3

R—33

of the range joining the rifle-butts track at peg 4, following down the butts track to peg 6, then leading up a hollow to Hawkings's road, at a spot indicated, to peg 20, where I was told a piece of the knife was picked up. 4. How far is it from Kaiwara Village to the road leading up to Chemis's?—Prom the bridge to Chemis's road is 44f chains. From the road leading to Chemis's house to Dimock's is 24 chains. From the bridge to Dimock's is 68J- chains. From Dimock's to the spot pointed out to me as the spot where the body was found, 20-J : chains, and 2 chains further up is the spot pointed out as where the knife was found, i.e., peg 20. Peg 19 is where the body was found. 5. How far from peg 20 is it to Hawkings's house by the road ? —Very nearly 31 chains; in a direct line 21 chains. The distance from Chemis's house to peg 20 is, by the traverse marked green, 44 chains 12 links. Along the green traverse there is a beaten track I have numbered from Ito 8 in Eoman figures ; adjoining it is described as " sienna track," coloured so on the plan ; it continues along the sienna track for 12 to 14 chains, ordinary figures. From peg 14 the green traverse leads off' down a gully; no track there until it joins the butts track at peg 4 ; then along the butts tmck from peg 4to peg 6. Then the green traverse leaves the butts track up a hollow to the upper range until it joins peg 20 on Hawkings's road. The 44 chains is as you walk, following all the inequalities. 6. Does the green traverse follow any other beaten track?—No, only where it follows the sienna traverse and the butts track. The sienna traverse follows a beaten track till you come to peg 27 on the sienna, and there it is grassy flat, no well-defined track. 7. What is the nature of the ground along the sienna traverse?—From Chemis's house up to peg 8 is a cut track about 3ft. or 4ft. wide, having a rising grade of 1 in 8 and 1 in 5, and from 8 to 12 it goes up lin 2 and lin 3. The last two chains go through bush, and then a small patch open to peg 13. We are now on the top of the dividing ridge ; you continue along through bush for 4 chains ; from that point to the end of the track is all open with easy grades except one short piece between 20 and 21, 2 chains being 1 in 3. 8. What is the highest point on the track ?—392ft. above sea-level at peg 24 on Hawkings's road. It is all easy inclination all along except the short space between 20 and 21. The distance along the sienna traverse from Chemis's house to peg 20 on Hawkings's road is 2i chains. From peg 20 as crow flies to Khandallah Station is 53-71 chains. The distance I have given along the sienna traverse is the distance you would have to walk. I have marked the track from Kaiwara to Khandallah ; " Short-cut "it is called on the plan. As you go along the sienna traverse from peg 16 you can see Hawkings's house, and from no other part, and you can see no other house. 9. Mr. Bunny.] I made the notes of my distances at the time. Was it from your notes you made the error as to distance of Chemis's house from Kaiwara ?—What I stated when I corrected myself was right. I mistook the deduction. My second answer is correct. I am sure that from the bridge at Kaiwara to peg 9at Chemis's road is 44 chains. I went over the country myself with three men —my own men —and a police officer with me. I speak of a track from Chemis's house ; I mean a beaten track. It is pretty rough country. It is not easy to travel over in parts on the ridge. It is pretty easy; you go down a gully, over a stream, up a hill. I ascended a saddle near a cowshed at Chemis's, and came out higher up at track leading to the butts. There is no bush, but pretty steep ; going along sienna track you do not see Khandallah Station; you see the station near peg 29, not elsewhere. [Large Plan D put in.] Be-examined. 10. Mr. Bell.] I have also prepared plan of the bend on a larger scale. [Small plan E.] William Sandilands, Solicitor, examined. 11. Mr. Bell.] Am solicitor atFeilding. Before going there was in Chapman and Fitzgerald's. [F lease, 9 acres 13 roods 1 perch, Hawkings to Chemis, 18 years, from Ist August, 1883, at £14 per annum.] I see this lease ; I attested the signature; it was Louis Chemis's; it was the man who leased the land from Mr. Hawkings—land mentioned in the document. Chaeles Bowles examined. 12. Mr. Bichmond.] Am a labourer, reside with Mrs. Hawkings at Kaiwara. Carterton is my residence. On 31st May I resided, at Haw 7kings's. Had been there since 27th March. Am cousin to Mrs. Hawkings. I came down to get married; was so on 15th April last. I had known deceased fourteen years last May. He lived 15 chains off the present house. Old one pulled down, now lives in new house. Farm is about 500 acres. He used not often to have business to do in town, only on Fridays. He used to go in on Fridays. He delivered his butter regularly on Friday to Dixon. He used to go in with horse and cart. Pie had the mare eight years. He used to drive that mare. He never used to ride, he always walked up alongside the mare. On the 31st we were cutting firewood, I and young lad Norman—firewood for the house all afternoon till quarter to five. After that we got the cows in, and were milking till a quarter to six, then went in and had tea about six o'clock. Hawkings left for town about ten o'clock in the morning, driving the trap and mare. I never saw him after that alive. We were about half to three-quarters of an hour at tea. Norman had tea with us. He had nine children, and Mrs. Hawkings. They were all at home that evening. Age of the eldest boy eight years. He usually got back at six, hardly ever later in winter. After tea I said to Mrs. Hawkings, "It is strange he has not come in." She said she had expected him. "We kept waiting. We waited till ten minutes to eight. She said, " You had better go down the hill and see if you can see him." I looked at the time. I got the lantern. I went about six or seven chains from the house to where there is another house; there I found the mare and trap, this side of where they are living. The near-wheel was in the palingfence. I looked, I called for Mr. Hawkings. I found the reins tied up at the front board of the