REPORT OF THE TRIAL OF GREY AND BULLER COAL.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 44, 10 April 1866, Page 3

REPORT OF THE TRIAL OF GREY AND BULLER COAL.

K?MABKS. The Grey coal cakes in burning, and makes a hollow fire, forming a small quantity of light clinker that does not adhere to the bars. Light ash only falls through the fire-bars, and a considerable quantity of white ash passes up the chimney, leaving a dark grey sandy kind of dust in the tubes and firebox. The smoke is small in quantity, and the coal is tender, and likely to break small in being moved from ship to ship. The Buller coal is a more open burning coal, and does not cake, forming a rather closer clinker than the other, and leaves a sooty deposit in the tubes and fire-box, more like the Hartly North of England coal ; and gives off a black smoke. No stoking tool was used in burning the samples of both kinds of coal, and nothing seems to be required beyond throwing the coal on to the fire ; and the quantities of each clinker are not greater than that of the North of England coal. The evaporative power of this coal is about the average of that of North of England coal, as supplied to the service, but ifc is not quite so rapid, and requires a rather longer time to boil off a given quantity of water. The trial on the 17th November, was made with the bars half-an-inch apart ; the remaining trials, with the bars about three-eighths of an inch apart. J. Tbickett, Chief Engineer. A. Patbzdge, Assistant. Woolwich Dockyard, December 18, 1865. REPORT OF WARDEN OF GOLD-FIELDS, AND ESTIMATES OF EECEIPTS AND EXPENDITUEE. In his report, dated the 20th of February last, Mr. Kinnersley remarks, in furnishing the estimated expenditure on the gold-field for the ensuing year, that there is a great difficulty in making a proximate estimate of the revenue and expenditure on a gold-field, subject to constant recurring changes, and that it is quite possible within the time mentioned half the present population on the Grey might be drawn ofl' to newly discovered ground to the southward, or that the present number of inhabitants might be doubled by new discoveries in Nelson. He observes, " that the general tendency of the miners for the last two or three months has been towards j the northward, and that the continued demand for miners' rights, the number of applications for races, &c, the scarcity of people out of work, and consequent high rate of wages, the frequent discoveries of new beaches and terraces along the beach to the northward of the Grey (most of them barely remunerative at the present high rate of wages and provisions, bnt all of which must eventually be wrought), and the gradual adoption of working (more especially up the river at Bed Jack's and Nelson's creeks) as shown by the construction of large water-races and other extensive works — all afford evidence of the stability and progressive prosperity of this gold-field. The neceßsary expenditure is Bet down by the Warden at £6,000, under the following heads ;—

