Wellington Philosophical Society. 487 



careous rocks of a mixed white and green colour would quarry in large 

 blocks, and take excellent polish. They were, however, so situate that at 

 the present time they could hardly be worked with profit. Tlie line of 

 calcareous rocks crossed the Tauherenikau and stretched along the Rimu- 

 taka Range to the railway-line at the foot of the steep incline on the 

 west side of the " Summit," but he coul(J not say how far it was traceable 

 as a calcareous band follov/ing the range south. On the western side of 

 the range limestones of like character occurred, and amongst the speci- 

 mens on the table was one obtained from the Otaki Valley, and pre- 

 sented by Mr. Wallace. The distance of the outcrop was about nine miles 

 from the railway-line. The existence of calcareous rocks in the Makara 

 Valley had been known for some time, on ]Mr. Thomas Robinson's land. 

 Further to the nortii-west, in the adjoining property, there was a body of 

 rock forming a thick bed, of which about 50 per cent, is carbonate of 

 lime. This, too, appeared to have been of volcanic or tufaceous rock. 

 He had obtained samples, but they had proved excessively hard. If this 

 stratum bad been softer it might have proved valuable stone, as it was 

 capable of being quarried in blocks of any size up to 7ft. in length and 

 breadth. The stone was capable of receiving a very high polish, and the 

 more beautiful parts of the stratum might pay for working despite the 

 drawback of hardness. On the sea-coast, at Red Point, about a mile to 

 the east of Sinclair Head, some very beautiful specimens of red and 

 green slates had been obtained. The red slates were overlain by a con- 

 siderable amount of grey and reddish quartzite, the bands being curiously 

 contorted, and the quartzite was overlain by some 25ft. to 30ft. of a hard, 

 brown, jasperoid rock, veined yellow and white, which, though very hard, 

 was very beautiful when polished. Over this last was a mixture of ser- 

 pentine, haematite, and granular limestone or calc-spar, which was not too 

 hard to cut and polish; and, as the sample before the meeting would 

 show, it was a very beautiful rock. The total thickness of these rocks, 

 including the quartzite, was about 300ft., and they were so situate and 

 exposed that they could be quarried with comparative freedom, and at 

 small expense. Were the means of transit to Wellington other than over 

 a heavy and rugged beach to the mouth of Happy Valley, Mr. McKay 

 said that there could be little doubt but that the red and green slate 

 might be worked and placed upon the market at once ; but, however 

 beautiful the jasper rock might be, to work it would require the use of 

 expensive machinery. 



Mr. Brandon considered the discovery of this marble most important, 

 and he hoped it would prove a profitable industry for Wellington. It was 

 a pity the rock was so hard ; but, no doubt, with improved machinery 

 this could be overcome. Judging from the samples on the table, if the 

 stone could bo procured at a reasonable cost, we could compete against 

 the world in producing mantelpieces, &c. 



^Ir. Park would like to know if the slates were quite oxidized and 

 anhydrous. He pointed out that if this was the case the discovery 

 would prove of great value to Wellington, where building-stones were 

 much wanted. 



]\Ir. Robinson said that the specimens of marble referred to, from 

 Makara, were obtained from the surface, where they had been long 

 exposed to the atmosphere : the rock under the surface would probably 

 not be so hard. 



]\Ir. McKay, in reply, said that the rocks were composed of material 

 completely oxidized, and that in the quarry this was shown by the 

 absence of stains along the joints. He quoted the analysis, which 

 showed that the rocks only contained a little more than 1 per cent, of 

 water. He also read extracts showing that some of the marbles closely 

 resembled the mixed characters of the verde antico of the Italians, and 

 the African breccia marbles. 



