Hill. — Oti the Poverty Bay Oil District. 323 



gave a show of gas and oil where passing through them, and 

 oil has been struck 170ft. below the third sand-rock, as shown 

 by him. No instance, as far as I am aware, has as yet been 

 found of oil below the third sand-rock. 



Between the American oil-wells and that sunk by the 

 South Pacific Company there is one point of similarity worthy 

 of special notice. In all the American wells brackish or salt 

 water is found immediately overlying or in connection with 

 the oil. The two liquids have been found in almost im- 

 mediate contact very generally in the first, second, and third 

 sandstone (?), the rule being in some districts "No brine, no 

 petroleum," for while the brine usually manifests itself first in 

 order when the pump is applied, it never forsakes the oil ; the 

 two clinging to each other like brother and sister. I under- 

 stand that similar appearances are met with in Burma and in 

 Galicia, but whether they occur in France or in the district 

 south of the Caucasus I have been unable to ascertain. 



At the South Pacific well salt water was everywhere met 

 with below 4:70ft., so that in this particular the appearances 

 are encouraging. The existence of brackish water along with 

 oil is of great interest as probably giving a clue to the extent 

 of the oil-bearing strata along the east coast. I have 

 watched for a long time past, as opportunity offered, a number 

 of salt springs which are to be found scattered over a large 

 extent of country extending from the Mahia Peninsula to 

 Poverty Bay, and thence onv/ard north-west or north-north- 

 west in the direction of the oil-wells. These springs resemble 

 miniature volcanic cones, the crater being occupied by water 

 and mud instead of lava. This water rises and falls as the 

 gas-bubbles rise to the surface, and the bursting of the bubbles 

 causes a bluish-grey mud to be thrown out, which forms a 

 conical mound of bare ground. The gas-bubbles explode if a 

 lighted taper is held over the surface of the water just as they 

 rise to the top. At Tua Motu, near Gisborne, and on what is 

 known as the Kaiti Block, the springs are somewhat numerous ; 

 and inland, some miles to the west of Wangara, fifteen miles 

 or so north of Gisborne, very large salt springs are met with. 



The appearances observable in the oil-fields of different 

 localities and countries may prove by comparison of great value 

 in discussing the prospects of the east coast as an oil-produc- 

 ing district. Surface-appearances may not afford proof positive 

 that payable oil will be struck, nor is it to be expected that 

 they should; but they may be indicative, nevertheless, of 

 similar causes operating to produce the appearances : and it 

 seems to me that the origin of the oil may by this means be 

 inferred. Many theories have been put forth as to the origin 

 of oil, one being that it results from the distillation of 

 vegetable remains not yet turned into coal, another that it 

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