EXPLORATIONS AT MOUNT EDEN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4198, 3 September 1874, Page 3

EXPLORATIONS AT MOUNT EDEN.

At the last meeting of the Auckland 'lnijti-, tute, Mr. J. C. Firth read a paper ." On Deep Sinking in the Volcanic Beds of Mount Eden." He prefaced the reading by stating that,'he first commenced "sinking on his grounds: at Mount Eden in 1873. Ho was induced to do so by the. fact of. numerous springs existing around the sides of the mountain, notably one on the property of Mr. Seccombe, which yielded daily 80,000 gallons df excellent water. In digging tjhrough strata,''after strata, it appeared as though ho :were turning over the leaves of an ancient volume. Mr., Firth proceeded to show the' various strata, with their peculiar, formation,, through which ho pene- ' trated. Ho considered that he had sunk I through the evidences of seven distinct erup. .tions. Commencing at 329 ft. flbove the".sea lovel, ho sunk to a depth of 212 ft., being about 30ft. below the level of Mr. Seccombe's' well. The first 12ft. consisted of clay, with a substratum i of, ; the ' same depth , of blue scoria. He/then came to' 12ft. of- loose scoria, succeeded by Bft. of hard blue rock, intermingled with patches of quartz. .The next 42ft. was of loose boulders and scoria asb, and'underlying that was 9ft. of hard blue;, rock, This ! waa the general character ;of i the exploration to a, depth .of 101 ft. ! Henow camo upon 4ft. of sulphur and "yellow;aslies, mingled with rpck of,a porous Hatijre. ! ] This ; was succeeded by "■ 12ft. of close-grained hard ■ blue ' rock. •' This was succeeded by a stratum of basaltic ro'ckl i'Next i camo,36ft... of rod scoria ashes ; and rough clinkers, and. beneath , that: 4ft. of blueish grey rock overlaying 2ft. of-close grained rock of an Indian! red color, with 2ft.. offbardblue rock underneathi Many of these Wcka were'hoaey-eombedj and, emitted a cold

air. The next deposit was of baked clay, Ift. in thickness, in which fernroots were embedded, which crumbled, away in a Bort : of'white ash -when handled. N«xt followed a bed of gravel Bix inches thick and very'fine, followed by 2ft. of thick hard red scoria,: and below this a foot in thickness of close blue scoria. Tlub was at a depth of 180 ft. This was succeeded by a bed of volcanic mud, perforated with cylindrical holes, in which remnants of timber tree.-) were embedded. 1 He next came upon a formation resembling-stratified sandstone, eighteen inches in ; thickness, .of.;.' a-; very marked and distinct character. Traces hero were discovered of something resembling the pampa grass of New Zealand. Jieneath this was a bed of 18in. thick of an earth resembling red ochre. Continuing the excavation led to a bed of:scoria 26ft. thiok,.with.mr bubble's and*'transversed" with : seams. The appearance of this stratum suggested- the opinion that this; had been under water. Mr.-, Firth said his interest increased-with each successive step in the exploration, and that he' was compensated sufficiently for the - trouble he had gone to. There was, more or less, distinct evidence of no lesß than six volcanic eruptions. He believed that, * freshwater lake had been formed in ;the ancient crater. The last eruption must have-occurred many centuries ago,- from the :fact of 12ft. of brown soil overlying all. Mr. Firth illustrated-, his very interesting paper With diagrams, and specimens of 'the various formations upon which he'came in the;.course of his excavations. The discussion of Mr. Firth's paper was deferred until the next .meeting of the Institute," to afford members time and opportunity of investigating the subject, y