v. — CHEMISTEY, 



Aet. LXXII. — Iron from the Titanifcrous Sand of New 



Zealand. 



By E. PuRSEK. 



Communicated by T. H. Hustwick, 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 18th December, 1893.] 



At starting Mr. Purser desires me to say that until about 

 three years ago the author had no special knowledge of the 

 subject of this paper, but about that time he conceived the 

 idea of separating the refractory from the metallic portion of 

 the sand by magnetism and then forming it into a hard 

 briquette suitable for the smelting-furnace. He asks that you 

 will make due allowance from a scientific point of view when 

 discussing this paper, he relying more on a practical direction. 

 Air. Purser says the component parts of the titaniferous 

 sand that is found in such enormous quantities on the west 

 coast of the North Island consist of magnetic oxide, titanium, 

 olivine, and silica, the most refractory of which is titanium. 

 The proportion of magnetic oxide varies according to the local 

 surroundings, that found in the vicinity of the Breakwater 

 at New Plymouth being heavily charged with silica, which 

 conies down from the surrounding hills of grey sand. The 

 same drawback is also found at Waitara, and many other 

 parts of the Taranaki District ; while the richest deposits are 

 generally found at the mouths of the rivers, and always on the 

 north side of them. The best deposits the author has observed 

 are at the Waiwaki, in Taranaki Province, and the Awakino 

 and Mokau Eivers, in Auckland Province. On the north 

 shores of these rivers there is practically an unlimited supply 

 of very rich sand, which averages about 88 to 90 per cent, of 

 magnetite ; and equally good sand has frequently been found 

 in thick layers far inland whilst well-sinking. The origin of 

 these deposits is to a certain extent shrouded in mystery ; in 

 all probabihty Mount Egmont was the parent of them, and 

 those found as far north as Onehunga and Kaipara have pro- 

 bably been carried in that direction by sea-currents. 



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