364 Transactions. — Geology . 



continuously. Prior to 1865, however, 7 tons of manufactured plumbago 

 from Pakawau, Nelson, valued at £1,400, were exported, but the trade has 

 not been continued. 



The first mention of its occurrence in New Zealand is by Dr. v. Hochs- 

 tetter (New Zealand, 1863, p. 477, Eng. Ed.) where he says, — " The Bros. 

 Curtis, in 1861, opened extensive beds of plumbago near Pakawau." Dr. 

 Hector also (Jurors' Kep. N. Z. Ex., 1865, pp. 34 and 417) mentions its 

 occurrence at Pakawau, near Collingwood, as thick beds interstratified with 

 metamorphosed shale. Compressed samples were found to be quite equal 

 in colour and brilliancy to that commonly sold in paper packets for domestic 

 purposes. Analyses of these samples showed that they contained : — 



(10 (2.) (3.) 



Carbon .. 37-60 30-03 58-10 



Water .. 2-00 1-35 2-68 



Ash . . . . 60-40 68-62 39-22 



100-00 100-00 100-00 



He, also, in the same report (p. 267), mentions its occurrence as scales in 

 the marble of the West Coast, and Mr. J. C. Crawford (Essay on the 

 Geology of the Wellington Province, p. 5) says, — " Thin seams of an 

 impure graphite are found at a great variety of places : — on the Pitone 

 Eoad, near Wellington ; at the Mungaroa Hill ; at various points on the 

 Kimutaka Mountains ; in the mountain part of the valley of the Waiohine ; 

 the Waingawa and the Euamahunga ; in the Waikanae, the Akaterewa 

 and particularly in the upper part of the Otaki Valley." Dr. Hector 

 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. ii., p. 379) again refers to the deposit of plumbago 

 at Pakawau, stating that it has probably been derived from an altered por- 

 tion of a coal seam; and (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. x., p. 490) Prof. Liversidge 

 also mentions the occurrence of graphite at Few's Creek, Lake Wakatipu, 

 and Dunstan, Otago — both samples being of an impure nature. 



During 1878 a sample of graphite shale was forwarded to the Colonial 

 Museum by the Hon. Mr. Acland, as coming from the Malvern Hills; in 1871 

 samples were forwarded from Wakarnarama by Mr. A. J. Burne, which 

 contained from 31-14 to 22*59 per cent, of carbon ; in 1876 a graphitic 

 sandstone was forwarded from Jackson's Bay by the Hon. J. A. Bonar, con- 

 taining 10 - 42 per cent, of carbon ; and in 1878 Mr. McKay collected a very 

 pure sample of graphite, from the Glossopteris beds of Mt. Potts, which con- 

 tained 90*17 per cent, of carbon, the colour of the ash being reddisb. 

 " Although so rich in carbon, it has not that unctuousness which distin- 

 guishes the more valuable graphites, but appears indurated and granular 

 defects which must depreciate its value very considerably," (Lab. Kep. 

 xiii., p, 22), 



