76

PART II.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE ACTUAL WORKING OF THIS
PART OF THE COAL-FIELD.

By referring to No. 3 Plan, it will be observed that
coal is seen to crop out in various places on the
southern branch of the Waimangaroha river, named
Coal Brook Dale. And as it is the nearest point to
the Buller where workable coal has been found, and
where I can say positively that a large extent may be
worked at once at a very small expense, by free level,
I will describe it as minutely as my observations will
allow.

I may here state that this is the place where coal
was first found by Mr. Haast. And that the discov-
ery of the part of the Coal-field north of the Buller
is due to him, as the southern district of it on the
Grey is to Mr. Brunner. For although drift coal had
been found in the Waimangaroha and beyond the E.
streams, it was not till our visit in 1860, that any
seam had been seen. See Mr. Haast's Report, page
54 to 59 and 112 to 115.

At the place where the proposed line of railway
ends (station 34), a seam of coal 8 feet 3 inches thick
is found, cropping out on both sides of the gulley
1860 feet above the sea. It forms the bed of a small
stream for about 100 yards, from 35 to 36 stations,
where four feet of the top of it forms a waterfall. The
seam here strikes regularly S.S.E. and N.N.W., with
a dip of 5° to the E.N.E. (See section from A. to B.
on Plan 3 and Diagram No. 7.) On following up the
ridge above the coal I found the strike and dip of the
overlying beds of grit and sandstone, to continue pretty
much the same up to station 33, when there is a great
change; the rocks at this point and along a ridge con-
tinuing nearly due S. are folded over and dip on the E.
side, to E.N.E. as before and on the W. side to W. or
W.S.W. Immediately below 39 station the same
seam is found forming a waterfall in a deep gulley,
and it can be traced to the other side of the valley
where it is again exposed by a waterfall. (Section C.
to D.) From this to the next small stream from the
W. the bed of the river is almost entirely coal. A
little further up a seam nine feet thick is found along
at a waterfall, it is so flat that I could scarcely detect
any dip; but the strata at the head of the gulley
immediately above, dips E.N.E. 2°. (See section
from E. to F.)

You will observe that from 33 towards the south
the dip is rapidly decreasing, as shown by the arrows.

It was not for some time that I could satisfy my-
self whether these seams were all the same or differ-
ent; those for the dip at the one on A.B. section being
exactly contrary to what I had seen further up on
C.D., I was very much puzzled till the overlying
beds were examined and the change of dip or folding
of the strata distinctly seen. Then the greater thick-
ness of the seam at E.F. (9 feet instead of 8 feet
3 inches) made me suspect that it was different, but
finding the small seam 12 feet here as at C.D.,
as also its position, leaves no doubt of the matter;
neither is there with regard to the seam at A.B.,
though here I have not found the small seam. I am
sorry to be forced to this conclusion, for at first I
hoped there were two seams instead of one.

The section on No. 3 Plan, and Diagram No. 6,
marked "Section of Strata in Coal Brook Dale,"
shows the different beds above and below the coal,
not at any particular place, as there is no point where
the whole can be measured at one face, it has there-
fore been taken at different places where there was a
chance, so I cannot answer for its minute accuracy,
the coal seam itself is the average thickness.

The small sections A.B., C.D., and E.F., will give
an idea of the position of the above seam; the scale
both vertical and horizontal is the same as the plan,

observe here that it is probable anthracite may be
found in the lower part of the field near the granite;
as a confirmation of this, I found a piece of coal in the
Orawiti, very much resembling anthracite, but it
was too small to be of much use as a specimen.

These Diagrams will show the general features of
this part of the district, forming as it does, a sort of
basin between the mountains up to the sources of the
before-mentioned rivers; and then probably dipping
gradually down to Mokihinui. But of this part I
cannot speak from personal observation.

I am not prepared to speak confidently as to the
quantity of coal contained in this plateau, but I know
of five workable seams none less than five feet thick,
giving a total thickness of 38 feet 6 inches. All of
good quality, and equal if not in some respects
superior to the Grey Coal. I believe the quality
of four of these at the same time as my first report,
and on my return from the Buller last time I brought
about 60 lbs. of the other. this I believe to be the
best sample that has yet been brought from the West
Coast. I may remark generally that these seams are
remarkably free from shale and foreign matter, and
when a seam is spoken of as being so many feet thick,
it means that there is that thickness of pure coal.

I do not say that the whole of these seams will be
found all over the plateau, neither can I be certain
that some that are mentioned as different may not be
the same cropping out in different places, for without
actual mining it is impossible to trace seams of coal
for miles over a rough country. There are many
smaller seams known to me in different places, but
under the circumstances I consider any thing under
three feet as unworkable and have not included such
in the 38 feet 6 inches mentioned above.

It is reasonable to suppose that in such a rich field
almost entirely unexplored, many seams have yet to
be discovered. But without calculating more than is
actually known, the following figures will give some
idea of the capabilities of this part of the Coal-field—
15 square miles or say 10,000 acres, a moderate esti-
mate of the extent which is available at once.

Calculating only 18 feet of coal (instead of 38 feet
6 inches,) over the whole extent.

Now as a cubic yard of solid coal will produce a
ton, every acre of a 3 feet seam will yield 4,840 tons.

Then 4,840 tons by 6 = 29,040 tons per acre, 18 feet
thick. And 29,040 tons by 10,000 = 290,400,000 in
10,000 acres. But supposing only half of this can be
calculated on, there still remains 145,200,000 tons.

And supposing half of this to be lost in the work-
ing, we still have 72,600,000 tons (seventy-two million
six hundred thousand tons) of available coal; and
this is only one eighth (1/8) supposing all the seams
known, to exist over the whole 10,000 acres. I think
in this calculation there is a margin for all contingen-
cies, particularly as the discovery of more coal is not
calculated on; but I hope state positively that
on this particular part of the Coal-field, there are
72,600,000 tons of coal which may be brought to the
Buller Harbor, by means of a railway in no place ex-
ceeding 18 miles in length; but for many years 12 or
13 miles would be sufficient, and possibly only 9.

This 72,600,000 tons would supply 2,000 tons a day
or 600,000 tons a year for 121 years.

Having stated a few of the leading features of this
part of the district (and let me observe that it is a
very small part of the whole Coal-field,) I go to the
second part of the report.

Perhaps one of the most curious and interesting
circumstances connected with this district, is the fact
of gold being extensively worked in the Waimanga-
roha, a river rising in, and flowing through the Coal-
field.