. Going from the Tadmor River, a track leads to the foot of Mount Owen. You go over Mount Owen and drop down into the valley of the Owen liiver. On your right as you go down there are broken mountains, —no con tinuous range, for a considerable stream comes down between them. I never heard any name for this stream. Very few diggers have been there, except when the rush was on six years ago. The mountain on the right hand, below this stream, is all black broken knobs and leading spurs. There might be a few patches of snow on the mountain, generally at Christmas, but not much I should think. I could not say what mountains you would see looking back from River Buller in the direction of (my) Mount Owen. I met Mr. Haast, I think in 1861, on the wharf. I brought a sample of gold from the Wangapeka. Ho was asking me about several points leading round Motueka way. I showed him several points, and I asked him which was Mount Owen. He showed it me, in a direct line—the mountain he called Mount Owen —from the old wharf in Nelson. I could show you the mountains on a very clear day. I never saw any other mountain from Nelson than that one. There are several mountains further on, but that was the one he told me of. He never expressed any doubt as to the mountains. He showed me this after asking me to show him the Crusader Mount, and different mountains that I knew. lam quite sure that the mountain rising from the Black Valley, over which the track goes to Mount Owen, is the one seen from Nelson, and pointed out by Mr. Haast to me. I also showed it to Mr. Long Wrey. Mr. Haast pointed it out from Nelson —not from the spot. It is a very peculiar mountain, —you must know it. Having seen it from Nelson, you must know it when there, because it is so peculiar. The peculiarity is, that it rises very suddenly from the Black Valley. It looks from Nelson like a high peak rising rather suddenly from a low range. I do not know the track he cut to Mount Owen, but I know there was one cut, I believe from Tadmor to Mount Owen. I have been over it, but not on the track. I guess pretty well where it is. The track goes to the foot of Mount Owen, then underneath it down to the river. If you go over Mount Owen you would have broken peaks, on towards the Karamca country. I do not know what are called the Marino Ranges. The country is so broken there is no regular range in it. Ido not know Mount Donald, but I have heard there is one. 1 have been from Mount Owen to the Karamca country ; I went over the Loadstone Mountain. Mr. Gully, re-examined: That mark is a mere general one, showing there is a water-shed between the rivers running into the Buller, and those running into the Motueka —it means nothing more. Mr. Burnett has told me that the Marino Mountains are a huge mass of mountains rather than a range. Mr. Burnett never showed me any mountain he called Mount Owen, from Nelson. I have understood that the mountain we call Mount Owen that can be seen from here (we, i.e., Mr. Galley, and those who take long walks), I have understood lately that it is not Mount Owen. I think the mountain we see from here is part of the range to which the last witness alludes. I have some remembrance of conversations with Mr. Calley and others. My experience consequently is, that Haast's Mount Owen cannot be seen from here ; but theirs can, which I take to be what they call the Marino Mountains. This is only an opinion. By Mr. Moss : lam a draftsman ; lam not a surveyor. I was not aware, till of late years, that you could not see Mr. Haast's mountain from Nelson. I don't know that the range being clearly defined was a very important point in the purchasers' case. I don't see that the existence of the range favours the case of the purchasers. Ido not assert that there is an unbroken range from the red spot to the green. I don't contend that anything but the surveys is correct; all the rest is sketch. Mr. Haigent, recalled : I do not know any leading range between the red and green ; it is a lot of broken country; there are valleys between ; one is called the " Sandy Creek," and one the " Three Mile Creek." I call Pilkington's break the Three Mile Stream. There are some low peaks at the junction, but not nearly so high as the others. It is very rarely you see snow on the junction peaks in summer ; snow is more often on the green mountain than the other. By Mr. Adams : I know the Matiri; it is fifteen miles from the Owen. (?) The country is of the same nature. Ido not know whence the Matiri takes its source. There is a mountain to the West, and broken mountains to the East. I don't (know) any name for the range between Mount Owen and Matiri. There is no distinct range between them. The mountains may be of the same or more height than the Fringe Hill. I have not the slightest doubt that the hill whence Mount Owen rises is much higher than any other. I have been living in the Owen Valley on the run. I learnt which was the mountain seen from Nelson from the description given by other parties, and knowing it to bo in the same direction as our run. It is the only high range between here and the Owen Valley. It is generally known as Mount Owen by those who travel in that direction. Never heard it doubted at all. Henry Noble : lam a miner. I have been about six weeks at the Wangapeka. I have been about the Buller about eighteen months. lam well acquainted with the district. I know Mount Owen—l have crossed it. I went right over the top of Mount Owen. Nelson is plainly visible from the highest