868 Transactions.— Geology. 
In Westland no seams of brown coal have been worked, but a few 
samples have been forwarded from the Grey Coal Reserve, which have the 
following average composition :— 
Fixed carbon .. re s 4098 
Hydro-carbon m =s SAE A119 
Water .. = bs S 18:42 
na as x AR es 3°52 
100-00 
In Southland, mines have lately been opened in two seams of coal at 
the Nightcap Hill above Wairio, in which the composition of the coal is as 
follows :— 
Fixed earbon .. Hie 2. +» 47°81 
Hydro-earbon.. +. 21:04 
Water .. es «s m i 29°24 
AlBh Es T a n 1:91 
100:00 
and another thick seam is known at Orepuki, which will probably be 
worked as soon as railway communication has been established. It con- 
sists of— 
Fixed carbon .. ne us Ee ttti 
Hydro-carbon.. we e .. 89-09 
Water.. vs ES a 11:14 
Ash — ES -- "p i 8:56 
100-00 
In Canterbury, a valuable series of brown coals exists in the Malvern 
Hills, which have often been locally altered, in the vicinity of intrusive 
rocks of later origin, to various stages between brown coals and anthracites. 
Mines are at present being worked in the unaltered brown coals at Spring- 
field, Smithfield, Canterbury, Homebush, and Lees, in seams from 8 feet to 
7 feet 6 inches thick, in which the quality of the coal often varies a great 
deal even between the top and bottom of the same seam. As an instance 
of this I may quote the analyses of the top and bottom of the 41 feet seam 
at Springfield, from which it will be seen that the upper part was a glance 
coal, while the lower had the composition of a very good pitch coal. 
Top of Seam, Bottom of Seam. 
Fixed carbon ,, ee 63: 47°9 
Hydro-carbon ee ee oe 23-6 41:8 
Water .. e T 8:2 6:3 
Ash - 08 ee oe oe 10:0 4:0 
