•I. MORRISON.)

47

C—l 4.

17. Could you previous to that take your launch loaded at low water up the river without touching bottom? She might merely touch at times. 18 What has been the cause of this difference in the depth of the river, in your opinion?— Ihe (leoris Iron, the reduction works. * 19. You see steamers going past every day?- Yes. 20. Can the steamers gel through at half-tide/ N„ :it must be well past half-tide when I hey pass my place, to enable then, to pass. 21 Could they pass your place a, half-tide in previous vears?—Yes, before the Ohinemuri was declare,! a sludge-channel. 22. Do you know at what stale of the tide the " Luna " steamer came up?— Between threequarters and high tide. 23. You have known the steamers coming up to Paeroa to get stuck in the river'—Yes I have been on steamers when they stuck in the river. They stuck in the reach below the Netherton creamery. 24. You have noticed there is a change where the deepest water is? Yes. 25. Can you state whether that deep place has been contracting during the last few years?— there is no doubt about that. At my wharf six years ago she had 3 ft. 0 in. at low water, and now she takes the ground evei-y time she comes alongside. 20. What is doing this?—The silt in the river. T have some samples here. They were taken from the sides and bottom of the river. No. 1, wel, and No. 1, dry, were taken from mv place close to the wharf. I lifted it from the bottom of ihe wharf at low water. I shook it up at first 1 expected to find some sediment on the bottom, but it all ran out. T put il in that bottle, and dried the other half in the sun. No. 2 was taken from the bed of the river. I gathered it in a four-gallon benzine tin. No. 2 was taken from the deepest channel. 27. The Chairman.] Was this taken immediately after a fresh?— Yes, after the big freshafter the railway was burst. No. 3 was taken as close to the water as you could possibly get No. 4 represents a deposit from four gallons of water. I took the water'from the middle of trhe river. There was a little fresh on at the time. I let the stuff settle forty-eight hours, and that is the result. [Exhibit 11.] 28. Can your son Malcolm corroborate you in your statement regarding the navigation of this river?—l think so. 29. You are speaking of the river as you found it during the last eight or nine years?— Yes. 30. These samples you have shown us—have you had them tested or examined in any way?— Xo one has seen them except myself. _ 31. Have you only one sample from the bed of the river?— Yes : but 1 can get you any amount of it. 32. Mr. Clendon.] What is the distance from your place to the creamery where you deliver your milk?— About two miles and a half. 33. What is the average width of the river be! ween your place and the Netherton creamery?I cannot say. 34. Is the water salt at your place al high tide? -No. not for five miles below it. 35. Have you ever taken systematic soundings between your place and the creamery? Yes. lots of times. 36. For what purpose?—! sometimes do some fishing, and I took mv soundings when fishing. 37. When did you take the last soundings?— About a month ago. I took the soundings with a pole. I can remember the depths. 38. The whole of the soundings you look were confined to the wafer immediately opposite the wharf?— Yes. 39. Al what state of the tide did you take the soundings?— Low water. 10. Are you aware that Ihe captains of the •■Taniwha " ami ■-Waimarie" can turn their steamers round in Ihe river at half-tide?—No, they cannot. 41. If they say they can. what would you say? I would say they were making misstatements. 42. You say that these boats could come down at half-tide before the Proclamation and at three-quarter fide once?— There were none of these boats running at thai time- there were only the " Ruby " and " Pearl ••—small boats. 43. What boat was running at the time of the proclamation of Ihe sludge-channel in 1895? 'Ine " Paeroa." 44. How much did she draw?—l do not know. 45. The Chairman.] What is the rise and fall of the tide at your place?—ll depends on the state of ihe river above. 46. What is the greatest rise?—l took the measurement on (he 14th May. and there was 10ft. of a rise. The tide this morning was exactly 10 fl. An ordinary tide would lie about 7 ft. The whole thing depends on the state of the river above. 47. What would it lie there in springs if there was no fresh ? -Seven feet. 18. What would it be at the lowest neap tide.—l suppose 5 ft. or 5A ft. 49. Mr. Clendon.] Is there not less fresh water in the months of February and March than during any other months in the year?— Yes, as a rule. 50. .1//. Mueller.] Can you state from your personal observation whether the bottom of the river has changed at all in its nature?— Yes: when I was on the river for over thirty years I could take a pole and shove it straight down, but now I have to bump the pole down to get through the crust. There are soft and hard layers alternating in the river. 51. The Chairman.] How much higher do the tides come up now than they used to come up at high springs?— Nine or ten inches. 52. For how many years?—ln the last two or three years only.