I.—4a

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428. Where water is confined?—Yes ; and where it will not act on the floor and on the roof. 429. Do you know what the sustaining power of water is: what is the usual pressure to the square inch ?—lt depends very much on the body. 430. In a mine of that nature, with a roof of the sequence shown there, would you consider it a fair way of working the mine with a cover of 117ft. to 200ft. ?—Some are large, and others are small. 431. Would you consider it a fair average, the size of the pillars and bords in a mine of that kind, with the cover described ?—lBft. pillars, and about 15ft. or 16ft. bords, I think would be a safe thing. Less than that I think would do; but that would be very safe. 432. What was the thickness of the coal in Scotland where the sea broke in ?—Seven feet. 433. Mr. Chapman.] What was the cause of the break in the mine in Scotland?—They thought it had sufficient cover, and went on taking out everything before them, and it took a break. They commenced to have no pillars at all: they thought there was cover enough to do it. 434. Just look at that plan—the working plan: does that show a good mode of working?— They seem good-sized pillars and very regular, and the bords seem not too wide. It seems to me to be carried on in a very judicious manner. 435. Supposing you wanted to uphold a roof, and supposing the pillars were worn down to that (indicated on Twining's plan), how would you uphold the roof?—I would use all the old timber up I could get. I consider that timber supports a roof better then anything.

Friday, 3rd October, 1884. Mr. Thomas Peacock, M.H.8., examined. 436. Mr. Chapman/] I believe you are a director of the Bay of Islands Coal Company?—l am. 437. You were a director some years ago when Mr. Williams, manager of the Shag Point Coal Mine, was in the employment of your company ?—I was. 438. Do you remember how long he was in the employment of your company ?—A good many years : I cannot exactly tell. 439. I would ask you, briefly, whether during that time your Board found him a competent and reliable manager ?—They did. 440. On leaving your service, did he leave still possessing your confidence ?—Yes, he did. 441. Mr. Beid.] What was the nature of the workings of which Mr. Williams had charge for your company : were they submarine ?—They were working from the dip leading in various directions, following up the seam of coal. 442. But, were they submarine ?—No ; they were not submarine, merely under-ground. 443. Mr. Chapman.] But there was a swamp ?—Yes ; but the workings stopped short at the edge of the swamp lest the water should be let in and endanger the mine. Mr. Denniston, re-called and examined. 444. Mr. Chapman.] I omitted to ask you about that plan in the corner: does it show the Sequence and character of the ground?—Yes. 445. Then, as to this section, taken from the dip of the mine (No. 1) ? —No; taken from the depth of the shaft. 446. From Mr. A.- D. Bell's survey and soundings? — From the soundings, and the angle of dip was 1 in 4 at the time I was in the mine : I made it 1 in 3, and 2 in many places. 447. That section is taken on the marked line, and the dip on the large plan?—Yes. 448. What would be the cost of reopening this mine, so as to place it in the same position as before the submarine workings were closed ?—The minimum would be £20,000. 449. Mr. Beid.] With reference to the sequence, did you examine the sequence itself : did you see the strata ?—I saw it all twelve or fourteen years ago; I have it all on my field-books connected with Government. I compared Williams's sequence with that: it pretty well tallies; the only difference is the number of the stone. 450. Is that sequence taken from Williams's sequence ? —Betwixt and between; the only difference is the number of the stone. 451. Hard stone he has it?—l have had hard burr and shale. His book will explain that. 452. How do you make up your estimate of the cost ? —I estimate it upon the cost of sinking the shaft: a couple of drives, and so on. 453. What depth of-shaft would you sink?—Something about 700ft. 454. Do you fix in your mind's eye where you would sink the shaft ?—I have two or three schemes; sinking in these places they would each be something near that depth; there is one place rather higher than the others; in either of these places it would be about 600ft. sinking. 455. Do you know the depth of the present shaft? —240ft. or 243ft., or thereabouts. 456. Would it not be possible to sink near the shaft now?—You could sink down to the water; no farther. 457. Could you not sink farther to the north?—This is ten chains to the north. 458. Does the depth increase so much as 600ft. ?—Yes ; then you would have to drive off level. 459. Could you not get farther to the north, and sink a shaft less than 600ft. : I mean, of course, keeping within the boundary ? —Yes ; keeping within the boundary. "_ 460. What would be the cost of the shaft?—You would have to drive two roadways: the one for driving, the other, for air. By the time you opened on the coal the cost would not be much less than £20,000. You have always to guard against water. You do not know what water you will have to contend against. Mr. Beid, in opening the case for the defendant, said : In stating the evidence in this case I will confine myself to the actual questions at issue, so as to be as brief as possible. The points to