Hill.- — On Artesian Wells. 431 



wherever met with it is observable that they are either over- 

 lain by limestones, with pumiceous clays atop of them, or 

 by shingle, pumice, clay, and conglomerate beds corresponding 

 to the Kidnapper pumice and conglomerate deposits, such as 

 they appear to the south-west of what is known as the Black 

 Eeef. In my first paper on artesian wells I endeavoured to 

 show, first, that there is a gradual slope in the water- 

 bearing beds between Pakipaki and Napier ; second, that 

 the beds trough along their south-east and north-west edges, 

 being deepest, or nearly so, midway between Taradale on tlie 

 north-west and the place known as the Grange on the south- 

 east ; and, third, that the beds are recent, and have been formed 

 by the filling-up of what was once a portion of the sea known 

 as Hawke's Bay. The abandoned well at Greenmeadows, 

 situated at the western end of what is locally known as 

 Avenue Eoad, shows that the artesian beds die out in this 

 direction as the hills are approached. According to the 

 average depth of the wells at Taradale and at the Green- 

 meadows eastward of the well under notice, water should have 

 been reached at the extreme depth of li^Sft.; and, as none 

 of the ordinary artesian beds was found except the over- 

 lying shingles, and perhaps a portion of the pumiceous clay 

 which appears in the wells in Napier when approaching the 

 hills, it would seem that hereabouts the upper deposits, 

 which are the youngest of the plain-beds, overlap the true 

 artesian beds and the blue marly-clay beds containing the 

 pumice-bands, the artesian beds and the clay-marls being 

 unconformable to each other. 



Second Well, Western Spit, Napier. — The locality of this 

 unsuccessful well is at the back of the hotel on what is locally 

 known as the Western Spit. It was sunk with a view to 

 supply the requirements of the South British Company, whose 

 meat-freezing works are in the immediate vicinity ; but after 

 sinking to a depth of 328ft. the work was abandoned. I 

 believe that in a former attempt to find water on the Spit side 

 of Napier the pipes went down to a depth of 420ft., but no 

 record as to the character of the beds passed through has been 

 kept ; otherwise inferences based upon ascertained facts might 

 have been drawn as to the chances of finding an artesian 

 water-sujiply on the Port side of the town. Unfortunately, I 

 was absent from town when this well was being put down ; but 

 Mr. Garry, to whom I am so much indebted for valuable in- 

 formation in connection with the artesian wells on the Here- 

 tav;nga Plains, has supplied me wdth all the information in his 

 possession as to the beds passed through. He reports that 

 at the depth of 328ft. hard limestone was struck, and that this 

 circumstance caused the well to be abandoned. As far as can 

 be gathered, the beds passed through are true water-bearing 



