placed in barges which take it down to deep water. Notwithstanding the extra expense arising from repeated handling of the coal, it is delivered alongside the colliers at 14s. per ton. The coal, when carefully selected, has very powerful heating qualities, and burns with a rich gaseous flame. It has been repeatedly tested, and favourably reported on, by steam vessels, and its only drawback is that it is friable, and is frequently shipped without the impurities containing sulphur having been removed by screening. At Wangarei small colliers can ascend to the point above where the tramway terminates, so that coal is put on board for 13s. per ton. The coal is however very different in its quality from that at Kawa kawa, notwithstanding that it appears to be either the same or an equivalent seam in the same geological formation, having a larger proportion of ash and water, and a corresponding deficiency of gaseous matters.

Twenty miles south of Auckland, coal mines have been worked for many years near Drury, where there is an extensive coal field. According to Professor Hochstetter there is only one seam, having an average thickness of six feet. The quality of the coal is that of common Brown coal with over 20 per cent. of combined water, but from its containing large quantities of fossil resin, it proves a very valuable fuel.

On the Waikato river there is a still larger extent of the same coal formation, containing one principal coal seam which is eight to twelve feet thick. Captain Hutton is of opinion, as the result of careful survey, that in this field there is about 140,000,000 tons of coal available, without pumping or mechanical appliances for raising the coal. ^* This coal is extensively mined for supplying the steamers that ply on the Waikato river, and answers well for that purpose.

There are no other coal mines in the North Island except those above mentioned, but in the district between the Mokau and the Wanganui rivers, there are extensive coal seams, and also from near the East Cape, on the opposite side of the Island, samples of coal of very superior quality have been obtained.

On the west coast of the Province of Nelson, there are several distinct coal fields, the most northerly of which, termed the Pakawau field, is about thirty square miles in extent. The coal occurs as several seams, none yet found exceeding four feet in thickness, at the base of a sandstone and shale formation 1500 feet thick. Mines have been opened at Pakawau, and Collingwood in Golden Bay, and in the beautiful little harbour of West Wanganui, on the West Coast. The coal varies in quality, but is, on the whole, more valuable than that found in the northern fields. The quantity of coal raised from this district has not been great, as the best seams are in rather inaccessible positions, but if they are opened up with caution and proper economy, there is no reason why they should not prove remunerative.

In connection with this coal field, I should mention the deposit of Plumbago or Black Lead, which has been mined to a small extent near Collingwood, as it is probably derived from an altered portion of a coal seam. The Plumbago is, however, of good marketable quality, seven tons exported in the manufactured form, having an approximate value of £1400. ^†

The Buller coal field occupies a narrow strip along the coast north of the Buller river, forty miles in length and seven in width, and is peculiar from the great elevation at which it occurs. The formation consists of quartzose grits, 200 to 300 feet thick, with a single seam of very pure coal, ten feet thick, near

the base of the formation, which rests on the top of a range of mountains from two thousand to three thousand feet above the sea level.

The only obstacle to the working of this coal is the expensive character of the works required for conveying it to the shipping place; but the Buller river is so much superior as a port, to any other place on the N. W. coast of the Island, that with such coal seams in its neighbourhood, it is certain in time to become one of the chief places from which coal will be exported. The coal is the best in quality of any yet found in New Zealand, and judged of both by chemical analysis and by practical test, compares favourably with the best British Bituminous Coal.

The two fields last mentioned have more a prospective than an immediate value in the present state of the West Coast District; but the development of the Mount Davy coal field will have a practical influence on the resources of the country at the present time.

The area occupied by the coal formation in this instance is not so great as that of either the Pakawau or Mount Rochfort fields; but the value and accessibility of the coal seam gives it a superior importance. The best coal appears to be in one main seam, associated with micaceous sandstone and grits containing plant impressions, and small carbonaceous layers, as seen at the Brunner Mine, in which the coal has been followed on the level for 1100 feet, and likewise explored to the outcrop; the total length of the galleries and chambers being nearly 4000 feet.

The thickness of the seam varies from fifteen to twenty-three feet, and is contained between a roof and floor of solid grit, which enables it to be worked with facility, timbers being required for the support of the roof only in a few places where it had a tendency to flake.

The coal formation rises, at an angel of 12°, in an easterly direction from the water level to an altitude of at least 2000 feet in the Mount Davy Mountains, and extends to the north for a distance of seven miles, intersecting the coast about twelve miles north of the Grey river. (See Map and Section, Plate 14.) Any coal within this area can, of course, be worked “level free,” as in the case of the present mine, which system involves the least possible working expense, all excavations being in marketable coal, and no outlay being required for hauling the coal or draining the mine.

