WELLINGTON.

Press, Volume V, Issue 583, 12 September 1864, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

GOIDFIEIJJS TN "W-IXnTG-OX.

The Independent of the Bth instant publishes the following report addressed by the Hon. J. C. Crawfed to his Honor the Superintendent, relative to the auriferous character of the Upper Huti, kc. :—

Havelock, Aug :st 1,1864.

Sir,—l have received a report from Dr. Hector on various specimens of rocks sent from Wellington to be examined by him, with also some Te»arks from him on points to which I called his attention in the Tirinity of Wellington, which latter are of so much interest that I need not apologise for mentioning them to you. He says, "I have been to see your plant beds" &c. a They are in the same series as the Upper Pieton beds, and are probably Mesozoic." "They remind mc very much of the strata which are coal-bearing on oar Wert Coast, and are probably of the same age as tbe Buller coals." " They are apparently unconformable upon the diorite slates that form the hill behind the town of Wellington." "I saw your Tera-iti blue slates with quartz veins." " They are undoubtedly the gold matrix, and very good-looking too."

Now if our carbonaceous rocks of the main range, whatever their age may be, are unconformable with the dioriterocks, we would then appear to have in our ranges underlying rocks likely for gold, and overlying rocks for coat The question of conformability, or the contrary, is just that point which I could never succeed in making out.

Dr. Hector states further, " When you return to Wellington yon should induce them to have the upper part of the right, or Western branch of theHutt river ** prospected." Follow it up till bars cross its bed and then fossick. Perhaps you have already done this, however."

It might be satisfactory to have the upper parts of these rivers again c_refull- trie—, -riz., tho Akatar-wa, and the main Hutt river itself, which I have not examined above its junction with the Akatarewa. But there is one reason against finding much " drift," gold in these parts, and that is shown above in thia letter. If the auriferous rocks are covered by rocks of a later age, the latter, during the " drift" period, would be the rocks to suffer degradation, while the auriferous rocks, protected by the carbonaceous sandstones, would not generally have been subjected to that -rearing away, washing, and sluicing of their particles, necessary for the deposit of auriferous drifts. On this supposition we should prinaptuy have to look for whatever gold there may be IB the veins of the rock itself.

Dr. Hector informs mc that in one of the specimens, So. 54, which ia marked in my list—Otaki river, soft slate with carbonate of lime reins—he found a speck of gold. This leads mc to flunk that many similar veins in the Otaki river, in the Wai-nui-o-mata, on the Karori road, and in fact in all directions among the ranges, formed of a soft, mullocky, Blaty stuff, c__traUy pyritous, and with veins of quartz and carounte of lime running through it, may prove to be Ktriferous, but whether these veins will contain saffietent gold to be remunerative is another question. The coal question I will not trouble you with further at present. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, James C. Crawford. Bus Honor I. E. Featherston, Superintendent, Wellington. On this the Independent remarks:—Dr. Hector, whose experience as a geologist no one will be disposed to question, states in the report alluded to, "That there is some probability of Wellington possessing a large Coalfield overlying a Gold formation." A valued correspondent who has seen this report writes as follows:—" In reference to the likelihood of a coalfield existing in this province, there are not wanting many facts which go far to prove it. Years ago one of Captain Smith's men told him he had wand coal in a gully between Wellington and Porirua, and Mr. Crawford, *I think, has also reported finding signs of coal in the latter place. Recently I wm told of coal at Terawitti —years ago a blacksmith bwng-t shales from Evan's Bay, and last week I sent Mr. Wuliam Lyon a specimen from Mr. Riddiford's ran, which appeared to mc rery good and like English Channel coal Now dot all those spots on a map and say whether they do not suggest th« probability of a large eo-lfield, which would be far more valuable to Wellington than gold diggings, because permanent, and -ibtding employment for shipping and labor. Lime w» have in abundance, and I think we shall find iron ■ad copper also. The gold deposit being covered ~«r generally, will probably not afford much work in river beds—it lias been prevented from being washed eat of its beds. I suspect if found, it will be by deep -fflkiag, which affords the most permanent and steady description of gold working. Mr. R. Beetham, who **• some time at the Victorian mines, expressed his woSdence fo-g g-Q jj,at gold would be found in the !»g_ at the back of Mr. M'Master-' station, Te Bom Burra. I have twice found gold here by the -•*« in which I now write —once a scale in the week, more recently in a piece of quartz. There was * paragraph in one of your papers from a Pc-orus correspondent describing a formation on the WsJ__marin_, where gold was being Procured, which so exactly applied to the formation at the back of this house, that I was t 0 ft out f or g ener9 | information, and *" agreed with mc. A person in Wellington gave mc *!piece of the same slate and quartz spoken of by Dr. Sector as being to promising, snd coming'from mt_w i_L I -——s induced To s_s_ for t—c to Wmg name to compare with a gold beftrillg pieflfi Of *°c same formation, which came from Bailarat, and ***3 like each other they are, excepting that the one *■•> *ad i_c other has not, gold in it," A_ yet prospecting for gold within this province **■ not been so successful as lead us to be very •anguine on the subject. But as the summer season

