H.—l3

6

These results allow of being expressed in the following manner:— Chloride of sodium ... ... ... ... ... 392594 Chloride of potassium ... ... ... ... ... 4448 lodides and bromides ... ... ... ... not estimated Sulphate of soda ... ... ... ... ... 1269 Carbonate of soda ... ... ... ... ... 18 604 Carbonate of magnesia... ... ... ... ... 15831 Carbonate of lime ... ... ... ... ... 3 961 Carbonate of iron ... ... ... ... ... 2386 Silica ... ... ... ... ... ... 6418 445 511 N.B. —The difference in these totals arises from the elimination of some oxygen in the case of the column giving the smaller one. The mineral water just collected by the Survey, from AVaipiro, Poverty Bay, No. 1586, has not been fully examined: it has been, however, ascertained to be a very saline one, chloride of sodium being its predominating salt. It is interesting as occurring associated with the petroleum of that district. [Extract from " Tenth Annual Report on the Colonial Museum and Laboratory," p. 46.] No. 1660 is a mineral water from Aorangi, Hawke's Bay, forwarded by Sir Donald McLean. It belongs to the alkaline class of mineral waters, its character and composition being as follows : Colour, pale yellow ; tasteless ; odourless ; weakly saline. The results of its analysis are calculated in grains upon the gallon : — Chloride of sodium ... ... ... ... ... 1-87 Sulphate of soda ... ... ... ... ... 108 Carbonate of soda ... ... ... ... .., 1-81 Carbonate of lime ... ... ... ... ... 176 Carbonate of magnesia ... ... ... ... ... -81 Carbonate of iron ... ... ... ... ... '94 Silica ... ... ... ... ... ... 1-56 Organic matter ... ... ... ... ... 392 13-75 The carbonates are calculated as mono-carbonates, but there is carbonic acid present in the water in excess of that required to pass them to this condition. [Extract from " Twelfth Annual Report on the Colonial Museum and Laboratory," pp. 35-46.] In this division only the mineral waters, Nos 1820, 1849 (15 samples), and 1907, require notice here ; and No. 1891, a water used for locomotive purposes. No. 1820 is from AVaiwera, and exhibits character as annexed: Quite clear and colourless; distinctly alkaline—reaction to litmus paper ; in taste, weakly saline. From the appended result of its analysis, the water appears to belong to that class of mineral water known as the alkaline, and therefore resembling that from Puriri, Auckland, No. 1404, analyzed in this Laboratory in 1873, and reported in the Eighth Annual Eeport of the Colonial Museum and Laboratory. These results are stated as upon the gallon, in grains :— Chloride of sodium ... ... ... ... ... 116 715 Chloride of potassium ... ... ... ... ... -091 Chloride of lithium ... ... ... ... ... traces lodide of magnesium ... ... ... ... ... traces Sulphate of soda ... ... ... ... ... -383 Bi-carbonate of soda ... ... ... ... ... 87573 Bi-carbonate of lime ... ... ... ... ... 10692 Bi-carbonate of magnesia ... ... ... ... -954 Bi-carbonate of iron ... ... _ ... ... ... -086 Alumina, phosphatic ... ... ... ... ... traces Silica ... ... ... ... ... ... 2464 219558 This water is shown, therefore, to be similar to several of the famous Continental mineral waters— for instance, that from A 7ichy, in France, and Fachingen, in Nassau, both of which are largely used medicinally. The next is a series of waters, fifteen in number, collected from different hot springs of the Rotorua District by Captain Mair, at the instance of His Excellency the Governor; they are collated under the Laboratory number 1849. In the following statement of analytical results obtained thereon, they are treated of, for convenience, in the same order as that in which'their field numbers run, which numbers are retained. The accompanying description of the springs whence these waters were taken, as also the statements _ as to their temperature at the time of sampling, are extracted from notes thereon by Captain Mair. No. 1 is the water from Te Tarata, or the spring which forms the great AVhite Terrace of Rotomahana. This is a true geyser, having a large crater-shaped basin 90 feet in diameter, the lip of which is about 70 feet above the level of the lake.