22

Rochfort range, and forming, in fact, part of the
great opening through the country, which extends
from this point to the Buller, then up the Inanga-
hua, down the Mawheraiti and Grey, and thence to
Lake Brunner.

At the gorge it will be seen that a seam of coal,
about six feet six inches, crops out a little above the
level of the river, dipping to the N.N.W. about 15°.
On the other side of the river, high up in a very
rough gully, coal is again found, which is probably
the same seam, but the deuse vegetation and the
rugged nature of the hill-side presented a very satis-
factory examination; however, it appears to be very
much confused and broken.

The outcrop from N to on the margin of Plan
No. 3 shows the position, and the section at P the
measured thickness, of the different beds near the
coal seam; those not shown on this are merely esti-
mated.

Following down the right bank of the river no
rocks are to be seen till you arrive at 29 a, which is a
sandstone rock, dipping to N.N.E. about 7°; on
tracing this outcrop 10 or 12 yards further down the
river, there is a marked change in the strata, the
hard solid sandstone, &c., of the coal-measures is
overlaid by a kind of soft marl; as far as this can be
traced it continues to dip very regularly, and is evi-
dently conformable with the coal-measures.

From a little below 29a no strata are exposed till
you get to Stony Creek, where the river bed and the
steep hill-sides are both formed by the same marly
rock, inter-stratified with numerous thin beds of
hard gritty sandstone, from one to six inches thick,
and here and there a layer of ironstone nodules from
one to three inches thick, the beds of marl varying
from six inches to two feet, and the whole striking
very regularly N. 31 E with a dip to W.N.W. at 45
degrees. A-this platform of rock is very flat and
the soft marl is washed out between the harder beds,
these are left projecting slightly across the general
surface in long straight parallel lines, giving the
whole the appearance of having been ruled. These
rocks continue the same, or nearly so, to Station
XXXIII, where they are covered with debris.

Following down the same side of the river and
along the coast nothing is to be seen of the geological
formation, till the rocky part of the river's mouth is
reached; where you again find similar rocks inter-
stratified with beds of limestone, often very crystal-
line, and the whole formation much harder than it is
further up the river, and dipping very nearly in a
contrary direction, i.e. to E.N.E. at an angle of 60
degrees.

Returning to the gorge and continuing up the
right bank, at D the shales, grits, and sandstones
above the coal seam are exposed, dipping rapidly
down to the river, but at Station d gradually flatten-
ing, and at this point forming a projecting shelf, from
under which for many yards and for upwards of
20 feet in depth the underlying rocks are scooped
out into a cavern under water; at the extreme point
d, the shelf is exactly at the surface of the water,
and so thin that you almost expect your weight will
snap it off as you step into it. The seam is here
from 70 to 80 feet below the surface, and great part
of it, from this point to the outcrop at E, is exposed
to the constant pressure of a heavy column of
strata.

From D to F the dip gradually moderates and at
F it is about 5 deg., and the marly rocks seen at
29a are again found; here, as there, regularly
overlying the coal measures. This same forma-
tion continues and is exposed on the same side of
the river for some miles further up, probably to the
base of the Lyell range. According to Mr. Haast
(see his report, page 115) these rocks belong to the
Cretaceous formation; and that is found imme-

diately above the coal measures at Mokihinui is satis-
factorily shown; proving at the same time that this
is the top of the coal field, and the gorge
probably highest one of the series, so that we
may confidently expect that the whole will be found
below.

Page's Creek is a small stream flowing from the
S.W. and forming at its junction with the Morbihinui
a very peculiar rocky gorge, in some places not six
feet wide, with perpendicular rocks on both sides from
40 to 50 feet high. For the first quarter of a mile
the rocks are entirely of the coal measures, including
conglomerate similar to that found on the top of
Mount Rochfort; the strata are confused and broken
and I did not find any seams of coal, though there is
igneous rock, but I have not been able to find the
point of contact between it and the coal measures,
everything being very much covered with debris.
But it is evident that in this direction the coal field is
thrown up, broken and cut off by igneous rocks. As
granite is again found on the left bank of the Moki-
hinui a little below Salt-water Creek, we may presume
that it continues between these two points, and that,
in fact the hills rising to the south of Salt-water
Creek are thrown up by granite, though their north-
ern slopes are composed of coal bearing strata.

Further up the river I have found no solid strata,
except the before mentioned cretaceous rocks on the
right bank, but there is plenty of drift coal in the
shingle beds, and large seams are repeated further up
which, from the comparatively level and regular
nature of the surface, will probably be much less
disturbed than any hitherto found.

These facts will be better understood by re-
ferring to the section on the margin of No. 1 Plan,
along the line G. H. L. J. E. L. It will be observed
that from G. on the sea coast to near E at the gorge,
the rock is colored yellow and marked Cretaceous.
This as before mentioned may be seen to overlie the
coal measures at F and at station 29a. At M near
Stony Creek nothing is to be seen of the coal for-
mation, and that dip of the strata there, shows that it
is thrown down, but how far it is impossible to tell,
as I do not know where this change of dip takes place.
But at all events we may conclude that the part from
H to G is too deep to be available at present. What
may be the position of the rocks between these two
points I do not know, but evidently there is great
disturbance, and as granite appears on the coast
again above is the north of G, probably it is the cause.
From E to I the coal measures come to the surface,
and are cut off at I by granite and other igneous
rocks; so that at this place the actual breadth of coal
bearing strata at the surface is very limited; but as
the hills which are here cut through by the river, are
running nearly north and south, and as between these
hills and the Lyell mountains there is a large valley,
it is probable that the coal field will be found pretty
regular; and extending many miles to the south; but
towards the north, dipping under the cretaceous
rocks which are here largely deposited on the right
bank of the Mokihinui.

I feel very diffident in making geological statements
and showing how difficult it is even for a geologist, to
say definitely in a new country, to what formation a
series of rocks belong; but at G the limestone and
other beds are pronounced to be cretaceous by Mr.
Haast (see his report, page 115) and at H, J, and E
the rocks immediately above the coal measures are of
the same character, I therefore conclude that they
belong to the same class. They are different from
anything seen in the coal formation, and resemble
the rocks which appear to cover the coal measures in
other parts.