516 Transactions. 



petroleum respectively the following percentages are inter- 

 esting :— ^ H O j^ S 

 Coal .. .. 84-31 5-09 724 149 0-13 

 Petroleum — 



Pennsylvaniiin 84-9 13-7 1-4 



Baku" .. 86-6 123 M 



But although the percentages approximate each other in the case 

 of carbon, the inference cannot be accepted that they have the 

 same origin. 



In the case of the rock sent to me from Akiteo, it is certainly 

 .saturated with oil that has the smell of petroleum. The rock i;; 

 a greensand, and is always present with the black earthy-looking 

 shales scattered along the east coast in the places indicated, and 

 which contain traces of fish-scales, small hollow whitish tubes, 

 and an abundance of gas. The greensancls are more largely 

 developed in certain localities to the south of the Kidnappers 

 than further north, and they have their greatest development in 

 the line of hills running parallel to the coast between Porangahau 

 and Herbertville, Cook's Tooth being the culminating point. Iv 

 the Poverty Bay district the greensands beginning at Whangara 

 strike to the south-west, cross the upper portion of the Waimatii. 

 Valley, and appear in the range of hills that contains the petroleum- 

 springs where the first attempts were made to put down a well. 

 They continue to the south-west, where the greensands meet, at 

 Whakarau, the light sandstones similar to those between Waipiro 

 Bay and Tokomarua Bay.' They appear to run in the direction 

 of Waikaremoana, and it may be that the range of sandhills m 

 the Wharekopae district, owned by Murphy brothers, belong to 

 the series, but I have not been sufficiently close to determine 

 their age. 



More than once remarks have been made as to the benefits 

 that would accrue to the country were the Government to under- 

 take trial bores for water, for oil, for coal, and even for gold. 

 If there should be a failure the country as a whole sustains the 

 loss, and if success is obtained the rights to sink or mine should 

 be put up to piiblic auction for a term of years, just as land is 

 put up to lease for a term of years. The State equally with 

 individuals would derive benefit by this plan. That there arc 

 numerous traces of oil throughout the whole of the district 

 indicated is evident to the most superficial observer, and tria! 

 bores would have been made long ere this had the Government 

 taken in hand the testing for minerals for the common benefit. 

 The State is able to carry out detail work in geological matters 

 better than a private individual. To go over a large extent of 

 unbroken country at anv time is bv no means an easy task. 



