DR. HOCHSTETTER'S VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 94, 23 November 1859, Page 4

DR. HOCHSTETTER'S VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND.

[From tho Sydney Herald, October 18.] The colonists of New Zealand have been greatly indebted to the Austrian Government for a fuller acquaintance vuth the geology and the physical geography of the islands they have adopted as their home than they previously had. The visit at Auckland of the Novara frigate, which has been round the world on a voyage of scientific inquiry, and especially the prolonged stay of Dr. Hochsteiter, who left his ship that he might prosecute more fully his examination into the natural marvels of New Zealand, has dvine much to throw fresh light on the characteristics of the island, and to stimulate as well as pave the way for further investigations. New Zealand offers almost a virgin -soil for the scientific observer. The coun'.ry is only half explored, while at the same time, it is full of those characteristics which are as interesting to the popular mind as they are significant to the man of science.

Dr. Hochstetter delivered a lecture in Auckland, in which he explained in a popular manner the chief points of interest iii his cruise through the northern part of that province, and we directed attention to that lecture at the time. Since then he received an invitation from the people of Nelson, to make an examination of the district round their town, to which he acceded, and he delivered a lecture there also, expository of the result of his trip, which lecture we find reported pretty fully in the Nelson Examiner of October Ist. The learned doctor had only time to inspect a portion of the northern half of the province of Nelson, but the territory is so rich in matter for observation, that, limited as his inspection was, he found much to report that was of great present interest to the inhabitants. The point on which they were particularly anxious to hear his opinion was as to the mineral prospects of the colon)', on which the greatest hopes of a rapid advance in commercial prosperity have been based. The agriculture of the province is necessarily limited, and though its pastoral development progresses at an encouraging rate, the colonists are naturally anxious to find that their territory is fit for other uses than mere sheep walks, and can sustain a more numerous population than can ever attach to the pastoral stage ot civilization. In the absence of manufactures, which can only be of very gradual and perhaps distant growth, the exhumation of the mineral deposits of the colony is hopefully looked to as a source of wealth and employment.

Dr. Hochstetter has furnished some encouragement to these hopes. Nature has done much for the province, though not so much as to dispense with skill, paiience, and industry on the part of the inhabitants ; and it will depend, therefore, to a large extent on the degree in which these qualities are exhibited, whether the mineral resources of the colony will add quickly and largely to its prosperity, or whether they will continue to remain imprisoned. The great range of mountains that runs north and south down the Middle Island of New Zealand, sends off towards its northern extremity a spur to the north-east. In the wedge-shaped basin enclosed between these two ranges lies the settled part of the district of Nelson, and which, being well sheltered, enjoys an agreeable and salubrious climate. The eastern range, and the western range, and the Valley between them, all possess different geological peculiarities, especially with regard to their mineral characteristics. In general outline, Dr. Hochstetter remarks, that to the left will be found gold, to the right copper, and in the valley between the two will be found coal. The extent to which any or all of these deposits can be worked profitably, must depend partly upon local conditions of cost of carriage and labour, and upon the market price of the articles in question.

It is in the clay-slate zone of the great western range of the Middle Island that the matrix of the gold is found. As observations made at the northern extremity of this range, in the province of Nelson, concur with observations made at the southern extremity of the range in Ot*»go, Dr. Hochstetter conjectures that the formation may extend along the whole range continuously ; though this has not been proved by actual inspection. In this case, all the three provinces of the Middle Island may become, more or less, gold-bearing countries. The broken nature of the ranges leads to gold being found in these different sorts of localities ; first, in its original position in the quartzose constituents of the mica and clay-slate formations ; secondly, in the conglomerates on the slopes of hills, where it has been washed, in consequence of the disintegration of the original formation ; and thirdly, in the gulleys, where that which has not been detained on the hill sides has fallen. It is in gulleys and in the conglomerate that the diggers in the Aorere gold-fields have worked. The former have furnished the largest individual " finds ;" but the latter is rich enough to remunerate a combination of capital and labour — a cubic yard of the soil yielding in some cases from twenty-five to thirty shillings worth of gold. A Mr. Washbourne, who is working at it, pays his men ten shillings a day, and can still afford to make a profit. The area of the goldfield is about thirty square miles, and it therefore affords a scope for a steady sifting of its resources for many years to come, at a modest rate of remuneration. Dr. Hochstetter reports that about two hundred and fifty diggers were there, earning on an average about twelve shillings per day. He confutes the notion common among the diggers that gold is found only on the western slopes, but does not hold out the prospect of any quartz reefs being discovered that will pay for the working. The Aorere Valley is not the only gold-field in the province of Nelson ; it has already been discovered in other localities, and Dr. Hochstetter predicts that further research will bring to light several more. In the ranges. west of the town of Nelson copper has been found, the mine on the Dun Mountain having already attracted speculation. The copper is here found in the serpentine formation, and it is characteristic of deposits of this nature that the copper does not run in regular lodes, but in nests and bunches. The richer deposits of ore form lenticular-shaped masses, which when followed may increase to a certain distance, but then disappear again in a

thin wedge. Under these circumstances, there fore, mining is a much moss risky operatio than when the miner can follow regular lode.s

The Pnkawau gold-field reaches from Paku wav to West Wauganui. The soil is of an en tirely different character to the brown coal o other parts of New Zealand, and, when thick seams of it are opened, free from slate. Tl.i Doctor thinks it will be found a valuable stcan coal. It remains, however, by boring, to d'n> cover some spot within available reach of eco nomicfil transit, where the seam possesses th. requisite thickness. When this is done, tin Nelsnnites may cease to import coal. Th brown coal, like the Auckland coal, exists alsc at Motupipi.

In the caves at ('"llingwood Dr. Iloch stetter found some fine specimens of the bones? of the extinct species of the gigantic Dinoruis, and the deeper he dug the larger were tinskeleton forms he uncovered, from which he inferred that the race dwindled in size. " Whilst at the very same period in the old world, elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotami — in South America, gigantic bloths and armadillos — in Australia, gigantic kangaroos, wombats, and daysures »ere living — tlie colossal forms of animal life were represented in NewZealand by gigantic birds, who walked the shores then untrod by the foot of any quadruped." Dr. Hochstetter has prepared the outline of a geological map of the province of Nelson, and he has also prepared a topographical map of a large part of the province of Auckland. Some of the lake district has been laid down on a scale of three miles to an inch, and one spot of particular interest has been drawn to the scale of six inches to the mile. It is to be hoped that his labours will prove an incentive toothers to follow in his track, the British savans will not leave to foreigners a monopoly of the honour of unfolding the characteristics of British territory. In this matte; there may be an honourable emulation.

Dr. Hochstetter left Sydney on Saturday, intending to pay short visit to the Victorian gold-fields prior to his return to Europe. The result of the Novara expedition will be published, by authority at Vienna; but ive understand that an English edition will also be prepared ol those parts of the work that relate to Australasia and the Cape of Good Hope — a publication that will have great interest for the colonies, and that will doubtless be eagerly received.