Crawrorp.—On Gold in the Wellington Provincial District. 477 
The oblique south-easterly seas drive this shingle to the northward, 
spreading it along the Ninety-mile Beach. 
The direct cause of the detached beach at Ellesmere is the Rakaia 
River, the delta of which forms a projecting point from which the Ellesmere 
beach starts on its detached course. Similar beaches have, no doubt, been 
formed at different times near the mouths of all the great rivers of Canter- 
bury, forming lagoons which have been gradually filled up by material 
brought down from the mountains by the rivers, as Lake Ellesmere is now 
being filled up. 
Art. LXXIV.—On Gold in the Wellington Provincial District. 
By J. C. Crawrorp, F.G.S. 
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 21st July, 1878.] 
Tuere are certain veins of quartz to be found in the rocks of the Tararua 
and Rimutaka, that is to say of the mountains extending from Cook 
Strait to the Manawatu, which are of a peculiar character, and I have 
always had an idea that, if we were to find minerals hereabouts, these were 
our true veinstones. 
The results of analyses did not prove satisfactory, and I have allowed 
the matter to sleep for a number of years. About two months ago, however, 
I took a specimen of this quartz which had been lying on my mantel-piece 
for some years, and sent it to a friend in Melbourne to see what they would 
say to it in that city. Ihave received a reply, with analysis by Mr. Chap- 
man, who is described as being * mineralogist and assayer to the Bank of 
Victoria, and is deemed the best in the colony.” It is as follows :— 
** Bank of Victoria, Melbourne, 23rd May, 1877. 
*I have tested the quartz specimen left with me for assay, and find it to be com- 
posed of sulphate of iron. I likewise assayed for gold, and from 1,000 grains got 
a button weighing -034, or 1-092 ounces per ton, 
HAPMAN." 
J. C 
The result seems highly satisfactory, and may lead to the opening 
of numerous valuable mines, not only in this neighbourhood, but all about 
the ranges as far as the Bay of Plenty, also in the Kaimanawa Range, 
and I think I may say in the eastern ranges of the South Island. Of 
course we must not jump to the conclusion that because one specimen 
from one locality has proved to be auriferous, we shall find the same result 
. in other localities, but there is strong reason to hope and to suppose that 
this may be the case. 