£ Warden's Department: Two wardens, £650; clerk, and contingencies, £350 . . . 1,000 Police : Cobden — one sergeant, at 12s. per day ; throe constables, at 11s. 6d., including one acting as gaoler, £857 15s. Twelvemile — one sergeant-major, 15s. 6d. ; three constables, one acting as warden's clerk, £977 ss. No-Town — two constables. Ahaura— two ditto, at 13s. 6d., £985 10s. Total Police salaries 2,811 In addition to this, there are expenses of establishing Police Station at Ahaura ; conveyances of prisoners, lunatics, &c. ; puri chase of horses and forage, &c. . . . 889 Gaol Department 300 Greymouth Hospital 500 Navigation of Grey river, removing snags, and maintenance of Signal Station . . 500 Total Estimated Expenditube . £6,000 The Warden gives it as his opinion, that the Police force will not bear a reduction from the above. Ho says :—": — " Several cases of eticking-up have occurred lately, and reported cases of petty theft and assaults are becoming mofe frequent, and crime generally is apparently on the increase on this gold-field, chiefly, I believe, in consequence of the Canterbury police force having been largely increased lately, whereby the bad characters had been driven further north* ward." In the gaol department, provision is made only for four prisoners, constantly at Cobden. The erection of the hospital at Greymouth, and some other expenses attending the institution, had cost about £590, to meet which £593 6s. had been subscribed. The building was ready for use, and only awaiting the grants which it was understood the two Governments of Canterbury and Nelson were to make on its behalf. The probable direct revenue, estimated by tho Warden, was £6,000, under the following heads : — 3,000 miners' rights . . . £3,000 250 business licences . . . 1,250 35 publicans' licenses . . . 1,05.0 Warden's Court — fines and fees . 500 Registration Court .... 200 • £6,000 " With regard to my estimate of the probable re*, venue, I may remark," says the Warden, " that not only here, but on other gold-fields, the miners' rights always produce about half the direct revenue ; and I do not think that I have by any means over-esti-mated them at £250 per month." Speaking of the public workß, the Warden says :— With regard to public works, I may observe that the Cobden wharf, is completed, but not yet jjassed, as it is not finished in a workmanlike manner, accord* ing to specification. Bright-street is so far completed that drays may pass over the whole length of it ; but although it is all metalled (to a width of twelve feet), it is still very soft and boggy in many places, and will require more draiuage, and absorb a good deal more metal before it can be considered a good practicable road for cart; traffic. The roads most urgently required at present are, in my opinion, good bridle tracks over the Bluff at Point Elizabeth, four miles north of the Grey. There is at present a track over Point Elizabeth, made by Messrs. Williams and Montgomery, and for which they are authorized to charge tolls ; but as they are protected from competition and authorized to charge tolls, and as there is no condition in their protectiongrant compelling them to keep their road in repair, they have allowed it to get into an almost impassable state, and do not seem disposed to repair it, although; they still endeavour to collect the tolls. Under these circumstances, I think it advisable to purchase their track from them at a valuation, and I would strongly recommend that it be put in a complete state of repair. Having passed Point Elizabeth, pack-horses can get round, at low water, all the bluffs, for; about twenty-two miles to the northward of the Grey, except one at about fourteen miles to the northward, at tho southern extremity of the long sandy beach known as the " Seventeen-mile Beach." I have received an application for protection for a track on this bluff, but I am not yet satisfied with the probable cost of it. I think I shall grant protection for it for a limited period, and power to charge tolls, provided that the road is kept in a tolerable state of repair. I granted a prospecting claim a few days ago for 1 * a terrace about twenty miles to the northward. Three or four hundred men went out to it, but most of them have returned, reporting that there is a large extent of likely-looking ground, but none of it" good enough to remunerate men for carrying provisions on their backs round difficult rocks. I believe that the beaches and low alluvial terraces between here and the Miko Cliffs are practically inexhaustible, and that any expenditure on making good bridle tracks over Point Elizabeth and the other bluffs, fourteen miles to the northward of the Grey, would be judicious, and would be quickly returned to the Treasury, by its being the cause of a large extent of ground being taken up which is scarcely pay- - able at present, but which, if roads were made and provisions consequently cheaper, would give employment to hundreds. I subjoin, for the information of his Honour the , Superintendent, an estimate of the population, more ' for the purpose of showing where the greatest num- ' bers are situated than for any other reason : — Population. Cobden and North Beach . . . 1,400 Little Grey (Mawhera-iti) ... 600 Maori Creek, Red Jack's, Nelson's Creek, and other creeks to the weßt of Ahaura 2,000 Noble's, Sullivan's, Teviot, and Duffer gullies, and others to the eastward of Ahaura 1,200 Black Ball and other Creeks to the northward of the Grey . . . 100 Twelve-Mile Township and Ahaura . 100 Total .... 5,400 The terraces at Red Jack's are proving- highly auriferous, and there is now a considerable population occupying a large extent of ground at Nelson's Creek (the largest creek between the Ahaura and Arnold). Mr. Lightband visited the Nelson Creek workings a few days ago, and reports moßt favourably, both of the quantity and quality of auriferous ground in that district. Five or six hundred men continue to work up the Little Grey, to which place there was a rush last month; but I have not heard any news of any importance from that river lately. There are still frequent inquiries made about the agricultural sections at Coal Creek. Several persons have commenced clearing their sections, and there is every probability that this will prove an important and valuable tract of country. There has been lately a new rush to a point nearly at the top of the coast range immediately behind or to the eastward of Point Elizabeth. I visited the place on Monday (19th February) to settle some mining disputes, and found 200 or 300 men on the ground, and was surprised to find terraces of a great depth of alluvial drift (or in digger's phrase, " made ground "), even to the very top of the range. There is a little very fine gold all through the dirt ; and the only difficulty to contend with in working is the scarcity of water, there being apparently no water procurable on the top of the range, except from the rain-fall. However, there is no doubt that, with improved methods of working, these terraces will eventually afford remunerative employment to a large population.

Lbs. oi evape to lib. consi r "Water >rated of Coal mned. Cubic Feet of Water evaporated per hour. Per cental ;eof Date of Trial. I*B . "3 §*S | <o 3 8 5 ■lIS IS oho h g) 1 1 b 1 1 I I I 1885. BE E I I CO i A L. lbs. lbs. |i jcubic ft.l loubic ft. for. 17 864 90 3761 3917 0-53 i 4-32 4-86 » 29 909 9-49 40-85 42-64 032 2-91 2-23 )ec. 1 909 947 42-2 43-97 0-29 2-68 2-97 » 4 8.5 9-9 43-43 45-25 0-27 31 3-37 lean 908 9-46 4102 42-76 035 3-25 3-6 I I I EE C I OAI, >cc. 13 9-41 983 142-08 43-92 0-911 3-3 4-21