CHAP. XII.] PARENGA-RENGA. 205 



rates this promontory from the hills at Kapo- 

 wairua. 



The eastern coast from the North Cape to the north 

 head of the harbour of Parenga-renga is formed by 

 frightful perpendicular cliffs of volcanic conglome- 

 rate, sometimes alternating with cliffs of a reddish 

 crumbling loam ; where this is the case the land is 

 very fertile. In many places quicksand hides the 

 formation of the land, and forms downs and sandy 

 beaches. Part of the coast is occupied by a hard 

 grey stratified sandstone, which can be traced across 

 the neck of land separating the estuary of Parenga- 

 renga from the sea. On both sides it is included 

 by the conglomerate. In this sandstone I found a 

 small layer of good coal a few feet in length and an 

 inch and a half broad. The coal formations of 

 England being overlaid by a similar conglomerate, 

 it might be thought probable that more extensive 

 beds of coal would be found in this neighbourhood : 

 but, from a few fossils which I afterwards found in 

 the conglomerate, I am induced to believe that this 

 rock is not of the age of the old red sandstone, but 

 belongs to a modern tertiary epoch, although it is 

 certainly curious that the formation of brown coal, 

 or lignite, which abounds in New Zealand, and 

 which evidently belongs to the same age as the coal 

 above mentioned, should have been followed by a 

 conglomerate much worn and shattered, and indi- 

 cating, as does the conglomerate of the coal-measures, 

 H period of great disturbance. The coal, although 