11> npproacninj, -when eiwflitjonj or the _in-i <-m j coi lucteii unter tlu- m->-t f-,v.int>l,- ciri-un^i-.ui.-e.-, : and fti moreover <i n'w;\rii of fiiwo »* ouored for \Uc ' of a p_v_l>le- s-01-f-el.i within the- jiruvimv, !it is possible that some of the many iUQLWS «o constantly passing through Wellington in »v :>.■ in hi -c 1 !to I".*! fin? alleged "auriterotu cli-iuc'leT of ills' Unncr Hutt."

| TnE Seat op Govebnttext Co_imisstoveh.s.— Up to the time of our going to press there were no tidinss of the s.s. Rangatira, from Wanganui. w is n the two Commissioners who remained in that district after the departure of Sir Francis Murphy. The steamer arrived at Wanganui on Thursday, and was expected to leave for Wellington on Friday night or Saturday morning, but no doubt she has been detained in con sequence of the S.E. gale which has been blowing. The Wanganui Chronicle, of Wednesday last, to hand by the overland mail, gives the following particulars relative to the Commissioners:—" The hon. Mr. Docker and Mr. Gunn went up the river on Monday, accompanied by his Honor the Superintendent and Lieut.Col. Logan. They will be back to morrow or nevt day, and will then leave for Wellington, where they will remain for four or five days, visiting tbe Hutt, kc They intend next to visit Pieton and Port Underwood, and to finish off with Nelson, from yvhich they will probably send their decision to Auckland. The Rangatira, which took Sir Francis Murphy to Wellington, had a stormy voya_e, and was obliged to take refuge in the Pelorus on Saturday, the day after she left this. Thence she made her waj on Sunday to Queen Charlotte's Sound, giving Sir Francis Murphy time to walk round Pieton. Sbe was detained in the Sound till yesterday by the bad weather, which kept the Wanganui in Wellington harbor. Here the wind has been by no means so boisterous as to prevent the departure of a steamer."— Advertiser, September 6.

Alexantjra. Troop of Laxcers—This troop may now be s*id to be nearly formed. They have elected Mr. Harrison, of Warrengate, as their Captain ; Mr. Towgood, as Lieutenant ; Mr. John Hoyve, as Cornet ; and Mr. Sheild, of Okinui, as Troop Sergeant Major. The troop has been furnished with lances, the gay pennons of which give them a very pictures pie appearance when proceeding at a smart pace. They are also armed with a rifled carbine and a revolver.— Wanganui Chronicle, September 3.

Sale of Town Property.—The estate of the late Dr. George Rees was submitted to public competition at the sale rooms of Mr. W. Finnimorc, on Thursday, Ist inst. The attendance was good and the competition brisk. Total amount realised £1119—with several allotments unsold.— lbid.