370 Transactions. — Geology. 



At Oamaru the seams of coal are from G feet to 25 feet thick, but the out- 

 put is very limited, the four mines at work having only yielded 3,770 tons 

 during the year 1881. Their average composition is — 



Fixed carbon 39-76 



Hydro-carbon . . . . . . 35*60 



Water 17-18 



Ash 7-46 



100-00 

 Besides these coals there is an important basin of a better class of brown 

 coals in the Clutha and Tokomairiro districts, as well as at Shag Point, in 

 which several mines have been opened. Of these the Kaitangata Colliery 

 is working a seam 30 feet thick ; Eliott Vale, 20 feet ; Eeal McKay 25 feet ; 

 and Bruce 12 feet 6 inches. At Shag Point the Shag Point Mine is being- 

 worked in a seam 7 feet in thickness. The superiority of these coals over 

 that from Green Island appears to depend upon their having a solid com- 

 pact roof instead of the loose running sands of the latter locality. Their 

 average composition is — 





Fixed 

 carbon. 



Hydro- 

 carbon. 



Kaitangata 



. 44-17 



38-24 



Eliott Vale 



. 41-60 



35-31 



Eeal McKay and Bruce . 



. 41-29 



40-19 



Shag Point 



. 43-15 



33-70 



Water. 



Ash. 



15-42 



2-17 



19-48 



3-61 



12-37 



6-15 



16-57 



6-58 



Pitch Coals. — The distinguishing characteristic of these coals is that 

 they do not desiccate on exposure to the air to the same extent as the brown 

 coals, besides which they, as a rule, contain a less proportion of water in 

 combination. They are chiefly met with as seams which overlie the bitu- 

 minous coals of the west coast of the South Island, where however they 

 have only been worked in the Keefton district and at West Wanganui. 

 They are again met with at Mokau in Taranaki, and at Whangarei. Some of 

 the altered coals of the Malvern Hills, Canterbury, might also be classed 

 with these coals, but since they represent various stages of change from 

 brown coals to anthracites, it is best to group them together under the title 

 of glance coals. 



The pitch coals of the West Coast may be divided into those from West 

 Wanganui, those from Inangahua, those from the Buller, and those from 

 the Grey districts, of which only the two first have been worked. The 

 seams vary from 2 feet to 10 feet in thickness, and the composition is as 

 follows : — 





Fixed 

 carbon. 



Hydro- 

 carbon, 



Water. 



Ash. 



Buller 



. . 42 40 



36-60 



9-20 



11-80 



Greyniouth 



.. 40-70 



45-61 



7-37 



6-32 



Beefton (Inangahua) 



.. 5954 



30-93 



907 



•46 



West Wanganui . . 



. . 45-00 



38-90 



4-80 



11-30 



