19

to vary in size, and is exposed in the creek flowing into
the Karamea. For about two chains above in the bush
and to the westward, a few chains off, I found drift
coal, or, more correctly speaking, coal lying on the
surface in lumps, six or eight inches long, with sharp
edges and not worn by water, but there was no creek
or any visible sign of how it was brought there; my
conjecture was that the seam could not be distant,
and that occasional small blocks had become detached
and the soil gradually washed and worn away, till
they were fully amount support, and rolled down the
hill. This opinion was confirmed by my finding, at
the east end of the saddle, about two-thirds of a mile
off, some small drift coal on the surface under similar
circumstances. After a careful search, I found a
place where the pieces of coal were more numerous,
and I then dug down for eighteen inches with my
bill-hook, and I found that I was digging in what
was entirely composed of pieces of coal, which pieces
increased in size as I deepened the hole. To the
east of the saddle I observed a slate range of similar
character at the top to that of the Mount Aithur
range. It runs for about three miles south, and then
joins on to the Lyell range, without a break of any
significance. The Lyell range exceeds it in elevation
and is remarkable for the regularity of its laminated
strata, which is visible on both the Matiri and Lyell
sides, and inclines slightly to south. In the centre
and from the highest peaks flows a stream into the
Lyell, which thus forms this range into a V shape,
whose nearest side, with the three miles of slate forma-
tion, makes a curve, whose bend is to S.E. Many small
creeks, previously flow from the range through shale,
which begins generally about 800 feet below the sum-
mit, and, perhaps, extends 1,000 feet in vertical
height. Below this again, many of these creeks, in
the shale, form giant steps of six and eight feet in
height and width, whose faces are nearly vertical and
horizontal, showing this part of the strata to be nearly
in its primitive state of repose.

To the left of this saddle is an isolated mountain of
similar character, shale showing in the same manner,
from which, as a centre, a sort of table, gradually
falling into spurs and creeks, descends into the
Lyell up the bend which I mentioned as existing on
the other side. Down one of these I found coal, per-
haps three miles from the saddle, and 1,100 feet be-
low it. It was here that I obtained the various fos-
sils I sent you with the coal [Nos. of specimens 1 to
5], those obtained on the saddle being very imperfect
perhaps owing to my difficulty in releasing them
from the shale. The longest of these spurs extends
five to seven miles down from the saddle, in a
straight direction, to the commencement of the rocky
and steep parts which may perhaps, extend for five
miles; this latter being broken by an interval of
about two miles, when easier slopes can be got: the
last three miles appeared to be more open, and the
hills seem to recede a little further from one another
their general direction is S.W. To the west of the
isolated hill mentioned is another saddle dividing the
Karamea from the north branch of the Lyell. In the
bed of the Lyell, after below the shale, I
found alternately a hard slate and granite formation.
The river is rough and full of very large rocks and
boulders, with low gorgy cliffs, &c. The spurs in
this portion, in the prominent part, increase in steep-
ness to a dangerous angle for a pedestrian; but I
think most of them are short, yet, until they are cut
through, persons attempting to travel here with any
kind of load, will find themselves driven either above
or below the route; and, as several of these sort of
obstructions occur, persons could not, as yet, make
any headway, and might perhaps end by returning
and giving to the unopened route a character which,
when formed, it will not deserve. Until I have got
the road a little more forward, I should recommend

no digger to attempt passing by it. The Karamea
presents a different feature, as, for some three miles
below where it is blazed, the valley has wide shingle
beds and good flats, for two or three miles after
which the stones in the river become bigger, though
still narrow flats, from two to ten chains in width,
accompany it for about ten miles more. This is the
furthest distance that I have been along the river.
Near to where the wide shingle bed commences a
creek joins from the hills, from a low saddle connect-
ing it with the Karamea near to the coast in a
straight N.W. direction, and this will, probably,
prove of value as a short communication with the
flat land on the coast.

At the Wangapeka river there are flats extending
as far up as the old bridle track, many of which are
of very good quality, with excellent timber and fine
wide open shingle beds to the river. I found brown
coal at the creek above the Limestone Bluff, on the
S.E. side of Wangapeka Plain. I may here say that
I have found brown coal in the Inangahua; and that
Mr. Haast, in his Reports, mentions seeing such shale
in the Upper Buller, and brown coal nearly every-
where. Those observations appear to show the limit
of the field in that direction.

Down the Karamea, in what may be called the
coast range, is a large extent of broken table hills of
what appears to be the coal formation.

This range a little further south, contains our cele-
brated Coalbrook Dale field, and north, some twenty
miles, black coal was found in the Heaphy mouth by
Mr. Mackley. It has also been found at Wanganui
and Pakanau, and will probably be found along the
Wakamarama or Quartz Ranges, on the western wall
of the Aorere river.

While surveying of the Karamea, I may repeat that
it is likely to become one of the richest of our gold-
fields. When I referred in the early part of this
report to the Karamea Basin, I meant that point at
which nearly all the rivers and N.E., N., N.W.,
and W., and all from gold-bearing ranges, most of
which are now being worked on their opposite sides.
If this, were recently explored by me are gold-
bearing. Mr. Salisbury's letter will, in my opinion,
also add a fresh stimulus to opening this district.

I consider the whole of the coast included between
the Grey and Cape Farewell will probably be a mine
of wealth to Nelson, and I should strongly recommend
the appointment of a competent mineral surveyor to
explore the district geologically, as many a source of
wealth, now hidden to the ordinary observer, might
be developed. In doing this, your Honor would only
be following the example of neighboring colonies in
possession of mineral lands.

I have enclosed a plan, showing the whole districts
which I have reported on, and giving a good idea of
the auriferous and other mineral resources of the
country, as well as all the places where black coal is
known to be, and also the brows, thereby showing an
approximate limit to the coalfields of this province.

With one of my communications I also enclosed to
your Honor a specimen of the lace bark tree, and a
specimen of cord made from it, which I have used in
the bush, in place of flax, for a considerable time.
If the tree grows to about six inches in thickness, and
has a bark a quarter of an inch thick, composed of a
clean fibrous material very suitable for many pur-
poses for which flax is used, and if together with
a very sweet substance something resembling sago in
taste, and often used by the natives of former days
for food.

At a point on the coast half-a-mile north of the
Heaphy, is a coarse granite interspersed with veins of
fluor spar, an indication of lead (similar to what is
found on the borders of Cornwall and Devonshire).
Between the Heaphy and Haihai, and about three
miles south of the former, is a remarkably coarse