C—ll

45

latter course being adopted. Entering North Port by the ships' entrance, the islands enclosing the harbour were seen to be granite, and an examination of the rocks along the mainland from Mosquito Point to the Boat Entrance showed them to be similar rock. In a small cove to the north-east of Mosquito Point schistose slates and highly-indurated sandstones are met with overlying the granite, the schists and sandstones being ramified by granite veins, thus showing the granite along the junction at this point to be intrusive. On the map accompanying this report I have shown the schists and sandstones referred to as passing on to the shores of Chalky Inlet to the northward of the Boat Entrance to North Port; and, with a view to verify this theory, an attempt was made next day to go along the shore with the boat in that direction, but it had to be given up as the wind was blowing stiff from the north-east, and a nasty sea along the shore prohibited any attempt to get ashore at that point. Turning back, we re-entered North Port and went ashore at Ransom Head, which is composed of granite. Leaving North Port by the Blind Entrance, the coast-line was followed as far as Breaker Point, the rocks being granite up to that point. Beyond this, in the direction of Cape Providence, we had to give the coast-line a wide berth owing to a heavy south-west swell and the rocky nature of the coast; this, together with a haze along the land, made it rather difficult to determine the nature of the rocks, and at the time I considered the rocks from Breaker Point to Cape Providence to be coal-rocks, similar to those flanking the slates to the southward of Chalky Island ; but as Messrs. Colin and Clark, miners on Coal Island, Preservation Inlet, who have been ashore on that part of the coast-line, state that the rocks are similar to the slates in Preservation Inlet I have mapped that part of the coast accordingly. Leaving the northern side of Chalky Inlet, we made for the Passage Islands, and ascertained them to be granite. As we were not close enough up to determine the nature of the rock underlying the limestones on the north-eastern end of Chalky Island I have mapped them as granite, as determined by Sir James Hector. There being only two more days left of the time suggested for the trip, and the wind favourable, we made straight that night for South Port. Next morning, having reported to you at the Neck, a departure was made from South Port for Seek Cove, Preservation Inlet, but owing to contrary winds we would not have been able to reach Seek Cove before dark, so we made for Cuttle Cove where we spent the night, arriving -next day, Friday, the 3rd April, at Seek Cove. I have, &c, A. McKay, Esq., Mining Geologist. F. W. Linck.

List of Specimens collected in Chalky Inlet by Mr. F. W. Linck. Nos. 1 and 2. —Sandstones; locality, Small-craft Harbour Islands. No. 3.—Schist from cove, &c, north-east of Mosquito Point (North Port). One specimen. No. 4. —Sandstone (highly indurated) from cove, &c, north-east of Mosquito Point (North Port). No. s.—Granite from North Port. No. 6. —Dioritic granite from cove, &c, north-east of Mosquito Point (North Port). No. 7. —Granite taken from point on beach about three-quarters of a mile to southward of western entrance to South Port. No. B.—Granite from North Port Harbour, between Mosquito Point and Deep Point.

McKENNA BROTHERS CLAIM, GULCHES HEAD, PRESERVATION INLET. Report on, by Alexander McKay, F.G.S., Mining Geologist.

Mr. A. McKay to the Under-Secretary of Mines. Sir,— 4th May, 1896. In the matter of Mr. McKenna's letter of the 17th April, 1896, I have the honour to report that I examined the claim at Gulches Head, known as Block 1., held in the name of Messrs. Hall, Cullen, and Clark, on the 30th and 31st March last, and to submit the following notes descriptive of the same : — Extent and Position of the Claim. Block I. consists of 100 acres, situated about a mile north-east of Gulches Head, on the northern side of the main entrance to Preservation Inlet. It occupies the foreshore at Price's Beach inside the entrance to the Sound from the rocky headland, formed of coal-bearing sandstone, that lies immediately inside Gulches Head to a little beyond the eastern end of Price's Beach, where the shore-line is again bold and rocky. Forming roughly a square, the claim extends back to the north-west in the direction of Red Head to the valley of Back Creek, and thus constitutes part of a larger area, surrounded on three sides by hills of considerable elevation; while on the fourth, from the more moderate elevations of the alluvial lands, a steep terrace-face descends to Price's Beach and the shore of the inlet. The average height of the terrace-lands within the claim may be estimated at from 130 ft. to 140 ft. They are lowest toward the south-west, and also slope gradually to the north-west to the sea at the mouth of Back Creek and for some distance along the lower course of the creek. Further.north Back Creek drains the eastern slopes of the granite hills along the coast-line, and the western slopes of Round Hill and part of the coal-bearing strata to the north.