CHEVIOT ESTATE.

Star (Christchurch), 30 September 1893, Page 6

CHEVIOT ESTATE.

— — _* VALUABLE MINERAL DEPOSIT ' DISCOVERED. INDICATIONS OF ABTESIAN WATEE. [FBOM OUB SPECIAJJ CORBJiSPO__toE-.T."l WELLINGTON. Sept. 29. Sir James Hector, who recently visited the Cheviot Estata to investigate the supposed discovery of coal there, reports that what was thought to be coal -proves to be merely a few blocks of driftwood cemented into lignite and embedded in one of the sand layers, but not forming anything like a workable seam, being in irregular masses like compressed timber. If a solid 6eam over six feet thiok of this lignite could be found, it would afford a fairly useful fuel, but under the.cucumstances euch a discovery is not probable. Sir James Hector doeß not, however, conclusively report against the presence of coal on the estate.' On the contrary, he states that there are four localities where pure greeneand strata are exposed, and where COAL MIGHT BE FOOND —at the port, near The Brothers (two sandstone rocks in the lower part of the Valley of Jed), at Marchlaw, on the north slope of the Valley of Jed, and on a leading spur running north from Mount Caverhill. He certainly adviseß that search should be made in all faces above Marchlaw. Of these localities he writes aB follows :—" On the north slope of the Valley of Jed, at Marchlaw, a short way below the homestead, the seotion, though obscure, .hows the presence of the concretionary greensands and conglomerates, and at thia place they appear to overlie clay beds that give rise to an extensive landslip, which has affected the surface. Just above where th_ quarry has been opened in the green eandstone, which ia here associated with coarse conglomerate, ih the creek from thie slip liarge masses of highly indurated carbonaceous shale' have, been found, with etreaka aad;' ..films.' o£ bright coal adhering :to them... JMr Sinclair, a very old resident ih the diatriot,: gave me & fragment; fromia large block. of mica eandstone, of exactly the earne mineral appeaiance au the cover of -the Greymouth coal. This is the first time I' have: heard of a sandstone. of this kind occurring on tho eastern side, of the mountains, and it waa unfortunate, that owing to the ddbris from the slip I had not a chance of verifying this, important discovery. However, it may be noted that in the greensand, mica is of far more frequency than in some beds at Waipara and in the Malvern Hill coalfields." Sir Jamea further reports that on the estate there A DKPOSIT OF OTOTABA BTONE, ' known locally as Weka Pass sandstone, and calcareous, sand, sometimes extremely pure and even-grained, the particles cemented with infiltrated lime. : The t>tratum gives the well known "Oamaru," that is so extensively used for building purposes. At the base of the stone are found nodules of lime phoßphats. One of these was analysed, and the result shows that the proportion, of phosphoric, acid.ia. -nearly.. UDit'oraa throughout, and that .-the mineral would, have a certain value for agricultural purpose* when finely- pulverised. .These are on the estate • ' .DEPOSITS OF .AMURI LIMESTONE, • varying from' 60ft to 100 ft in thiokness. Xhis is well known as the hydraulic cement atone, and. is -largely used in the manufacture of cement at Mahurangi and Whangarei, in. the north of Auckland. .Tr.o camples of the limestone taken for i analysis proves to be rather too rich in lime for hydraulic cement, which requires to have twenty-two per centof clay matter, i but it would make excellent Roche lime for [ water and manuring purposes; no-doubt, however, a stratum having the proper composition could easily ba found. A lode of hematite extends for several miles on the weat boundary of the estate. Of two samples analysed one was found to be EXCELLENT IRON OBE. Sevexal specimens pick.d up on the beaoh north from the mouth of the Jed contained copper pyrites of good, quality, and a fragment of the rare metal alipite _ or silicate of nickel oxide,' the same ore ! that is worked by the French Government j in New Caledonia. The specimen is believed, however, to bave come down the Huruaui rivor attached to driftwood. J i W;th jegard to thp question of j

| _ ARTESIAN WATE3 SUPPLT, Sir Jamea Hector concludes, from indications afforded by the arrangement of the strata, and the existence of powerful springs at altitudes up to 400 ft above the plains, that there is a fair prospect of getting artesian water from the deep, seated strata. Shallow artesian wells should be obtained in the northern part of the district, as there must be a considerable leakage from the Waiau river into the deeper alluvial deposits in a southerly direction. Combined with the search for coal seams, a systematic search for water supply would afford profitable employment of a well-equipped diamond drill for a considerable time. There are at Gore Bay remarkable cliffs 280 ft high, formed of hard, dark red conglomerate, containing much iron oxide, and extending for threequarters of a mile along the beach. This formation should give an unlimited supply of the very beat road metuj. Nov. 13 has, I may add, been fixed as the date for offering the estata for Eeieetion on pastoral lease, and the auction sale is to take place in the same week.