396
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

If not more than two persons, 1 claim,
If more than two persons, 2 claims.
Any first comer on a new line of reef, or
taking up ground half a mile a-head on the
same line as that occupied by other miners,
shall be entitled to mark out a prospecting
claim which shall be confirmed to him by the
Warden, on the discovery of payable gold, a
fact to be ascertained by the Warden himself.

Amalgamation of Claims.

11. The Warden may, upon sufficient cause
    being shown, permit the amalgamation of any
    adjoining claims, (but not exceeding in the
    whole the extent of ground allowed for 24
    persons, when taken in a line, or for 32 persons,
    when taken in a block) upon such terms and
    conditions as he may consider necessary to
    secure the effectual working thereof; Provided
    that seven clear days' notice, in writing, in the
    form hereinafter set forth, shall be given to the
    Warden by the persons desiring to amalgamate
    such claims; and copies of such notices shall
    be posted on each of the claims which it is pro-
    posed to amalgamate for a like period of seven
    clear days, at the expiration whereof the
    Warden may proceed to issue a Certificate of
    Registration.

Form of Notice.

No. (District and date.)

We hereby give notice that we desire to
amalgamate our claims, situate at (here state
locality), for the more efficient working thereof;
and we declare that the following particulars
are true in every respect.

| Signatures in full
of each person. | Numbers of
Miner's Rights. | Number of claims
proposed to be
amalgamated. | Class of claims. | Area of claim held
by each party. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

Rights of Servants vested in Employers
during Service.

12. If any person holding a Miner's Right
    shall hire himself to any employer for wages,
    the right to occupy the claim of such hired
    servant shall vest in the employers during the
    period of such service.

Claims not to be forfeited by neglect of hired
Workmen.

No claim, right, or privilege shall be deemed
to be forfeited through the neglect or absence
of any hired servant employed thereon: Pro-
vided that if, after seven days' notice in writing
of such neglect or absence has been given to
the owner or holder thereof (either personally
or by leaving the same at his last known place
of residence), such neglect or absence is

continued, any such claim, right or privilege
shall be deemed absolutely relinquished.

Copies of written Agreements to be lodged with
the Commissioner.

13. When any mining partnership is entered
    into by a written agreement, a copy of such
    agreement to be lodged in the office of the
    Commissioner when required.

Road and Water Rights to be respected.

14. If a cart track shall have been formed
    over any abandoned claim, such track shall not
    be destroyed or obstructed by any person in-
    tending to rework the ground, unless they
    shall previously make another track in lieu
    thereof.

15. If any person shall take possession of
    unoccupied ground over which water escapes
    from an occupied claim, he shall not obstruct
    the flow thereof so as to throw it back upon
    the claim from which it escapes. But any
    miner, with the consent of the Commissioner,
    may lead water through or over an occupied
    claim, whether such claim is held under a
    Miner's Right, License, or Lease; provided
    that such water shall not be led in such a
    manner as to injuriously affect the interests of
    the occupier of any such claim, but shall be
    subject to the approval of the Commissioner,
    and be done in such a way as to be fair to all
    persons concerned.

16. Any person, with the consent of the
    Commissioner, may lay bare the bed of any
    river, either by diverting the stream or by other
    means; but ground intended to be so laid bare
    must be marked off by stakes, and the stream
    returned into its natural channel immediately
    below the workings, without detriment or
    damage to any claims adjacent.

17. No person shall obstruct, nor in any
    manner interfere with, such workings either in
    progress or completed: nor do anything to pre-
    vent the object proposed to be accomplished
    thereby.

18. If any person shall fell any tree or
    timber, either intentionally or by undermining
    or by other means, he shall remove it beyond
    the reach of floods, so that it may not be drifted
    down any stream. If any person shall fell
    timber on to an adjoining claim, so as to cause
    an obstruction, he shall, on demand of the co-
    cupier of such claim, immediately remove the
    same. Mill dams, however, in present use, are
    required to be respected; and all disputes aris-
    ing on the same to be specially decided by the
    Commissioner.

Right to Surplus Ground on Creek Claims

19. If more ground shall be laid bare than
    the number of Miners' Rights held by the
    party shall entitle them to occupy, they shall
    be allowed one week from a notice thereof by
    the Commissioner to place thereon as many
    holders of Miners' Rights as they shall think
    fit; after which time any miner may occupy
    the surplus ground if there then remain any,
    paying to the party who constructed the works
    a fair proportion of the expense incurred in
    diverting the stream. In the event of a dispute
    arising as to the amount to be paid, it shall be