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XIII. REGULATIONS RELATING TO TUNNELLING.

1.—Definition.

Hills where the sinking exceeds 20 feet in depth, shall be considered tunnelling ground, subject to these Regulations.

2.—Protection whilst Prospecting.

Persons engaged in prospecting shall be protected in the occupancy of a claim having a frontage for two persons of 30 feet, or for four persons of 60 feet, by a depth of 300 feet.

3.—Registration and Marking.

Claims under the preceding section must be registered, and the boundaries marked and maintained by parallel trenches, or rows of pegs placed not more than 50 feet apart; and such trenches or pegs shall be at right angles with the frontage of the hill, along the entire depth allowed.

4.—Discovery of Auriferous Earth.

On the ‘discovery’ of payable auriferous earth, prospectors shall immediately mark off their claims in blocks in accordance with the Regulations relating to alluvial mining.

5.—Walls.

Persons tunnelling shall not drive beyond their own parallels; and a wall of not less than 10 feet shall be maintained on each side of the tunnel.

6.—Protection of Tunnels.

No person shall mine, or remove the surface earth over any tunnel, nor within the parallels of ground marked off for tunnelling purposes, without the consent of the owners, or the sanction of the Warden being first obtained thereto.

7.—Ventilation.

When cross-drives or openings are required for ventilation, the Warden may issue an order for making such drives or openings, and for the allocation of the work to be performed, and also for the distribution of any auriferous deposits which may be found in the intervening wall.

8.—Superiority of Right.

Priority of Registration shall in all cases be deemed to confer superiority of right.

XIV. REGULATIONS RELATING TO EXTENDED CLAIMS.

1.—Old Worked Ground.

Upon receiving sufficient proof that any portion of the District has been fairly worked, and is either wholly or for the greater part abandoned, the Warden may declare the same to be “Old Worked Ground;” and shall thereupon define the boundaries wherein holders of Miners’ Rights may occupy claims not exceeding double the ordinary area prescribed by the Regulations.

2.—Inferior Ground.

If it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Warden that any ground cannot be profitably worked in claims of the size prescribed by the Regulations, he may declare the same to be “Inferior Ground;” and upon application, being made as hereinafter directed, may grant therein extended claims, not exceeding treble the ordinary area.

3.—Form of Application.

Application for extended claims in “Inferior Ground” shall be made to the Warden in the following form:—

To the Warden at

(District and Date.)

“I (or we) hereby give notice that I (or we) desire to obtain an extended claim of inferior ground at (Here state precise locality.)

(Signature, with date and number of Miner’s Right held by each member of the party.)”

4.—Notice of Hearing to be Posted.

Upon receiving such application, or as soon thereafter as may be, the Warden shall deliver to the applicant a Notice setting forth the nature of the application and the names of the applicants, and fixing a day upon which he will attend to take the application into consideration, and to hear any objections that may be urged by the holders of Miners’ Rights against the granting of such application; and such notice shall be posted and maintained by the applicants, on the ground applied for, during a period of not less than seven days prior to the hearing.

5.—Extended Claims to be Registered.

If no valid objection is offered, the Warden may, upon hearing the application, issue a Certificate of Registration for an extended claim, specifying therein the area granted.

6.—Extended Slucing Claims.

Where a greater amount of labour and expense than usual is necessary to prepare for working, the Warden may grant an extended claim of sluicing ground.