5

H.—B

two days. He (Archer) remained there a day and a half helping Mills to muster and draft, as he also took sheep from him ; and as Mills has had long experience amongst scab I do not think he would have allowed Archer to take the sheep on to his place had there been anything visible in Harvey's flock. I have omitted to state that after my first examination of Harvey's sheep I went to Bourke's and examined his, which were perfectly clean. I then returned to Blenheim, but left Inspector Hull to inspect Mills's and Gould's sheep, which he reported clean. I have, as you are aware, since seen the same mob of sheep that I passed in Havelock (less sixty lost on the road) in a paddock at Nelson, and also in the yards, where I, in the presence of yourself and Inspector Price, made a careful inspection, but could only find some four or five which showed any indications of having been diseased, and these very slightly; plainly showing that, although the sheep were infected at the time that I passed them, the disease must have been at so young a stage that it was next to impossible to detect it, particularly when one takes into consideration the state the sheep were in from having been in the barges. From the confession made to you by Harvey, when we were at his place on the 11th instant, to the effect that his son had killed and burnt two suspicious-looking sheep at Beatrix Bay about two months ago, and after this had shorn the lambs and then come over to the homestead and shorn the lambs there, I have no doubt the scab was carried from one flock to the other on the men's clothes; and this will account for the sheep breaking out about the time Archer removed his mob. Harvey states that his son has only lately made him aware of the fact that he killed and burnt these sheep. This, of course, requires corroboration. It may be asked why did I, or another Inspector, not examine each flock from which Archer was removing sheep previous to his doing so ? And in answer to this I may state that I was under the full impression that the whole of the flocks were clean, as they had been reported so by late Inspector Groom previous to his leaving the department. I therefore told Archer to bring the sheep to Havelock, and they would be inspected there, as had been done before with other mobs. Had an Inspector accompanied him it would have occupied a fortnight of his time, and with the present staff I could not have spared a man for that length of time. Inspector Hull has been engaged for some time now making a careful examination of the flocks in the Picton Subdivision, and, in future, all sheep leaving will be inspected by him, as he will be in a position to know what precautions it is necessary to take. A. K. Blundell.

Extracts from Sheep Inspector Blundell's Copy of Diary for April, 1884. . . . . April 2nd.—Came to Harvey's; arrived in evening, and arranged with him to have his sheep in first thing in morning. April 3. —Examined Harvey's sheep, and found two infected ones, both of which were marked by me as suspicious on my last visit. It was with difficulty that I found the insects, as they had but just come to life. I told Harvey to prepare the dip at once, but not to dip the sheep until the arrival of Inspector Hull. Eeturned to Picton April 7. —Went to Eichmond with Mr. Bayly; met Inspector Price there, and we put Archer's sheep carefully through the yards; there were 593; and after a careful examination found five with slight plucks on them, which I have no doubt were scab plucks; but, as the sheep have been twice dipped, it was impossible to ascertain positively. Eeturned to town in evening. April B.—ln Nelson attended office with Mr. Bayly, who took evidence in re the outbreak of scab. April 9.—Left Nelson with Mr. Bayly; came through to Cowper's; heard that two of Archer's sheep had been seen yesterday about eight miles up the Eai. We noticed tracks of two or three about three miles from the Pelorus Bridge. •April 10. —Inspected Cowper's sheep, 155, all clean; Hughes's, 365, also clean, found 24 of Cowper's amongst them; Bown's sheep, 670, also free from disease, but found one of Archer's amongst them breaking with scab. Took Bown's certificate away, and told him to dip. Came to Havelock. April 11.—Mr. Bayly and self took boat and came to Manaroa; called at Harvey's, found Inspector Hull there, dipping the sheep; looked through them, and found several breaking. Harvey acknowledged that his son had killed and burnt two scabby sheep at Beatrix Bay, and, from information gathered, there appears to be no doubt that the scab was brought from there to Clova Bay. A. K. Blundell.

Mr. B. P. Bayly to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. (Memorandum.) Blenheim, 15th April, 1884. Having, at Nelson, fully inquired into case as referred to in paper 84/1120, attached, I herewith furnish full particulars, together with my own remarks and opinion connected therewith. From all I can gather, it would appear that the sheep must have been only slightly infected, such infection not being visible when inspected at Havelock by Inspector Blundell. Three other proficients in scab, viz., Mr. Mills, Mr. Kerr, of Manaroa, and Mr. Cawte, of Havelock, all saw these sheep at different times, and all declare there was no appearance of infection when they saw them. Mr. Cawte states that he was at Harvey's for about three weeks; saw the sheep drafted, yet saw nothing. Mr. Kerr went with the sheep through, and saw them 036^ his run, which adjoins Harvey's ; he saw nothing. J. Mills travelled with the sheep for two days, while going from Harvey's to his place ; sheep, remained at his place a day and a half ; he saw nothing suspicious. The evidence of A. Mills goes to-show that when the sheep arrived at Havelock nothing was visible. Inspector Blundell has been some five years in the service, and has always been considered thoroughly up to his work, and very careful. I always have had, and still have, the utmost confidence in him. He may have erred slightly in not taking a declaration under Schedule E, but as the flock they came from held a clean certificate, and were in the same subdivision as where they