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III.—CLAIMS.

1. Claims to be Marked.

Ordinary, river, spur, and quartz claims shall be marked by pegs standing at least two feet above the surface of the ground, and by trenches a yard long at each corner thereof, or by stone walls showing the direction in which the claim is taken up, and in the case of river claims by ✓ marks not less than one foot in length, to be cut upon the rocks above high flood mark, and such pegs, trenches, or marks shall be maintained during the occupancy of the ground: Provided that when any corner cannot be marked on account of the nature of the ground, the peg, trench, or mark may be placed at the nearest practicable point. Every person shall mark off his claim according to the depth at which it is supposed the bottom will be reached, and if it is afterwards proved that the person so doing has marked out more ground than he is entitled to, the surplus shall be forfeited. In the event of any claim being worked by means of a tunnel, the size of the claim shall be determined by the average depth of the ground from the surface.

2. Size of Claims.

(a) Ordinary claims shall not exceed 50 feet by 50 feet for each holder of a miner’s right, but in cases where the depth from the surface exceeds 50 feet, ordinary claims may be extended to 75 feet by 75 feet, and where the depth from the surface exceeds 100 feet, such claim may be extended to 90 feet by 90 feet. Ordinary claims may be of any form, provided they do not exceed in length twice the breadth thereof.

(b) River claims shall not exceed 50 feet, measured along the course of any stream, by a width of 45 feet across the stream for each holder of a miner’s right employed thereon; and in cases where the width of the river exceeds 50 feet, each holder of a miner’s right shall be entitled to hold 75 feet along the course of the stream by a width of 35 feet across the stream: Provided that there be no more than eight men in a party in ordinary or river claims.

(c) Spurs, &c. Claims worked by tunnels shall not exceed 50 feet by 50 feet for each holder of a miner’s right, but in cases where the tunnel exceeds 200 feet, 60 feet by 60 feet, and 400 feet, 75 feet by 75 feet, and so on, shall be allowed.

(d) In ordinary quartz claims each miner shall be entitled to hold in length sixty (60) feet along the course or supposed course of the reef by a breadth of three hundred (300) feet, but no ordinary quartz claims shall

3. Prospecting supposed Auriferous Spurs &c., and Quartz Reefs, &c.

Persons holding miner’s rights desirous of prospecting supposed auriferous spurs, terraces, or hills, or quartz reefs, veins, or lodes, shall mark out along the front, the full length of the area to which they are entitled under these regulations. The depth of the claim to be added immediately after a payable prospect has been obtained as prescribed in this section, clauses 5 and 6.

4. Discovery to be Reported.

Any person who shall discover any new gold workings, and who shall be desirous to obtain a prospecting claim, shall mark off an area of ground as provided in clauses 5 and 6, and shall immediately report such discovery with full particulars thereof, to the Warden, who shall not grant the same until he be fully satisfied that the applicant is entitled to such claim, and the ground shall be protected until the Warden shall have granted or refused the same.

5. Area in Alluvial Ground, Spurs, &c.

Any person who shall have discovered new gold workings, not exceeding three miles distant from existing workings, may have allotted to him an extent of ground not exceeding double the area of an ordinary claim; exceeding three and not exceeding five miles distant from existing workings, an area not exceeding treble an ordinary claim; and beyond five miles, an area not exceeding quadruple an ordinary claim: Provided that the increased grant shall not be given to more than six persons comprising any party.

6. Area on Quartz Reefs.

Any miner or miners prospecting or discovering a quartz reef shall be entitled to hold in length one hundred (100) feet by a breadth of three hundred (300) feet for each holder of a miner’s right, but no such claim shall exceed six hundred (600) feet in length.

7. Notices to be Posted by the Warden.

Notices of all prospecting claims granted, with full particulars of locality, yield of gold, and description of workings, shall be posted by the Warden on the outside of his office for public information.