Westward from the mine the coal dips under 1500 feet of strata of sandstone and septaria clays, which are again overlaid by indurated chalk marls, with fossils characteristic of the upper secondary period, principally Echinodermata (Sea-urchins), ten species of which have already been distinguished and figured, and a large Inoceramus. Under a considerable portion of this area, coal will hereafter be worked by shafts; but the coal above the water level will be the first, to deserve attention.

To the eastward, we find the coal formation cut off suddenly by a great break or fault, as shown in the section.

The facilities for working the coal on the south, or Canterbury side, are not so great as those at the present mine, but the southern extension of the field in that province is not yet ascertained, and it is probable that even a larger area will prove available for working by shafts on the south than on the north side of the river.

The supply of the coal is not equal to the present demand at the port, being controlled by the defective system of transport from the mine by barges. In the ordinary state of the river, the barges can only take a very small quantity of coal, rarely delivering more than forty or fifty tons a day, and involving a very large expenditure of labour. A survey has been made for a railway from the port to the mine, a distance of seven miles; and, from the favourable nature of the country, this line should not cost more than £20,000

which is a very small outlay, considering that it is the only heavy expenditure required to secure the regular supply of coal.

Provided that no fault occurs in the strata, I see no reason for doubting that on the most moderate computation the portion of the field already leased should yield 5,000,000 tons of coal.

The expenses of working the mine are so small that the coal should be delivered at Greymouth at a very moderate price, if the working were carried on more extensively, and a steady market for the coal established.

The seam of coal is pure and homogeneous, and possesses the property of caking with such facility that the whole quantity excavated can be utilized, so that no labour is unproductive, as is the case in mines where stone bands, shales, and other worthless matter have to be excavated along with the coal.

In the south-west of Otago coal seams occur at the base of a chalk marl and sandstone formation, at Preservation Inlet, which formation appears to be of the same age as the which extends through Southland, and runs out on the coast in the south-east district of Otago, but there the marls are replaced by sandstones and shales, in the same manner as in the Pakawau field. The value of the coal varies in quality in different localities, but is, on the whole, good fuel. An attempt has been made to open a mine at Preservation Inlet, but not much progress has yet been made. At Morley Creek, Waikawa, and other places, the coal is mined, but chiefly for local use.

In the interior of Otago province, lignite is found almost every where, except in the Wakatipu Lake district, and mined for the supply of the diggers, who could not carry on their mining operations in the treeless uplands of the Otago gold fields, were it not for mineral fuel being thus widely distributed. On the East Coast several very extensive areas of Brown coal formation occur, from which Dunedin is largely supplied. The largest of these is at Coal Point, near the Clutha river, where the seams have an aggregate thickness of fifty-six feet, and the formation extends over about thirty square miles.

Forty miles north of Dunedin the Upper Secondary coal formation again commences, and, running north, skirts the eastern slope of the mountains in broken patches, being found at several point in the Province of Canterbury, and re-emerging on the coast at Motanau in the Amuri country.

At the Malvern hills coal seams of different qualities, including Anthracite, Bituminous coal, and common Brown coal, have been worked, and the whole series of the Upper Secondary and Tertiary coal formation appear, from the fossils, to be represented. The most extensive mine is in the Brown coal, of which there are several thin seams, that yield about 800 tons a year. The proximity of this coal field to Christchurch, and the fact of coal of very superior quality being found in different parts of it, gives it considerable importance.

Newer basins containing inferior coal also occur along the Canterbury and Nelson mountains as in Otago.

From the foregoing brief outline I think that New Zealand must be considered as, on the whole, well supplied with mineral fuel. Certainly, coal of the most valuable description is confined to limited and not very accessible areas, but still there is nothing to prevent its being profitably worked for the supply of our steam service; but the great point for congratulation is, that throughout almost every part of these Islands, coal of a practically useful description is to be found within a short distance. ^*

Before concluding this review of the mines of the Colony, I will make a few remarks on the building materials. The number of kinds of stone already

worked in New Zealand is very large. They are generally divided into granites, limestones, and sandstones. Of the former, the only quarry is at Adele Island in Blind Bay; but this valuable stone exists in unbounded quantities on the West Coast of Otago, under the most favourable circumstances for excavation and shipment. The variety in colour and grain is also very great. It is not necessary to say anything regarding the quality of granite as a building stone, as it is well-known, and no large erection, especially of a marine character, should be undertaken without employing it. Although not properly belonging to this group, but still allied to it in the manner of quarrying, we have syenites from the Bluff, and Nelson, Boulder bank; dolerites and basalts from Port Chalmers, Dunedin, and Lyttelton, and lavas from Auckland.

