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512. Has there been any gas reported since the 26th March?—lt is sometimes reported as on top of falls. We climb over the falls and sometimes find it. 513. Are these new falls, or falls that were there before the explosion?— One fall is a new fall. I think the fireman reported he found gas there yesterday, but not to a serious extent. It was very difficult to remove, it from that place with the present ventilation, as the bords have been driven to the rise, and the fall is all in the bord. This bord is backed at the end with water ; it is No. 4 bord. 514. Did you examine the shot-hole yourself very closely ?—I did. 515. You have mentioned that half the round of the shot is still shown ?—Yes. 516. Was any of this part coked ?—lt was coked the same as other portions of the coal. 517. Was there any coking immediately round the blown-out hole ? —There was more soot and black than coke, and the coal is very crisp. 518. Looking at the section on the plan, you will observe that there is a cavity as if part of the shot-hole had been torn away and the coal with it ?—Yes. 519. Was there anything peculiar about that piece ?—lt looked a recent fracture. You could tell from the position of the flakes too that there had been no pick used upon it after the shot had been fired. I could not see any indications whatever. 520. It gave you the impression of being a recent fracture ?—Yes. 521. Was it coked ?—-The fractured part seemed to be. 522. Was there any portion coked around the face ?—There is a very severe burning the whole way round. 523. Does it present the same or a different appearance to the part immediately to the west ?— It presents a different appearance, much blacker like silvery coke. 524. As if the coal had been distilled ?—Yes. 525. What was the roof like ?—Like distilled coal. 526. Were there drippers from the roof ? —Yes. 527. And this point here [indicated on plan], what was the nature of the coking—was it clear, bright coke or dull ?—lt was more in the nature of soot, as if something had prevented the coal being distilled. 528. Where was the greatest evidence of distillation of coal by the intense heat?— Round about the roof and round this corner and stenton [indicated on map]. 529. In the bord but not the slit ? —Yes; also in the slit. 530. Mr. Skellon.] There was a blower in Brislane and Roberts's bord. Is that correct ?— I never saw one there. There is a blower in the top bord over a fall in Pattinson's place. 531. Have you found any gas in it since?—l have not found any gas in that bord; I found gas once at the end of the bord. 532. Sir J. Hector.] There is a little blower at present about somewhere?— Yes; the one making a considerable noise. 533. You got a little gas in that, did you not ? —Yes ; Mr. Hayes and I saw it yesterday. 534. Was it of any importance ?—No; it is right in the airway; it took us a lot of time to get it at all. Robert Armstrong examined. 535. Mr. Joyce.] You are a coal-miner, residing at Brunnerton?—Yes. 536. Have you been a coal-miner for many years ? —Forty. 537. Did you have much experience in the Home-country?— About ten years. 538. While there, did you ever meet with any explosion ?—Small cases of gas. 539. Did you ever work in the dip-workings, Brunner Mine ?—Yes. 540. When did you last work there ? —Thirteen months ago. 541. What portion of the dip did you work in?— All through it. I had night-shift; there were two shifts on at the time. I was deputy in the night-shift. 542. While you were deputy did you ever make an inspection of those workings for gas ? —Yes. 543. Did you ever ascertain if there was ever gas in any portion of the workings ?—Several times. 544. Could it always be cleared easily away by bratticing?—Yes. 545. Were you in the habit of using powder there?— Yes. 546. Did you ever see men working in gas in the dip ? —I have seen them working with a small tracing of gas. 547. With a couple of feet of gas? —I could not say there would be a couple of feet. 548. Sometimes something very near it ?—No; I have seen 2ft. of gas where I worked myself in the night time, but we would be able by bratticing to clear it. 549. Have you ever seen miners working where there would be 2ft. of gas in that dip?—l would not like to swear to that. 550. Was there something like that amount ?—A little accumulation perhaps ; there might be lft. on the upper side of the bord-tailing down to very little. 551. Were they working with safety-lamps ?—-Yes. 552. What did they use in the next bord—naked lights?—l had never more than two or three sets of men in the night-shift, and they were never in close proximity to one another. There were two pillars in between. 553. Where have you been working during the last thirteen mouths ?—Down in the Sevenmile, prospecting for the company. 554. When you were working down in the dip, did you ever have an explosion ?—None. 555. Did you notice any coal-dust there ? —I would say nothing unusual, 556. Do you know No. 2 incline ? —Yes. 15—C. 6.