ABSTRACT REPORT OF THE PROGRESS OF MR, HECTOR'S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW ZEALAND DURING 1866-7.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 900, 14 December 1867, Page 2

ABSTRACT REPORT OF THE PROGRESS OF MR, HECTOR'S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW ZEALAND DURING 1866-7.

West Coast of the South Island. (Continued from our last,) After my visit to Taranaki, the remainder of the season was devoted, to the geological survey ofthe western districts ofthe provinces of Nelson and Canterbury, principally with the view of tracing tne distribution and extent of the auriferous and coal deposits. The great extent of the area, and tho natural difficulties which attended its examination permitted only of a most cursory j investigation of these points being made in the short period at my disposal ; but, the results obtained are sufficient to indicate the direction future exact survey J should take. Before proceeding to describe the principal points which have been established, I will briefly indicate the order in which the different districts were examined and the journeys which were made. After a short exploration of the mineral ranges east of Nelson, I proceeded by Motueka and the Takaka valley, to Motupipi and Collingwood, where I examined the abandoned, although I consider by no j means exhausted, Gold Fields. This work, and the examination of the West Coast from Cape Farewell south to Kikurangi Point, including the West Wanganui and Pakawau Coal districts, occupied the months of November and December, and I then proceeded by Mackay's track up the Aorere river to the W r est Coast, at the mouth of the Whakopohia or Hcaphy river, crossing by a pass having an altitude of 3000 feet. This track was cut many years ago by the Government, and with very little additional expense might have been made available for horses, but this would now | involve a large expenditure. The natural j facilities are however so great that it is certain sooner or later to be re-opened as a line of communication with the West Coast. The principal requirements aro a few rough bridges over steep banked tributaries ofthe Aorere, a little side cutting on the ascent to the Pass, and the cutting of a track down the valley of the Heaphy river, which latter would require rather a large outlay. After making the coast, a few difficulties would again have to be overcome before reaching the Kohaihai river, and also for a few miles where a track would require to be cut through the bush, between tho south end of the Karamea plain and the Mokihinui river ; but with these exceptions, there are no difficulties now remaining which prevent horses passing, I may almost say', from Bruce Bay to Colling- | wood, a stretch of coast equal in extent to that from Timaru to Blenheim on the east side of the Island. While I crossed to the West Coast by the above-mentioned route, Mr. Hacket, who was engaged to assist me during the summer, returned by way of Motueka to the Wangapeka River, there to await" my return to the east side of the mountains by following up the Karamea River. Inclement weather and the flooded state of the rivers, prevented my following out this arrangement, and I was constrained to lollow J down the Coast to the Buller River. Seeing no prospect of an abatement of -the j floods, on the 10th of January 1867 I returned by steamer to Nelson, and from j thence rejoined Mr. Hacket at the appointed rendezvous on the Wangapeka |

