T. M. ROBINSON.]

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28. Where have the embankments gone to? No doubt a little has come down the river and settled ill the water. 29. You have formed no estimate of the quantity of stuff put into the river from that source.' No. 30. If it had not been for the tailings on pari of your land, and the water flooding your land and depositing slimes on the grass, you would have been able to ( rv ,\ and milk more cattle/ Mosi decidedly. 31. How many more do you think: twice as many as you are milking now / Yes. I have got rid of about thirt\ cows, but not till milking-cows. 32. The Chairman.] How many did you milk this morning/ -We are finishing off; we ought to have milked into the winter. 33. Mr. Moresby.] Your boat runs up and down to the creamery? -Yes. 34. Is there any spit or bank running off at the Waimarie Rend/ Yes. 35. What is its extent?— More than half a chain. It is a chain from the old original bank. 30. The Chairman.] What is the width of the spit?— About 50 yards. 37. Mr. Moresby.] When did you first notice that spit? —About two years ago ihe lower part of it. 38. Has it got worse in the last two years)— Very much. It is caused by the silt. 39. You know the wharf now owned by Mr. Walter Moore? —Yes. 40. What depth of water was tic-re at I hat wharf at low tide when Mr. Charlton kept the "Lulu" there?—l never measured it. but you could get in there at low tide. 41. Can you get in at low tide now?— No. There is no water there al low tide. There is no water around the timber-wharf It is now dry for about 9ft. from the wharf. 42. Do you know a place called Thomas's/ Have you had any difficulty in getting past there/ Yes, the river shallows a great deal opposite Thomas's, pretty well half-way down to the creamery. -13. Has that place got worse in recent years?— Yes. 44. Do you consider that the river has shallowed up in recent years?— Yes, both sides. 15. Right across?— Yes; but I cannot say to what extent. 10. Does that place cause you any difficulty at the present time.' We have to slow down, and then you can feel her touching the ground. 47. Have you tried to find a better channel?— Yes. 48. Three or four years ago, did you bump there?- No. 49. Has the river shallowed up below that—before you get to the creamery?— Yes, opposite Moore's residence, and we have a difficulty in getting over there. 50. You do not know whether it is the increase of the river-sands or mining debris? —Xo, I cannot tell you—not in the bed of the river. 51. Have you tested the bed of the river at all?— Yes, I got a young fellow to go down opposite Moore's, and he got some tailings and sand. 52. What did he take it up in?—He scooped it up. 53. The Chairman.] What was the size of the sand?—The size of bricklayers' sand. Rut 1 went to the same place and did not get so much sand the last lime. I would not say that would be found there. We have tried again, and there was tailings there. 54. Mr. Moresby.] Save you had experience of mining?— Yes, for twenty-two years. 55. Do you know tailings? -I have broken quartz iq, through the stampers, got the amalgam, squeezed it, retorted it, and put the money into my pocket. 56. Do you know that portion of the river from your place up to Te Puke Wharf? —1 have been up and down there a great deal. 57. In your opinion, is that portion of the river improving, or is it the other way?—l think it is falling in. I believe the tailings are accumulating on both banks the whole way up. 58. What about the bed of the river—is that shallowing up at all, in your opinion)—l do not go up there very often, but the last time T went up I could see it was shallowing just above Mr. Wight's. 50. Mr. Wight has told us that his caul,- can walk across that placet—At low tides 1 have seen cattle drinking in the river. 60. How far out into the river? —About half a cbafn from Ihe bank. In my opinion thai part of the river by Mr. Wight's is shallowing up. 01. Do you know that portion of the river below Te Puke ferry? Is that portion of the river shallowing up?—l cannot say it is. 62. What is your opinion of the river from Puke right down to the creamery —is it your experience that the river is shallowing up or otherwise ? -I believe it is shallowing up. 63. Has the shallowing increased in the last two years? I believe it has. 64. The Chairman.] Has the river got narrower in the same period? Yes. 1 believe it gels narrower. lam satisfied the river has not got the carrying-capacity it used to have. 05. What becomes of the water?—ln times of Hood it runs over the land. 66. If the river is narrower, must it not 1m- deeper to get the same volume through?—l cannot account for it, but T hive noticed the shallowing-up in the way 1 have described. 07. Mr. Moresby.] When you first went to your farm, what was the nature of the banks— hard or soft?— Soft,' 68. What is the nature of the banks at the present time?—l would not say they were hard, but if they were left for a day the\ would be hard. I remember when the tailings were much coarser they were thoroughly solid : but now they are more " puggy." 69. Are they any firmer than when you' first went there?— Yes, the tailings are firmer than the mud. 70. Ts the bottom of the river any harder or softer?—T do not know.

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