Steam Navigation for New Zealand, and the attainment of commercial greatness, which, without it, is beyond her reach. But independently of steam purposes, certainly the first consideration, your Excellency is well aware that an ample supply of cheap fuel will be requisite for that large community by which the vast and almost treeless plains of the Middle Island will soon be overspread.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,

J. LORT STOKES, Captain.

To His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor.

Wellington,

REPORT

On the Coal and Wood Fuel of New Zealand and in reference to their adaptation for Steam purposes, derived from Dr. Forbes’s analysis;—with an extract from the Acheron’s Engine Room Register, kept by Mr. Thompson, Chief Engineer.

TABLE OF RESULTS FROM DR. FORBES’S EXPERIMENTS.

The several quantities given in the Table, were taken from.

1. A heap of 30 tons.
2. A hand specimen.
3. A heap of 5 tons.
4. A hand specimen.
5. The Government Depot at Wellington, 500 tons.

Portions of each were burned under the same conditions, as nearly as possible, in order to test their individual and relative qualities.

Massacre Bay Coal is a species of anthracite, and when burned in a crucible under the reducing flame of the blowpipe, gives the following results:—Ignition slow and difficult; flame feeble, yellowish not persistent, much smoke and strong sulphurous odour: no traces of bituminous matter, or inflammable volatile gases observed.

Waikato Coal ignites more readily than the preceding, burns with a clearer flame and less smoke, and leaves a cinder of better quality. No traces of sulphur were observed, neither were there any of bituminous matter, but in neither case was the heat given out apparently very great.

Saddle Hill, Otago. This coal is a variety of Lignite, or brown coal, which ignites more readily than the preceding specimens, burning with a rather feeble, yellowish red flame, and greyish smoke, which soon ceases, leaving a charcoal-like cinder, which disappears under the continued action of the blowpipe, leaving a white ash mixed with a coarse powdery charcoal; no traces of bituminous matter, but a slight sulphurous odour was observed.

Motunau Coal, Canterbury Plains, resembles that of Massacre Bay in its general characters, but ignites more readily, and burns with less smoke; it contains a great quantity of sulphur, but no traces of bituminous matter; its residue is composed of hard clinkers of brownish red colour, and of powdery charcoal-like substance.

Newcastle Coal, New South Wales. A portion of this coal was tried under the same conditions as the preceding specimens, for the sake of comparison, with the following results:—Rapid ignition, clear flame, extrication of highly inflammable gases and of bituminous matter, the coal forming a caky mass, and leaving a cinder capable of further combustion.

STEAM REPORT.

Of Fuel tried in H.M. Steam ship Acheron, on the New Zealand Coast, in the years 1849-50:—

These results were obtained after the fires had been some time lighted with Australian Coal, and well burnt through. They shew a saving of 6 cwt. in Newcastle Coal when combined with one kind of wood, and 4 cwt. with another species. Two tons and a half of Manuka being equal to one ton of Newcastle Coal, the saving amounts to 12 per cent. In all the experiments it was found necessary to first raise steam by Australian Coal.

J. LORT STOKES, Captain.

H. M. Steam Ship Acheron,

Otago, N. Z., December, 1850.