56

taking for the purpose the only lines on
which anything like a complete detailed
survey can be made, viz, the scarped ends
of the ranges from Terawiti to the Wairarapa and the next section further
North, from the sea beyond Porirua, up
the line of road to this harbour and
thence over the Rimutaka to Featherston.

These traverses are absolutely necessary to show the sequence of the rocks
and form a basis for further explorations,
and as I find fresh mineral veins every
time I cross the Rimutaka, we might
expect to make some valuable discoveries.
But I should like first to know the
views of the Government as to the duty
of the Government geologist in a search
for gold.

Ought I now merely, as above, to point
out the proper localities in which to look
for that metal, and leave it to private enterprise to complete the research; or
would the Government wish me to
examine for the above purposes the localities indicated, viz the valleys of the
Hutt &c.

In the latter case I should require a
properly appointed party of three or four
men, with tents, tools, a Californian pump,
and a pack horse, with a good foreman,
while if the search for gold should be
left to private enterprise, a smaller party
would suffice for the detailed survey.

Such an undertaking as the bottoming
of the Wairarapa valley would necessarily
require special consideration and authorisation, for although a small sum might
suffice for the work, yet unforeseen difficulties in depth and in the influx of water
might arise.

In my letter of December 13th, 1862, I
mentioned the discovery of the plant bed
series of the Porirua harbour. Since that
time I have discovered similar organisms
in different directions—at Ohariu, on the
banks of the Aka-tarewa, and on the
Belmont line, and Mr. Mantell has even
found them at the top of the Kai-warrawarra road. As Professor McCoy has
decided these rocks to be carboniferous,
of the oolitic age, I would fain hope that
workable seams of coal will be found, and
although appearances are not very encouraging, yet, after having seen the
manner in which the Kowhai coal seams
at Canterbury were hidden by drift,
it will be a long time before I shall
despair of success.

The traverse and survey of the rocks
which I propose to make from the West
coast to the Wairarapa by the line of
road, would be a necessary preliminary
to the search for coal.

I have discovered a black mineral at
various points on the Rimutaka hill, but
its character is not yet determined.

For political reasons, it would probably
be best that deep sinking should be tried
in the Wairarapa, before attempting it
on the west coast.

Mr. Brough Smyth will perceive why
more attention has been paid to the discovery of quartz veins than of alluvial or
drift diggings. The mass of drift having
been thrown out of the mountains upon
the adjacent plains or basins, rather than
deposited within their own area, in a
position which often renders it difficult
to tell its thickness, or what rocks may
lie between it and the undulation of the
ancient rocks, I required some support to
back my opinion in favour of deep sinking
in the plains or basins. You will also
observe that the country covered by
horizontal tertiary formations can, for
all present purposes, be disposed of
geologically with great rapidity, while the
inclined rocks of the main range require
a most patient and searching investigation.

I have proved the “gold constants,”
and I have obtained strong evidence in
favour of the probability of finding gold.
But should the “gold constants” prove
inconstant, and the precious metal elude
our search, there is no reason to despair
of making discoveries of other valuable
metals. I have every reason to think
that these ranges are full of mineral veins,
and at the present moment I await
reports on the character of those already
found; but at the same time, I suspect
that our mineral wealth lies deep, and will
require an expenditure of skill, capital,
and patience for its development.

I have the honour to be
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,

JAMES CRAWFORD,
Government Geologist.

[ENCLOSURE.]

Mr. R. Brough Smyth’s Notes on the specimens of rocks collected in the Province
of Wellington by the Honorable J.
Coutts Crawford.

Melbourne, January 13th, 1863.

I have carefully examined the specimens of rocks brought from Wellington
by the Honorable G. S. Evans. I have
also read the printed reports of excursions made by Mr. Crawford in that Province, and the MSS. accompanying the
specimens.

I have had some difficulty in fixing the
several localities (not being provided
with a good map) and I have not been