The examination of the Mount Arthur Ranges, and the sources of the Wangapeka, Batten and Karamea Rivers, occupied three weeks ; and, having. examined the features of this district with considerable care, I may take this opportunity of stating with regard to the supposed existence of easy passes through the ranges at this point to the West Coast — which I understand has recently excited some controversy in the Province of Nelson— that the reports of Mr. John Rochfort on this subject, published in 1863, convey a clear and accurate account of the country in question. Ido not know of any pass by which an easy or inexpensive road could be made from either the Batten or Wangapeka Rivers to the Karamea. There are several spurs of easy ascent from the eastward ; but the descent to the valley of the Karamea is everywhere extremely difficult. The most useful track for the diggers, although only available in tho summer, would be one leading round the north flank of Mount Arthur to what is known as the Salisbury Plateau, where there is some prospect of a goldfield, and from which a descent might be effected to the north branch of the Karamea without much difficulty. For the purpose of reaching the south branch of the Karamea, the track marked out by Mr. Rochfort from the head of the Wangapeka is undoubtedly the best, and has been frequently travelled by prospectors during the past summer. At the source of the Karamea I again separated from Mr. Hacket, who returned to Nelson, and thence by steamer to Greymouth, while I crossed to the source ofthe Mokihinui river, and followed it to the coast. This was a line of route attempted by Mr. Rochfort when searching for a pass to the Lyell River in 1864, but he abandoned it a few miles from the Mokihinui. I thus passed through one of the most rugged and impracticable districts I have examined in New Zealand ; and though a very short route, and opening up useful, and, I think, auriferous patches of country, it would require too large an expenditure to render it available even for foot travellers ; especially as those portions of the valley which will probably attract diggers can be reached with moderate facility from the Karamea Plains and source of the Little Wanganui River. An accident which disabled me at this stage of my explorations, caused a considerable loss of time ; so that I was seventeen days in reaching the Buller River from the source of the Mokihinui ; and it was not till the 7th of March that I had completed the examination of the Mount Rochfort coal field and the surrounding districts — including the gold diggings at Pakihi's and Fox's — (Charlestown and Brighton). The time devoted to this examination, though quite disproportionate to the interests which will be involved in the future development of this district, was sufficient to enable me to form a confident opinion of its resources. From the Buller I travelled to Greymouth, and from there visited the surrounding districts as far interior as the source of the Little Grey. The survey of the Davy Mountains occupied a long period, but the district is so extensive and the geology so complicated that the result was merely a preliminary examination of the coal formation. In the month of April, through the courtesy of His Honor the Superintendent of Canterbury, I joined the party of the " Westland Commission," and had an opportunity of seeing the coast and touching at various points as far south as Milford Sound. A great part of the coast thus visited can only be examined in this manner, as a traveller along the beach would acquire no correct idea of the features of the narrow strip of country which lies between the sea and the crest of the mountains. Notes of this excursion are appended hereto. After visiting the various Gold Diggings on the West Coast I crossed by the mail road to Christchurch, and thence overland by the inland route between the Kaikoura and Spencer Mountains to Blenheim and Picton, and returned to Wellington on the 23rd May, after an absence in the field of eight months exactly. Marlborough and Eastern Nelson. In November last Mr. Buchanan was instructed to proceed to the Kaikoura Mountains and the East Coast of the Province of Marlborough, for the purpose of collecting specimens of fossils, rocks, and plants from this district which has hitherto received hardly any attention from observers. After an expedition extending over nine weeks, in the course of which he ascended the Lookeron or Seaward Kaikouras, and examined the valleys and coast line as far south as Motunau in the Province of Canterbury; he returned with a large series of valuable specimens which are deposited in the Museum. Irom an examination of these specimens I find the following formations to be represented in this district : — 1. Post Tertiary, sands and gravels forming terraces along the courses of the rivers and fringing the coast. Occasionally these gravels cover ancient forests, which, in some cases, are shewn by sections on the sea coast tp be submerged below the present sea level. 2. Pliocene. — A. Newer great terrace drift formation. Older blue clays of marine origin containing abundant fossil remains of mollusca and cetaceans, many of the former being of species still living in the neighbouring seas. 3. Miocene. — A. Red and white crag limestone, fossiliferous. B. Clay marls and greensands. These are marine formations characterised by a proportion of fossils, mostly of forms now extinct. C. In certain districts tlie above are underlaid by the brown coal formation. 4. Cretaceo Terticm-y. — A. Chalk marls, evidently of marine origin, but containing few fossils. These marlspass into pure chalk, and even crystalline limestone in some cases. B. Ferruginous clays, with septaria, containing upper secondary fossils (the Amuri beds). C. Sandstone and grit with plants, representing the West Coast Coal Fields, are present probably at Motunau. o. Lower Secondary.— lndurated green and brown sandstone and shales (corresponding to the Richmond series near Nelson). These form lower ranges flanking the Kaikouras ; no fossils were obtained, but the marked lithological character of the beds leave no doubt as to their presence. 6. Schistose rocks of various ages, from tho Maitai slates to the foliated mica schist. 7. Hornblendic rocks associated with serpentine bands.