CANTERBURY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1596, 2 July 1861, Page 4

CANTERBURY.

Mr. Julius Haast has returned to Christohurch from his] first exploring tour in this province, but he will not remain at rest just now long enough to give to the public any details of his journey and discoveries. We understand that his Honor the Superintendent aooompany Mr. Haast in a trip to the southern districts of the province, and: that they may possibly visit the gold field on the Lindis before they return. The trip now conoluded has been tbe most tryingly severe exploration ever made by Mr. Haast. He first visited the five sources of the Rangitata ; the two main branches having their source* in the cen- ; tral ranges of this island, and others in its lateral chains. The central ranges are desoribed as presenting great pictorial beauty, quite equal to the Alps ot Europe, and surpassing them in rugged • ness and wild forms. The origin of the Hinds, lying between the Rangitata and the' Ashburton, was examined to its. source, whioh also came opposite the uorthern branoh of the Rangitata from the same mountain chain, and issue fronv a most magnificent glacier. Although the weather was very fine, the thermometer stood during the night at ten degrees below freezing point where they once encamped, at au elevation of 450(V feet, a height of 7000 feet having been attained during the day. Coming baok thence Mr. Haast investigated a highly geological formation around the u^per part of the Ashburton, consisting of large beds of carboniferous rocks, in which were discovered several small seams of anthracitio ooal, which go far to warrant an expectation timt the time is not distant when we shall find valuable workable seams of this true coal, which has pro?e,d of such inestimable value to England. Tbe coal-bearing formations lie in basing, ut)oomformably, on the edges of nearly vertical older standing rooke, showing the great age of the backbone of ,. this island and its close connection with the Australian Alps. At this stage ofthe exploration thb party appear to have been enveloped in dense fog, aooompanied with ruin,. for ten days, whioh compelled them to retreat. The Canterbury plain* 1 _o highly interesting in a geological point ot view, is described as bounded on its western' side by a large voloanio aone, at the base of which aw found large; workable seams of brown coal, of the same ftjge as those of Massacre Bay in Nelspn (Motupipi brown coal) and prObftbljt'^jf

f miooene tertiary age in connection , witj^ » calcareous tufas and large beds of very > good limestone like that of the Tata ' .islands of Nelson. The data which Mr. ' Haast has collected are most copious ; and we hope before long to lay before ; our readers details of tbis most interesting investigation, which has been brought to an early termination for this season by the unusual flooding of tbe rivers and the dense Alpine vegetation, very muoh to the disappointment ofthe energetic and skilful explorer who conducted the expedition. — Lyttelton Times, June 5. Wiih a view to commencing business at as early a date as possible, the Bank of New South Wales has secured premises in both our towns. The seat of operations in Lyttelton will be at ttie newly built house belonging to Mr, Gibbons, at the corner of Canterbury and London streets. That in Christohurch will be at Mr. W. S. Moorhouse's present residence iv Hereford Street, which his Honor intends shortly to vacate. — Ibid.