GEOLOGICAL FEATURES. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 1584, 1 April 1882, Page 12

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES. TO THE EDITOR.

Sm,— Your journal being the only ono that roally circulates throughout the goldflclds, I would bo glad if you could find room to give publicity to some friendly controverses that are at prosont engaging both the attention of tho public and lninera of this part of Otago. Increased interest has been given to these friondly discussions owing to the recent Denton lectures and tho correspondence connected therewith.

I btart *ith the arguments imod and quostions asked in regard and explanatory of tho workings of Nature. Tho first question is, What made tho mountains of Otago so high, rough, ragged, and broken? Some assert that this in due to volcanic influence, qnd that they weio raised by subterranean action. 1 say that the action of water was the cause of their rugged and broken character. Let me illustrate this by pointing to the river and creoka of Otago. They act in their operations likeaminer ground- iluicing. Ho takes away matter from ono place and deposit* it in another. Earthquakes have caused many rents in tho rocks, and has greatly helped upon the above principles to create a rugged effect, just as a miner undermines a bank of rock or clay, arid thon cuts a trench behind it, which he fills with water. Tho rocks or bank of clay then fall more quickly and easily. If Otago had not such a fall to tho ocean, rents caused by earthquakes would hardly be noticed ; but now the crocks and rivers have cut their way several thousand feet through the former bowels of tho earth— that means upon a slanting position. The layers of the rock are also everywhere upon a slanting position. During a heavy thunderstorm or under the effects of heavy rain, rocks and earth come sliding into the creeks and rivers, and are afterwards gradually carried off. No doubt Borne are sceptical, and inquire how immense masses of rock weighing hundreds of tone are thug carried away. They should remember that all the elements of nature can do wonderful work, especially if thousands of years arc given for its performance and three good " mates "to assist in the operation. These ate s*nd, gravel, and stonos. It is often asserted that the crust of this globe in the beginning was one of liquid fire, and which has been gradually cooled down. If such was the case we should find the bed rock something like the solid cast* iron mutal that has come out of a furnace. Instead of that we find the layers and the seams of the rock as regular as the leaves of a book to the depth of some thousand? of feet in the bowels of the earth, Coal was found originally in the Old Country some hundreds of years ago upon the surface of the earth. It ia now mined for at a depth of several thousands of feet. Where would our coals be if the crust of the earth had been one of liquid fire? If the crust hod been one of liquid fire where wou d our limestone be ? It would require no burning ; it would only need slackening or digging out like pipeclay. Some assort that great forests bavo been transformed into coal. If such was the case we should find all through the earth great coalfields hundreds of miles in area. Some pick up specimens of stone, and find in them shells and other curiosities. They tay they, are tho ram ims of the volcanic period ; but it is neither more nor lens than a sediment of shells, fishes, arid other articles that were covered with a sediment, and ai the waters receded they became congealed into a Rtone. Wb find beds of these shells and fishes on the West Coast at a depth of from 60 to 100 feet. The sediment there is not, however, quite so hard ac on the Canterbury side. It is more of a slaty or greasy nature. It should, however, be remembered that on the Canterbury side of tbe dividing ranpo the coun,try i-) more formed, apparently older, while that on the West Coast may be said to be in course of formation. Whether I am right or not in my views, I have en* deavoured to set forth as clearly an possible somo of tho important problem*, that are now attracting attention on the goldflelds nf Otago. They at loast show that interest is being taken upon the subject, and that the field is ripe for tho sickle of the geological lecturer.— l am, &c, Georok RkiljEY, Colonial gold-miner. Shotover River, March 26th. ,