D.—4

98

174. You think there should be a thousand acres taken out of this block for timber purposes ? Yes. 175. Hon. B. Blake.] What part ?—On the flat. 176. Mr. Jones.] You say it should be taken from the north-west corner of the block and from the south-west corner?— Yes. 177. Mr. Gully.] Is that the same position as the other witnesses have stated ? Mr. Jones : No. Witness : It would be handier to get it there. 178. Hon. E. Blake.] You differ from the hatching to that extent?— Yes. 179. Have there been any new rushes at all in that district, or in the Waimea District, for many years past ? —There was a rush at Callaghan's Gully lately—ltalians Gully, Gallaghan's. 180. There has been nothing new of any importance in this block for many years past ?—No. 181. Did you go over Block 9—alongside Greymouth?—Yes. 182. As to Block 5, Greenstone District, start at the north-west corner, and run up that boundary to the north-east corner, traverse down the eastern side, and then down the southern side. Just look at the hatching ?—I agree with the hatching following up the northern side of the block. 183. What do you say to the southern portion of the block ?—I agree with the hatching there, too. 184. Now we come to Block No. 9. Were you on No. 9 Block, near to Greymouth?—No ; I was not on that block. 185. No. Ba, at Kaimata: what have you to say to that?— There are no workings on that block that I can discover, except one man working on the bank of the Arnold. 186. What do you say about that hatching ?—lt is rightly done ; it is correct. 187. I do not think you went through any of the Grey reserves?— No. 188. During the last nineteen years, Mr. Hope, do you know of any new rushes in any part of that western district—new rushes of any consequence : I do not mean just a rumour that there was gold, and a -rush of people going there, and leaving it next day—l mean any permanent rush ?—Yes ; there was the Eimu rush, about twelve or fourteen years ago; Back Creek rush, in the same locality as Eimu, eight or ten years ago ; Seddon's Terrace, in the same locality, six years ago, to the best of my recollection. There was also a rush at Drake's Terrace, Block 6. 189. How long is that ago ? —Fifteen or sixteen years ago. 190. Any others ?—The Three-mile Flat, Block 5, about fifteen years ago, and Cape Terrace, eighteen years ago. There has also been a rush at Big Paddock. 191. Do you know of any new ground having been discovered; Yes; there was the Bluespur rush lately, on Block 3. It was this year. 192. Do you know that Mr. Boyes was the prospector of this?—l have heard so, but do not know of my own knowledge. 193. Do you know that eight years ago he commenced driving a tunnel, and has been continually driving to get this gold ?—Yes. 194. How many claims are there now ? —I think there is only one, to my knowledge; that is Boyes's. There is a man named Harcourt supposed to be getting payable gold, but I cannot speak of my own knowledge. 195. Are the other people there, or have they abandoned the ground ?—There is a large number of shafts all abandoned. 196. Do you know Craig's freehold ? —No; I never was over that. 197. Now, as to all these rushes that have taken place in this district: if you had been asked to mark out a map the same as you have been doing for the Midland Bailway Company now, would your lines have included all those marked out as ground which should be reserved for mining. Taking the Eimu or Cape Terrace, would that ground to a digger suggest the probability of its being payably auriferous by some slight inspection of it in its virgin state ? Supposing you had your pick and shovel and tin-dish, and came upon Cape Terrace in its virgin state, would you be induced by the look of the country to prospect for gold ? —Yes. 198. Why ? —Because I generally get a little gold on the points of the terraces in any goldbearing country. 199. If you had been asked to lay off those parts of the country as probably payable, would you have marked them off as you have done ?—Yes. 200. Have you left any ground in the hatched portions which is of a similar character to that which is in the unhatched portions ? —No. 201. Mr. Stringer.] I understand, Mr. Hope, that like Mr. Barrowman, you have no theoretical knowledge—that you depend entirely on your practical experience ?—Yes. 202. And I suppose you agree that gold is constantly being discovered in all sorts of unexpected localities ? —No. A person who has been mining in a rock-bound country will generally see where there is likely to be gold. 203. Do you mean to say you always know where to find gold?—I say nothing of the sort. 204. Or that you know where to look for it?—l look naturally at the edge of the terraces. 205. Do you mean to tell me that gold is only to be found in terraces ?—Most of the gold has been found on the edge of terraces. 206. And then followed in?— Very seldom followed in. 207. You say, then, it only exists on the terraces ?—No ; it exists in the creeks. 208. And in the terraces of those creeks?— That is where it has been found on the Coast. 209. Where do people sink the shafts ?—They sink in the terraces. 210. Only on the edge of the terraces ?—No ; the gold might run right through the terrace. 211. From one terrace to another?— Yes.