D.—4.

100

250. You have always been following the occupation of mining? —Yes. 251. In company with - Messrs. Kane, Kyle, and Wisdom—that was your party, I think, originally—with whom you made an exploration of the several blocks, and then subsequently you went with Mr. Fenton and his party ?—Yes. 252. Now, commencing at Block 81, Exhibit 91. I should like you to take all the blocks one by one and say which lands should be reserved for gold-mining purposes and which should not ?— Block 81, from the inspection I made of the watershed, is properly hatched; from the dividingrange into the Arnold the reservation is not required. 253. That dividing-range runs where ?—lt commences about a mile and a half from the station and rises immediately, and then goes right up the adjoining Block 80. 254. It runs a little distance south of the No Town Creek, and it is the dividing-range between all these gullies and the flat of the Arnold. Is that so ?—All these gullies [indicating on map] take their rise from that range, and empty into the No Town Greek. 255. Where are the auriferous deposits ?—On the northern slope. 256. You agree with the hatchings on the map?—-Yes. 257. Well, go now into Block 80 : what do you say of that ?—I did not inspect any portion of Block 80, excepting immediately to the south-east of the No Town Township, up the left-hand branch of the creek. I agree with the rest of the hatchings. I did not inspect the eastern portion ; but the western portion hatchings are perfectly shown. 258. Then we come to Block 79; is the corner-piece in the south-west corner of the block rightly hatched?— Yes ; the portion going into the Glasgow Creek. 259. What about the piece in the south-east corner? —I have not inspected that. I only inspected the south-west corner. 260. What have you to say to Block 77 ? —I did not inspect the portion north of Kangaroo, between Callaghan's and Nelson Creek. I only inspected the hill near Possum's Gully, on the northern side of No Town. The portion between Connor's and No Town is properly hatched. 261. Now, we can go from that into the Nelson Creek Block —take Blocks 74 and 75 together— what part do you agree with ? —I inspected the portion to the south of the Ahaura from here [indicating on map] right into the beach north of Callaghan's; that is properly hatched. 262. Did you inspect Larkin's Eace ?— Yes, along the Grey Valley Eoad, between 39 and 44— that is properly hatched. 263. Did you inspect that part, and this [indicating on map] ? —No. 264. Hon. £1. Blake.] You agree with the part north of Larrikins, and the strip at the west? —Yes. 265. The rest you did not inspect ? —No. 266. Mr. Jones.] What is the nature of this country ?—The ground that is hatched is low ground, and very level, and underneath the ranges; it is probably formed by water. The main ranges are at a high elevation, and the gold all crosses the range and makes its way to the north-east or sunny side of the range, and falls into the creek. The whole of the opposite side is barren. 267. Is it good timber land or arable land ?—Yes; a portion of the hatched land is good timber land, and would make reasonably good grass land if cleared. 268. Do you know of any settlement ? —There is settlement there all round. It looks very fair land. 269. Please look at the next—Blocks 71, 70, and 69 [Exhibit No. 92]— that takes in Orwell Creek, Duffer's, Granville, &c. : what have you to say about those blocks ?—I did not inspect any portion of 71. With regard to 70, that is properly hatched ; 69 is properly hatched. 270. You say the north-western part is properly hatched?— Yes. 271. Hon. E. Blake.] You did not inspect the eastern portion ?—I did not. 272. Mr. Jones.] We can go on from there to Blocks 65 and 66. What have you to say to these—that is, the Snowy Creek district and the Blackwater ? —I inspected the whole of 65 and the north-east of 66a on two different occasions. I say the hatching is right, from my point of view. 273. Did you find any miners on that block ? —No. It was worked about twenty-one years ago. 274. You think that this piece at the corner of the block is rightly reserved ? —Yes. It would be a supposed line of reefs. 275. Now, take Block 62 [Exhibit No. 93] ?—I did not inspect that block. 276. You did not go any further north than the block you saw?— No. 277. You inspected the Cobden Block?— No. 278. Did you inspect Blocks 86 and 87 [Exhibit No. 99] ? —I inspected that part lying between the Blackwater and Ford's Creek. That is rightly hatched; that is 700 acres. I did not inspect the other two portions. 279. Did you inspect the Big Eiver Block, Block 89, opposite Lees's Ferry ? —That part is properly hatched. It is all settled. 280. Is it properly hatched ? —Yes, it is properly hatched, to the best of my knowledge. 281. Hon. E. Blake.] You inspected it?— Yes. [Exhibit No. 98 referred to.] 282. Mr. Jones.] Begin at 93 :' that is the 10-mile ?—I did not inspect that. 283. Well, take 94, 95, and 97 ; we will deal with these together. What do you say to the hatching there ? The beach is reserved all along the seaboard ?—Yes. That hatching is correct. 284. Hon. E. Blake.] You inspected it all?— Yes; every bit of it. 285. Mr. Jones.] There are some water-rights there ?—Yes. 286. How do you provide for them ?—They are all in the backbone of the dividing range, and occupy a large area of land, There are three or four of them coming from one source. There are