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507. Hon. E. Blake.] There is a part of the reserve on the east side, what of it ?—I should say it should be reserved. It is in a belt of quartz-reefs. Section 61 —I cannot speak of that. 508. From your general knowledge of the country you are not able to say whether, looking at the Inangahua Biver, the same conditions exist in section 61, along the line of the river, at this piece in the 1,300 acres? —From the knowledge I have of the ground there is a certain belt of quartzbearing country there, extending right through up to here, and I fancy it would extend it almost to this creek, Yorky Creek. There is nothing at all in that that I know of, although I am not so particularly acquainted with the country as lam with the other portion. I must say I am, in my opinion, guided by the proximity of the quartz-lodes at Progress and Globe and by the bearings of the reefs. 509. Because it is contiguous to the Globe Mine?— Yes; that is my reason for saying that. [Exhibit No. 94. No. 4.] 510. Did you go up Burkes Creek?— No. 511. We will have to go on to No. 53 then, which is across the left-hand branch of the Inangahua : what do you say to that, Mr. Perotti?—This is another section. This piece of land — that is, the southern portion of it —should certainly not be reserved ; for the first mile of that reserve there is no jold-mining at all. 512. Is it rightly hatched, that piece ?—Yes; from Frying Pan Creek and Due North Creek to south bank of Boatman's Creek the land requires reserving. 513. Hon. E. Blake.] You get another piece of 3,300 acres hatched ? —As to the northern part of 53, there is no mining at all except at Yorkey's Creek. It requires a reserve. 514. Mr, Jones.'] Do you agree with the hatching of the north portion of 53?— Yes. 515. Now, section 51, north of Larry's, that is in your opinion correct?— Yes. First of all, I should protect a reserve along Larry's Creek of 5 chains, at any rate. 516. That would be 10 chains wide, one-eighth of an inch. Now, to Larry's Creek, Section 51, on the south-western corner?— There is no mining there—no need of a reserve there. 517. That 2,640 acres? —No. And the balance up to the Landing Creek must be reserved, because'it is'covered over with patches of diggings here and there. 518. Now, we cross the Landing Creek, and get into that little block containing 650 acres ? —I should certainly make a reservation along the Landing Creek first of all, at least 5 chains on each side. Outside that there is no need of reserving land; there is no mining there. 519. Do you agree that this reserve, as left here, is correctly made on the eastern side of 51 ? Is it correct it should be reserved ?—Yes. I do not know much of that part. 520. We now come to the Buller District. [Exhibit No. 95—Buller District]. We will commence at the southernmost portion of Block 6. What do you say to Block 6 ?—There is no need to reserve what is marked here as not reservable. Brighton is a mile and a half further, and the mines begin there; that must be reserved. There is a strip of land between the proclaimed reserve and the beach, and it is nearly all sold. It is not shown here. It is all pretty well held under the Land Act, from what lam told by residents there. I cannot see it on the map, and that is why it confuses me. 521. Hon. E. Blake.] There is a portion running up from Brighton which is show r n to be sold, and then that stops at Nos. 18, 17, and so on. From that on it looks as if there was nothing sold? —There is a strip all along which is not shown here. 522. You think inside of that strip there should be more reserved?— That strip of land is occupied by some miners as well. No gold has ever been found in it. From what I understand the reserve is at the back of that strip of land, and rises up from that point [indicating on map]. That should be reserved, for that is where the mines are. As Igo along here [indicating on the map], I find it is very well marked for reserving. Those pieces marked 6a—4,900 and 3,000 acres—are not required for mining purposes. The country is not fit for gold. It is all limestone formation. 523. Mr. Jo7ies.] Then, you agree with the hatching on that map —Sections 5 and 6?— Yes, both 5 and 6. [Exhibit No. 96.] 524. What do you think of Block 4 ? —I think the reserve is pretty safely made for mining. There are only a few men working on this part now [indicating on map]. 525. Then, you think this section is rightly hatched ?—Yes. 526. Section 4is correct ? —Yes. As to Section 3, the land toward the sea has not been worked for gold. There is fully three miles and a half of country which bears no gold at all. The character of the ground would not lead any one to think there was gold there. Nos. 3 and 2 are properly hatched. 527. On the beach land, you say, there is nothing there? —There is nothing there. 528. Now we go to Block 1: What do you say to that ? —I do not think any gold has been got there at all. Ido not think there is any need to reserve it. The gold is further inland. A tailrace has been put into it, and it had gone nearly through the reserve when I was there. They never found any gold in it. Ido not know that there is any reason for reserving it at all. 529. None of that land close to the beach should be reserved?—l do not think there is any need to hatch it, and I went right round it pretty well. [Exhibit No. 97—Cobden group.] 530. What do you say as to that block ?—I know it well, and I should say that that little fork at the top end—the north end—should be reserved, because I believe that the reserve should continue all along to the corner. 531. You say that the line to the west, and marked 30 chains, should be taken north to the end of the reserve ?—Yes. 532. Hon. E. Blake.] What do you say as to the north-west comer —that little triangle there? —There is no gold there. The easterly line of that little square on the left should be continued right through to the northern corner,

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