A DAY AT KAKAHU.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3384, 1 August 1885, Page 3

A DAY AT KAKAHU.

(FBOSI A TB&YEIXINQ COHBESrONDENT.) Having had somo experience m goldmining, and having seen a good many coal measures, I availed myself of the offer by Mr Job Brown, of Temuks, of a drive to the locality of the supposed coal deposits at Kakahu. Unfortunately the weather was not very pleasant, but a very interesting day was spent nevertheless m prospecting for coal. Tho spot lies about four miles un tho valley, boyond the Hilton Hotel. We secured the kindly services of Mr Qco. Meredith, junr., to guide us, and no better man could be found, for he knows overy inch of the locality, having spent nil his life among those hills, and having worked for some two years with his father m tho coal. Arming ourselves with ft pick and Bhovel, we found, on both sides of tho rivor, coal — good, solid, bright epecimens— over an area of fully a mile. Wo discovered two very fine well-defined beds, one m the flat, which, owing to tho water, would not be easy to work, and tho other about 60 feet abovo the water level. This latter was a seam 18 inches thick, running nearly north and south, dipping eastward at about an angle of 50 degrees. We knocked out a sackful of clean, hard, black, shiny coal, m lumps of about the size of a hat. We saw several beds of coal m tho riverbed, plainly visible for yards, the late fresh m tho river having washed the upper strata from the top, and thus uncovered it to view. We visited the shafts which Mr Meredith, senr., had sunk to a depth of about 80 feet, and from which he had got out a quantity of coal, but owing to not having sufficient motivo power or appliances to keep down tho water, it eventually beat him out. One gentleman who had burned soven tons of the coal told mo he could not wish for better for steam purposes, and had ordered a largo quantity more, but did not succeed m petting it. There is a peculiar smell observable m the flat, especially whore tho water is stagnant, reminding ono of tho sower by the Timaru Gasworks. Thoro is every outward appearance of large bods of coal existing m tho Kaknhu, and doubtless there aro ecveral lnyers, one under the other, as was discovered by the Merediths when they sank their deep shaft, also by Mr B. Pi'lbrow. Whether there is a thicker deposit than yet found has to he proved, and doubtless tho boring rods would soon settle the fact. Boveral of tho owners of property, upon whoeo lands tho coal exists, oro prepared to give an undertaking to any Company formed for testing the resources of tho Kakahu, only to charge a cortain royalty, to bo decided upon, if workable coal is found upon their land, of, say, probably Is or Is 6d per ton. Tho Government Inspector of Alines visited the Kakahu a few days ago, and, I believe, expressed himself satisfied of tho existence of good payable coal, but I feel confident he did not sco as much ovidonco of it as wo saw. Besides coal, thoro is also good, pure white pipo clay m largo quantities, and marble, though all that could bo seen m quantities has mostly been taken by Mr Langdown.'tho leoßco of Educational reserve, for limo burning. Ho spont many hundreds of pounds m erecting a largo kiln on tho Hoffmann principle, which now stands unused. The scenery where tho marble quarries aro situated on tho Bteop elopes through whichjtho Kakahu river rushes, is very grand. Having heard Mint, gold had been obtained by several persons from this river bod at different times — ono man having got ovor two ouncos— we tried prospects with a tin dish from Boveral places, but did not auccceed m getting the " color." We brought samples of tho raarblo, pipe clay, and also of the coal, both from tho lower lovol and from tho highor, together with samples of tho strata, above tho soam and below it, also a kind of, white sand resembling a light moist Bugar, which, it is asserted, would make plate glass. Theso specimens may be inspected at tho office of tno TimarK Herald by any person interested m tho subject.