23

that part of the field near the Grey, but there, I have
never seen them so distinctly associated with the coal
as at Mokihinui. Having given a slight sketch of
the general features of this part of the coal field, I
will now make a few remarks on the working of coal
here.

It will be seen by Plan No. 3 and the section
on the margin of it, that on the right bank of the
river no coal can be worked by free level; there
being only a breadth of a few yards above the ordi-
nary height of the river at the outcrop, and the whole
is a dozen feet at least below the flood line; so that
except a few tons which might be got as a sample,
all mining here must be under water level, and will
therefore require apparatus for pumping and raising
coal.

A shaft sunk (of course above the flood line) near
29a would probably win the whole of the coal from
the other outcrop, supposing the strata to continue
moderately regular. As to the depth at this point
to the seam which crops out at the Gorge, it is im-
possible to speak with certainty; if the dip continued
as it is where exposed (about 15°) it would be nearly
600 ft. But as it rapidity decreases, as before mentioned,
to 5 deg. at F, and 7 deg. at 29a, we will suppose
that it is 5 deg. and this would make the depth about
270 feet. But as the cretaceous rocks are seen to
commence here in the same way as at F, I think it
probable that the actual depth will be less than 100
feet; but till borings or sinkings are made it is mere
speculation.

It is very likely that in sinking here a great deal of
water will be met with; for, as before mentioned,
near the projecting shelf at D the outcrop of the seam
is constantly covered with water, and for some dis-
tance exposed to a pressure of 20 feet. It is also
quite certain that the outcrop of the coal crosses the
river, a little below the Gorge, with probably only a
thin cover of shingle. We may therefore consider
that almost the whole of the seam to the rise of the
shaft is constantly exposed to a considerable pressure
of water. As the strata here are evidently more or
less broken, it is certain that the cracks and fissures,
if not filled up with some substance impervious to
water (which is unlikely so near the surface) will act
as channels to conduct it below. Under these cir-
cumstances a powerful engine will be required to
work a mine here.

On the left bank at the Gorge the seam is found
high above the river; and probably on the northern
slopes of the hills from there to the turn of the river
at Salt-water creek, it will also be found in the same
position, so that a good deal of coal might be worked
there by free level. But from what I have seen in
Page\'s Creek, this appears to be very broken and
confused, so that I have not much hope of extensive
workings, but in this I may be mistaken.

At the point K a seam crops out 65 feet above
high water mark, dipping about four degrees to
S.W. There is a drive put about eight yards into
this seam, to the full dip, at the face of which the
coal appears to be thrown down by a trondle; but as
the drive is nearly full of water (within 20 inches of
the roof at the face) I could not examine it very
closely, without clearing out the drain, which would
have required some considerable time. However,
from what I could see of the position of the rocks a
few yards further up the hills, I think on the other
side of this trondle the seam will rise to the S.W.
i.e. up the hill, which will allow of its being drained
by free-level. I could not measure the thickness of
this seam on account of the water, but I presume
the bottom of the drive is the bottom of the seam,

which make it about four feet six inches. This
would give the following section.

Sandstone (not measured) ... Feet in.
Coal ... 4 6
Sandstone, soft and jointy ... 2 2
Coal ... 4 6?

What position this holds with regard to the coal in
the Gorge I cannot tell, possibly it may be the same;
but if so it is very much changed, the thickness being
much less, and the bed of sandstone above it reduced
by six feet, and changed from a hard solid rock to a
soft broken one, but this may be merely owing to
local circumstances. I have been told by Messrs.
Battey and Hunter that they have traced this small
seam for more than half a mile on the hill-side, be-
tween the mouth of Salt-water Creek and the drive,
and that it appears moderately regular. I have
surveyed up Salt-water Creek as shown on the plan,
but so far as I went saw no indication of solid rock,
but there is drift coal in the bed of the stream.

I think the best place to work coal at Mokihinui
in the first instance, will be somewhere on the left
bank of the river in the neighborhood of Salt-water
Creek, as it is probable that some might be obtained
there by free level. And I think in sinking there
would be less water to contend with than on the
other side, where the outcrop of the seam is so much
exposed to the action of the river. Being nearer the
sea would also be a great advantage, for the diffi-
cult part of the road below Stony Creek would be
avoided.

There is no doubt that coal might be most advan-
tageously worked here; the disadvantage of being
under water level (even supposing the whole to be
so) is to a great extent balanced by the short dis-
tance to the port. Here as elsewhere the question of
a harbor is the great point to be considered, for where
the best harbor is there will be the great coaling
port.

The great body of this part of the coal-field, will
doubtless, be found further up the river, and more
towards the south in the low country before spoken
of. In this part large seams are reported by the
four people who have been up the river, and there is
a great deal of drift coal. I have only been about
a mile further up than the Gorge, having left the
river before I expected, or I should have continued
the survey to the base of the Lyell range, and ex-
plored the country to the south. I did traverse the
river about a mile further than is shown in ink on
the plan, but as I find in plotting that there is some
error in this part of the survey I have merely put it
in pencil.

As to the fitness of Mokihinui as a harbour for
colliers, I can only state a few facts which may assist
a nautical man to form an opinion.

No. 2 plan shows the mouth of the river at low
water in ordinary tides; all that is colored yellow, is
dry at low water, and the edge of the bush may be
seen; but since I came to Nelson I have heard
that there is a reef of rocks from the end of the north
spit, extending to the north and dry at low water
springs, if so the water must be very much lower
than I have ever seen it, as there was no indication
of the reef when I was at the end of the spit, as
shown on the plan.

The channel must be very narrow indeed if the
water is much lower than represented on Plan No. 2,
which shows low water in the morning tide of
January 25th, 1863, five days after new moon. The
extreme ends of the spits are very flat but what the