Hurron.—On the Lower Gorge of the Waimakariri. 449 
Tellurium Minerals. 
In October, Dr. Hector received from Mr. T two specimens obtained 
from the Maria Mine, Karangahake, and the Moa Mine, Te Aroha, which 
yielded respectively to Mr. Pond’s PN — 
Silv Gold. 
Maria Mine .. os SET os. pt dwt. Vm 
Moa Mine .. se 3,928 oz. 4 oz. 5 dwt. per ton. 
These minerals were subsequently tested Hie Teludum by Mr. Skey, 
with the result that in each case its presence in considerable quantities was 
proved, and from that from the Moa Mine the Tellurium was isolated. 
In the case of the Maria Mine the Tellurium is evidently in combina- 
tion with silver, and the mineral is accordingly Hessite ; but at the Moa 
Mine the presence of gold, in the proportion of 1 gold to 16:5 silver, would 
indieate that the mineral must be Petzite if the gold is in combination with 
the Tellurium, or Hessite if the gold occurs in an uncombined state. 
This is the first instance of Tellurium being found in New Zealand, and 
is therefore of special interest. 
Art, LI.—On the Lower Gorge of the Waimakariri. 
By Captain F. W. Hurron. 
(Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 15th November, 1883.] 
A TRIANGULAR portion of the Canterbury Plains projects into the mountains 
just north of the Malvern Hills. On the north it is bounded by Mount 
Torlesse, on the south-west by the Malvern Hills, to the east it merges into 
the main portion of the plains. This triangular portion of the plains slopes 
rather rapidly to the east, being at an elevation of 1,400 or 1,500 feet at the 
base of Mount Torlesse, and falling, in a distance of ten or twelve miles, to 
about 800 feet at the eastern end of the Malvern Hills and at West Oxford. 
The even surface of the plain is broken by deeply terraced valleys of the 
rivers that run through it, and by several small hills situated towards the 
eastern margin. Two of these hills—Racecourse Hill and Little Racecourse 
Hill—near the south-east corner of the triangle, are entirely composed of 
rounded shingle like that of the plains, and remind one of the Eskers of : 
Ireland or the Kames of Scotland. I have not closely examined Racecourse 
Hill, but Little Racecourse Hill contains large angular erratic blocks 
washed out of some former morainic deposit, and now completely mixed up 
with river shingle, but there is no boulder clay. 
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