H.—2l.

[j. J. MEIKLE.

48

109. You have no assets except what you stand up in?— Except pieces of land in two cemeteries in Dunedin. 110. Can you give an estimate of your liabilities—just a general one?— Well, I suppose my debts at the present time to a few friends who have helped me and money-lenders would be from £600 to £650. 111. On the wrong side?— Just so. 112. I was going to ask you as to the state of cultivation of this land, just roughly. Was there any of it in grass at this time? —There was a little over 200 acres in grass; there might be 240 acres or thereabouts [indicating the position on the map]. 113. Is the grass land indicated there? —Yes, grass and oats. 114. About 200 acres in grass and about how many in oats?— Well, I believe about 200, as near as possible. 115. In which part of the land was the oat crop? —In Section 22 and Section 23. 116. These are the two northerly ones?- —Yes. IN. At what stage of growth were they in at the time of your arrest? —In Section 23 the oats would be in the month of October about 8 in. long, and through the fence by-the barn they were not quite so far forward, but just about 8 in. long as near as possible. 118. Coming to Section 22, which is near the pre-emptive right, were there any on the part near the pre-emptive right?— Yes, right down to the Waiarikiki fence. 119. At what stage were these crops?— They were coming on splendidly; turnips had been sown there and had been ploughed over, and the oats were coming up. 120. At what height were they? —From 4 in. to 5 in. It was very well cultivated land, and the oats were doing well there. 121. That accounts for 400 acres. Altogether, what was growing on that part of the estate? —There were 83 acres ploughed on Section 12, but no turnips had been put in when I left. I believe Arthur put them in in my absence. 122. What* about the general character of the land?— The rest was all surface sown; I sowed a lot of it myself on horseback. 123. What was there on it? —Cocksfoot and clover. I got a bag on horseback and used to ride over it. [The witness indicated on a map of the farm the position of the different sections sown in crops and otherwise.] 124. What was the general state of the land on the boundary of the leasehold? —Good feed all along there. 125. You have told us already that in the neighbourhood of the pre-emptive right it was ploughed, with oats on there? —That is so. 126. It was about the centre of the estate that the oats came to 8 in. ? —Yes. 127. On the map there is a small corner marked E R, a school reserve of 11 acres? —Yes. 128. Was there any kind of feed there? —Yes, splendid feed; it was not fenced. 129. What sort of feed? —Clover on the river-bank, and tussock and any quantity of this cocksfoot. 130. Was anybody utilising it for grazing? —No; the ford was too deep just there, and very few would care to go across it. 131. Were there any sheep there? —When the company's sheep came down the creek they used to camp there. 132. Further up the Waiarikiki Creek, was there feed of any kind?— Yes, but it got worse as you went up higher towards the gorge. 133. Now, with regard to the cultivation of the pre-emptive right, how does it stand?— The map put in in 1887 showing the cultivation was entirely wrong, I am sorry to say. 134. Just tell us as near as you recollect what the position was?— There is the lower part here marked " Tussock," which is now ploughed. 135. What was growing in 1887?— Nothing. 136. Do you mean that they broke it up and left it in fallow?— Yes. 137. Is that "tussock" quite incorrect?— Quite incorrect. That is ploughed land. It was originally tussock. 138. There is a gap struck out, and a panel put in the map: what does that represent?— It is in the fence close to Lambert's hut. That is in a small paddock that was fenced there. 139. The hut was about 3 chains from the fence, and there is this little paddock to the right of the road. Where is this gap you speak of? —It is an opening as you turn to come to my house. 140. Was the fence continuous between the turnips and the Waiarikiki? —It was all open country right down to the creek. 141. With regard to the general condition of the fences thereabout, did your sheep ever get away?— They used to stray both ways. I have had six of my sheep shorn by the company; that was in 1885 or 1886. I went over and I caught them in the act. 1 had my suspicions that they were shearing them. . 142. There was a sort of interchange of trespass?— Yes, we had several litigations. One was in connection with insufficient fencing. 143. Who was the plaintiff? —I was. 144. We do not want the details, but you say there was litigation?— Yes, there was litigation over road-lines and boundaries. 145. How long had this kind of litigation been going on?— From 1884 till 1887. 146. On one occasion it came into the Police Court? —Yes, that is so. 147. Was that in connection with the mustering of sheep?— Yes; it was in regard to the assault case in the Police Court. 148. Who were the parties? —McCauley, one of the company s shepherds, and the next neighbour.