135

H.—2l.

B. TBOUP.]

M 2. Mr. Templeton does not remember the words, but he says the fact is this : that you had it in your power in some shape or form to help Meikle out of gaol ? —No such thing. I may state that when I was sitting in the waiting-room, Mabin came over and told me in the presence of two or three witnesses, " Well, Troup, don't you think you would be just as well now in the Waikawa Swamp." He, said it in an insinuating, stinging way. It was not so much the words as the way he spoke them. 143. Mr. Templeton does not remember the words, but Mr. Mabin says this, " I asked Troup to come into the hotel, and he came ; and a general conversation came up. Meikle's case came up. He said he had documents in his possession that would get Meikle out of gaol. I said he had better be careful, or he would get into the same place as Meikle " ? —Quite incorrect; it is no such thing. 144. Now, about this diary : What was this diary when you were on the. station ? —lt was just for the general use of the station. It was a book belonging to the company. It did not belong to me. 145. I see entries running right through it ?—Yes. 146. Then there is some writing of Mr. Stuart's which follows. Was he the manager who followed you ?—Yes. 147. And this was the station diary ?—Yes. 148. You make entries again when you return in December ? —Yes. 149. It was still at the station when you returned in December ? —Yes. 150. Now, we want you to tell the Court how that diary came to be given to Mr. McDonald. Just tell their Honours how this diary came on the scene at all ? —When I came in the first or second day of the Court here, I read the newspapers in which Mr. Atkinson named Mr. Cameron as having something bad to his character. I forget the words. 151. Mr. Meikle repeated what his counsel said with regard to putting the skins on the land ?— I went to where Mrs. Cameron was living, and said I had come to see her in consequence of the statements made in the Court; that f thought if it appeared in the newspapers .before she heard of it she might be vexed. 152. You went to Mrs. Cameron's —we do not want all the conversation—and told her of some references made to her husband's character. What did you ask her to do ? —I said if there was a possibility of getting the station books, which she could give, to refresh my memory. She said, " There is an old diary here ; the children have been having access to it; it is only partly together, scattered about." She did not know if she could collect it altogether. She sent one of the children for it. 153. You got the book —what did you do with it ?—I left it with her. 154. What did you do after that ? —I told Mr. McDonald that there were entires in it that might be of importance. 155. And what did he do ?—He told me to go back and ask Mrs. Cameron if she would give it. 156. Did you go back ?—I went back that night and got the diary, and gave it to Mr. McDonald. 157. Has it ever been in your possession since ? —No. 158. When you got it did you know anything about the entry of the 26th October, which Trotter has made in reference to the sheep ? —I did not know anything about it. 159. You handed it over to Mr. McDonald, and have not had it in your possession since ? —No. 160. When was the last occasion you had anything to do with that diary ?—There is a possibility of the diary being brought to the company's office at the end of the year, and a fresh one taken for 1888. 161. According to your view you probably never saw the diary after 1887 l . —No, I never saw it. 162. You say the diary would probably be taken down to Dunedin by you on the 19th, when you were leaving ?—Yes, it was, and the other books —day-book, ledger pass-book, and so forth. 163. When would they be sent back ? —A day or two afterwards. 164. Mr. Atkinson.] Are you quite certain of the date when you left for the Nelson direction ?— Yes, quite certain ; on the 19th October. 165. Can you give the exact date when you returned ?—I do not remember the exact date when I returned. 166. Have you any recollection or knowledge of the day of the week in either case—the» day on which you left, or the day on which you returned ?—I do not remember the date or the day of the week I returned, but the day I returned is entered in that diary. 167. Your knowledge is taken from the diary ?—No ; the 19th October I left for Nelson. 168. You remember that independently ?—Oh, perfectly. 169. Were you asked to swear to the correctness of this map, the same sort that Dr. Findlay has been showing to you, in the Court when Meikle was tried ? —I think I was; it strikes me I was; it is a long while back to remember. 170. Can you remember whether you swore that the representation of the turnips there was correct ? —I cannot remember whether I swore to the representation of the turnips being correct, it is so long back. 171. Would you have sworn that it covers from 300 to 400 acres ?—I cannot grasp the number of acres so far back. The pre-emptive right occupied about 1,200 acres. If you gave me that map I will approximate any out of the 1,200 by looking at the map. [The map was handed to the witness.] 172. Could you estimate it, Mr. Troup ? —lt is 1,200 acres up to the road-line. 173. How many acres would you say are covered there by the word "Turnips" ?—I should say there would be about 700 acres covered by the word " Turnips." 174. Mr. Justice Cooper: Is the area marked off by the plain, simple word " Turnips" written across ? 175. Mr. Atkinson.] Yes, your Honour; by the word "Turnips" written across. I think the witness is taking a bit too big an estimate. (To witness) :Itis a little over half what you reckon to