25

The additional Plans and Diagrams are as follows
viz :—

No. 4. Is a branch of the Waimangaroha River,
from Coal Brook Dale to its junction
with the north branch in the gorge; show-
ing the position of several important
seams of coal, and the height above the
sea of most of the survey stations and
other interesting positions.

On the margin there is a rough section of the Gorge
of Waimangaroha showing strata. Also a rough sec-
tion on a larger scale showing the strata of the per-
pendicular and overhanging cliff A. As this was
inaccessible further up than the 5 ft. 6 in. seam of
coal (which I measured on the spot) the other part
of the section was constructed from observations
taken by the theodolite placed on the opposite side
of the gorge at B. The distances between the diffe-
rent beds were measured by taking the vertical an-
gles, and the nature of the rock was judged as best I
could by examining it through a glass; so that this
section cannot be depended on as absolutely correct,
though it is sufficient to give a very good idea of the
face of the cliff. Also a section of strata C, show-
ing a seam of coal 16 feet thick; this section is from
actual measurement on the spot.

No. 8 Diagram is a rough section along the
lines from station a, K (see Plan 2,
Sheet II) to station 5 S in blue; and
from station 7 V to station 18 T and
17 D and the Wariatea River in red.
And other lines and positions on the same
hill-side in black. This section is so
arranged as to show places as near their
real position with regard to each other as
the nature of such a section will admit : to
do so correctly, except as regards the
vertical measurement, of course is impos-
sible.

No. 10 Diagram shows a section of strata at O,
(see No. 2 plan, sheet 11, and Diagram
No. 8.) This was taken by exposing the
outcrop of the different beds where they
were found solid at a moderate depth from
the surface. This is from accurate survey
and shows everything in its true position,
the horizontal and vertical scale being
the same.

No. 11 Diagram is a section of the surface of the
hill P (see Plan II. and Diagram 8), show-
ing a bed of crushed coal in its position;
the horizontal and vertical scale being
the same.

I will now endeavour to give you some account of
the steps taken in searching for workable seams of
coal, at a lower elevation than they had hitherto been
found, and the result of this examination. While the
store was being built, and the provisions carried over
from the mouth of the Wariatea river, I cut a line up
the left bank of that river to near station 17, and
examined it as minutely as possible. For some con-
siderable distance, the recent formation of soft
sandstone and black marl, spoken of in my last re-
port, is found, but above it no solid bed of coal, and
you get about 1000 feet up, then the solid beds of grit,
sandstone and conglomerate appear, a good deal con-
fused and in many places in perpendicular precipices,
this continues for some hundreds of feet, after which
the strata are more regular, dipping generally to the
N.N.W. at angles varying from 8 deg. to 20 deg. I
found no seams of coal here, which is not surprising
for in such a rugged gully, where the softer beds of
coal and shale are washed out, the overhanging rocks
fall down and cover everything up.

After finishing the depot, I moved the camp up the
hill and started a line from station 14a K (see Plan
second Sheet 11) along the side of the hill, shown by
a series of red lines on the plan, and blue lines on the
section (Diagram 8). While this was doing I kept
four men constantly employed in digging into the hill-
side, in the hope of finding seams of coal, or at all
events solid rock, so as to enable me to form an idea of
the position of the strata. The most important places
where these trials were made are marked on the plan
and section, and I endeavour to give you an idea
of what I found in these various localities. The first
trial was in a narrow gully near the point L, about
450 feet above the sea : here no solid rock was seen,
but immense blocks of grit and sandstone were found
in loose earth and broken stones, to a depth of eight
or nine feet; neither could I find anything solid down
the stream till I got to the recent formation. Fur-
ther up the same stream near the point La 950 feet
above the sea, I fancied the rock was more solid but
digging down I found that everything was loose,
though the broken fragments of rock were so large
as to have the appearance of being in the solid. The
whole appearance of this part of the hill side, leads
me to suppose that large masses, probably acres in
extent have slipped down solid, and then afterwards
broken up, thus forming a comparatively level step
about half way up the hill. So far as I can judge it
is hopeless to endeavour to find rocks in situ in this
locality.

Station 4 is the top of a spur running down from
the edge of the table land near station 18 T to the
plain, this spur divides the hill-side into two distinct
districts to the north and south of it. After examin-
ing the streams on the south side of it, and finding
nothing satisfactory, I met with a bed of loose soft
coal nine inches thick and almost flat, in a deep gully
on the north side, at the place marked M. and 673
feet above the sea. Encouraged by this I set all hands
to work and laid bare the face about 6 yards wide,
brought up a trench from below, and cleared the face
of the hill above, as far as the rock continued solid.
Just below the outcrop, the strata dip to N.N.W. 45
deg. then suddenly flatten where the coal was first
found exposing there the following section, viz.,

Ft. in.
Small beds of sandstone and
platy matter
14 0
Yellow Sandstone (strong)
1 6
Coal very soft and loose
0 9
White Sandstone (thickness unknown)

About 60 feet below this there are solid beds of grit
and sandstone dipping to N.W. and N.N.W. 60 deg.

Above this there are several places where I en-
deavoured to find solid rock without success. It
appears strange that immediately above these edge
beds, the strata should be almost level for a short
distance, and then all trace of them be lost. Whether
they are in their natural position or part of a large
slip, I can scarcely form an opinion.

At the point where the river "Rapid" is crossed at
N. 671 feet above the sea, the strata dip to the N.W.
30 deg. ; five chains further up (750 feet) the river falls
over a perpendicular precipice of about 40 feet, com-
posed of thick beds of grit now over beds of grit,
small bed of shale at the bottom, apparently dipping
two ways, viz., to N.N.W. three degrees and to S.S.E.
six degrees. From the edge of the table land to the
top of this fall, the river flows over solid beds of grit,
sandstone and shale, dipping pretty regularly to N.W.
and N.N.W at from three to seven degrees. This is
the lowest point on the whole mountain side, where I
have found the strata regular and moderately flat and
unbroken. In the streams to the north of this and
about the same elevation where solid rock is found,
they are generally pretty regular, with a moderate dip.