75

C.-3

Abstract of Licenses for Special Claims issued from the Warden's Office at Tauranga, in the Hauraki Mining District, and registered on or before the 31st March, 1898, in the books of the Mining Registrar at Tauranga.

Tauranga and Katikati District. In this district a number of claims have been taken up, but no important discoveries have been, made, and only four men are employed in prospecting. Te Puke District. The Government Geologist (Mr. Alexander McKay, F.G.S.) and the Inspector of Mines (Mr. James Coutts) visited Te Puke Goldfield last month, and examined the various mine-workings on and adjacent to Fleming's Freehold. The following extracts give the main points of the report furnished to the department by Mr. McKay : — " The country forming the lower grounds between Tauranga Harbour and the main range to the westward from near Captain Stewart's and Hikurangi at first is rhyolite debris, from the area of rhyolite of which Hikurangi is the culminating peak. Further south pumiceous sands and clays form the country along the seaboard back to the mountain range, composed of andesic materials; but until reaching about half-way from Katikati to Tauranga the material is not coarser than sand, and gives clear evidence of having been stratified under water—probably an extension of the Bay of Plenty. Three miles south of Katikati a considerable stream flows from the mountain range northeast into the Katikati arm of Tauranga Harbour, and the gravels of this divide the stratified pumiceous sands and clays to the north from the larger area of the same rocks that lies to the south. The main range south of Thompson's Track, after forming a massive mountain, descends to lower heights, and to the south and south-east forms hills separated by deep gullies, constituting a country not high but somewhat broken. The western border of this forms a steep scarp descending to the level of the plain along which flows the Waihou or Thames River. The pumiceous deposits seen along the road from Katikati to Tauranga evidently reach on to this hilly area, and as followed south towards Tauranga become coarser in character, and pieces of pumice and fine gravel of pumice are seen in most of the road-cuttings that reach to a moderate depth from the surface. This state of things continues to Tauranga, when andesic rocks appear on the north side of this part of the harbour, and in the high hill on the east side of the entrance thereto. To the south-west from Tauranga the country is comparatively low for a considerable distance, and in this direction the pumiceous rocks continue further than was determinable, and divide the block of mountains lying towards Te Puke from the southern continuation of the Cape Colville Peninsula Ranges and the high levels west of the Tauranga-Rotorua Road, which have already been mentioned. There is thus a complete separation of the two areas of auriferous rock, and the popular idea that the Te Puke Goldfield is connected with, and forms but the southern continuation of, the Hauraki Goldfields is not supported by the facts above stated. " Leaving Tauranga, the stratified pumiceous rocks continue to a distance of six or seven miles on the road to Te Puke, beyond which they give place to brecciated rocks of a dark colour and more distinctly rhyolitic type. These are seen at various points along the road, and, becoming massive developments, form rounded hills of considerable height, and the northern part of the mountainous country that continues to and beyond the Te Puke Goldfield. East of the goldfield these rocks form the eastern lower slopes of the mountain range, and are deeply cut into by the stream surrounding Fleming's Hill to the south and east, and continue in a south direction beyond the limits of the auriferous rocks terminating near Gibraltar Eocks, which (though not visited) are evidently rhyolite. The rocks containing the auriferous reefs are decomposed andesites that are not only highly decomposed along the walls of the lodes in Fleming's Hill, but everywhere where openings have been made. Less than a mile to the north the creeks draining from this part show the presence of dark andesites undecomposed, although at the Sisters Claim the rocks showing in the banks of the stream are highly decomposed. To the south and south-west there is every appearance of these rocks being cut off by rhyolites within a distance of two miles. To the north the auriferous rocks apparently extend fully three miles, while to the westward they reach the water-divide of the higher range, and descend some distance the western side of the range ; how far has not been ascertained. Reefs of quartz form at least two or three distinct lines in Fleming's Hill, and where opened out, show a very considerable thickness of quartz, usually exceeding 20 ft. The quartz is of a light-grey colour generally, but at one place it is dark from the presence of sulphide of iron. Near the surface it has the appearance of having been deposited by the agency of hot water, and in the lower levels of the eastern lode banded spongy and solid grey or creamy quartz is met with in 11—C. 3.

Date of License. Area. Locality. Block. Survey District. .Name of Claim. Name of Registered Owner. 7/10/96 14/6/97 28/10/97 21/7/97 15/10/97 A. B. P. 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 Aongatete Te Puke IV. IX. V. Aongatete .. Maketu Eliza Bay of Plenty No. 2 The Sisters The Rata The Patiria Henry M. Shepherd. Joshua Wright. K. te Atirau and M. te Atirau. J. G. Vercoe. D. Lundon. Waitaha No. 1 V. 28/10/97 28/10/97 28/10/97 28/10/97 28/10/97 28/10/97 22/4/98 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 97 2 29 The Pukekura The Pukerima The Puke Pai The Pukehina The Pukema The Puketora The Problem W. C. Piggott. J. S. Jameson. F. N. Challis. W. Norton. M. Dockerill. E. E. Vaile. G. McLean.