C.—9

26

On the same line of strike, and about two miles further south, a well-defined vein outcrops on the top of the ridge at the head of Independent Creek. It has a maximum width of about 1 ft., but frequently breaks up into smaller irregular veins. One of these, from bin. to Sin. in width, shows a little free gold, and a picked sample assayed. Gold ... ... 6 dwt. 16 gr. per ton Silver ... ... 1 dwt. 21 gr. ~ Value i-'l 2s. 9d. A considerable amount of driving has been done mi this vein formation, but if is possible further investigation might be warranted. Though a large amount of detrital gold was obtained in Ihe early days from slieams in the vicinity of these veins, there is not sufficient remaining to encourage the prospector. A little gold xvas traced up the main left branch of the Anatori Rix-er as far as the boundary of the subdivision. The quartzose wash occurring in association with the sandstones and shales of the Tertiary lieds is in places auriferous, though not sufficiently so to prove of economic importance. Beach-combing has been carried mi intermittently for some years mi the beach between Sand hills Creek and Anatori River. Payable gold is found in places associated with black sand, hut difficulty is experienced in saving it owing to the oily nature of the water available. This oiliness is probably due to decomposing vegetable matter. Building-Stone, dec. —The calcareous sandstones outcropping along the coast have proved readily workable and highly suitable for building purposes. Some of the limestone in the tijipor part of the Oamaru Series would be suitable for cement manufacture, but, generally speaking, it is too high in silica and magnesia lo give a satisfactory product. Work in the Mount Radiant Subdivision. The Mount Radiant Subdivision lies in the north of (he West port Division, and comprises the survey districts of Kongahu and Otumahana. It thus forms an area of about 205 square miles. bounded on the xvest by the Taaman Sea and on the east by an arbitrary meridional line 13) miles from the coast a* its northern and 19.\ miles at its southern extremity. Geological investigations have so far been confined to the Otumahana Survey District, and. of this, mostly to the eastern central portion hitherto unmapped. Physiographic Notes. The Mount Radiant Subdivision shows in its western part a relatively low-lying country, rising gradually from the narrow coastal plain, and in its eastern pari an elevated "old land." which is apparently an uplifted peneplain. The low-lying country, consisting of Tertiary strata, is cut by stream-courses into a series of parallel spurs, with a westerly trend. These have a minimum altitude of a few feet near the coast where they grade into the coastal plain, and a maximum of about I,oooft. where they abut against the mountainous hinterland. A narrow coastal plain fringing the sea-coast merges imperceptibly into the flood-plains of the entering streams. Swamps are frequent in this coastal bolt, and at low water considerable expanses 'f mud-flat are exposed in the stream and river estuaries. Rising sheer to an altitude of over 4.000 ft., with a relief of about 3,000 ft. above the country to the west, the deeply dissected Marine Mountains, with fairly uniform summit-altitudes, repie sent a portion of the ancient peneplain, now worn into a series of roughly parallel ranges The most westerly of the ranges, known as Mount Radiant Range, follows a north-north-easterly direc turn near the centre of the subdivision. Its steep western slopes are prohablv the eroded escarp ments of a fault along which took place the differential movement by xvhich the land to (lie east was elevated to its present altitude. The Mount Radiant Bange is terminated near the centre of (he subdivision by the Little Wanganui River, but is continued somewhat more to the west by the parallel range of Mount Stormy. East of these the mountains present a series of ridges encircling the heads of the various rivers which take their rise among them. The main peaks of the ranges are Mounts Fugel. Radiant, and Anaconda, on the Mount Radiant Range: with Mounts Scarlett. Brilliant, and /Cot land further to the north-east. These all have an altitude of over 4.000 ft. : while Mount Stormy, which probably represents a separately faulted block, has a summit-elevation about 1.000 ff. lower. The main part of the subdivision is drained by the Little Wanganui Kiver. seventeen mil's in length, xvhich has its source in the centre of the mountainous "old land." Through this ithas scoured a deeply incised channel following a north westerly course fill it reaches the foothill country. Here its course trends more to Ihe south, and if finally reaches the Tasnian Sea near the centre of the coastal margin of the subdivision. Throughout the latter part its course is some what sinuous, and its bed is flanked by broad flood plains. Ifs left branches. Captain, Blue Duel, and Tidal creeks, flowing through deeply gorged channels, drain the southern portion of the foot hill country. The northern portion of this low-lying country is similarly drained by Granite Creek and its branches. In the north-east of the subdivision the main drainage-channels are tin two large branches of the Crow River, the iih.it westerly of which probably once entered the Little Wanganui River through the broad valley now occupied by the Lawrence River. The south-eastern portion of the subdivision has for its drainage-channel Johnson River, a tributary of the Mokihinui River.