Of Sandstones—pure siliceous varieties occur with the coal formations. Flagstones are largely used in Nelson, being obtained from the Dun Mountain; they are very applicable to construction in earthquake countries, but the particular kind found at Nelson is defective from its steatitic character preventing the proper adhesion of mortar.

Freestones—abound in the tertiary formation of New Zealand, including sandstone, clay sandstones, and argillaceous sandy limestones and pure limestone. The finest is the now famous Oamaru stone, which possesses characters that excel most ordinary building stones used in other parts of the world, on account of its durability and facility of working, as it is moulded and cut by machinery with even greater ease than wood. The same formation is very extensive, and beds of equal quality will no doubt be found in other localities. It is very easily excavated by making openings in the low round hills near Oamaru. The absence of a good shipping port limits the extensive use of this stone, which would without any doubt become a valuable export. There are no roofing slate mines in New Zealand, but from hand specimens obtained in various parts of the upper Palæozoic rocks, there is no reason to doubt that they exist in several localities, especially in the neighbourhood of Queen Charlotte Sound, and the Wakatipu Lake.

Limestones abound in the tertiary rocks, having sufficient purity and compactness to fit them for burning, and in the older slate rocks there are a few developments of what in a quarrymans's sense may be described as mountain limestione, blue compact, sub-crystalline or flaggy. The most accessible places where this limestone occurs is on the north side of Shag valley in Otago, and near the Dun Mountain in Nelson; while at Collingwood massive marbles the middle tertiary clays underlying the limestone, and also in more recent clays concretions are found in definite layers which contain almost sufficient lime in their composition to enable them to rank as cements. The Moeraki boulders,—the wonderful size and spherical form of which has attracted the attention of all travellers along the Otago coast—are examples of such concretions which have been formed round a nucleus of organic matter.

Having thus in a very condensed form explained the different mining operations which have been commenced in this country, with the object of showing the extent to which they have been successful, I would remark that all mining involves a certain amount of speculation; and if, so far, the adventures in this colony have not been invariably successful, yet when we consider how very limited and fitful the attempts have been, and the few localities that have been tested, it must be admitted that there is good evidence that New Zealand is endowed with a fair share of mineral wealth. At the same time we should not forget that unless we have a thriving population, minerals will not increase the real progress of the country. Many of the richest mineral producing countries in the world occupy a very inferior position

among nations, and it is only when the development of mineral wealth comes as an accessory to other productive industries, that it is a real advantage to the country, by affording employment for labour and manufacturing ingenuity.

I append two Tables, compiled from official returns; the first showing the amount of Coal which has been imported into the colony, chiefly from New South Wales. This return shows that there is a very large annual expenditure for this item, part of which, at least, might be directed to the development of our own coal fields, if the difficulties of access to the coal seams could be surmounted; and also if the very unfounded prejudice which prevails against the use of the better kinds of Brown coal, for domestic purposes, was overcome.

On the important utility of these coals I will quote the opinion of Professor Hochstetter, who says:—“That those Brown coals,—being as they are, of a nature and quality, far different from English coals,—should, in many instances, be deemed, in New Zealand, far inferior to what they are, is easily accounted for; and years will pass away before the prejudices will be overcome with a people that hitherto have only known and used the excellent coal of their mother country. Time and experience, however, will show, that the Brown coal in New Zealand can be used for the same purposes, for which just the same coal, and sometimes of a far inferior quality, is used on a most extensive scale in various parts of Germany and especially in Austria, in whole provinces of which (Styria, Krain and Northern Bohemia) it constitutes the almost exclusive fuel for manufacturing and railroad, as well as for domestic purposes.”—“New Zealand,” by Dr. F. von Hochstetter, p. 90.

The second Table shows the quantity of the different metallic ores which has been exported from the colony during each year. This return is necessarily imperfect, especially for the years prior to 1853, at which date the regular publication of the statistics of the colony was commenced. They are however approximately correct, and show the total value of exported minerals, during the past twenty-five years to be £19,652,201.