160 



dip of fclie strata, and carefully examining the buried trees, would, I think, 

 put us in possession of some very valuable data for determining the era and 

 the rate of important geological changes. I lay on the table some rough 

 diagrams, in explanation of such parts of my paper as may appear obscure to 

 those who have not seen the part of the country it relates to. (See PI. IX.) 



Art. XXXVI.— On Alluvial Gold in the Province of Wellington. 

 By J. C. Crawford, F.G.S. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, July 17, 1869.] 



Having visited the operations at present going on in the upper part of the 

 valley of the Kaiwarra stream, I find in that narrow valley, a greater quantity 

 of gold washed out than could have been reasonably expected from the limited 

 area from which it must have been derived. 



Taking the actual fact of the presence of gold, in appreciable quantities, 

 in this small valley, into consideration, I am inclined to revert to an opinion, 

 which I long ago expressed, and which is as follows : that considering the very 

 high angle of inclination of the main chain of the island, consisting, in this 

 part, of the ranges of Tararua and Rimutaka, with all the subsidiary ranges, 

 that the tendency of the denudation of the valleys, would be to wash out gold, 

 or other minerals, which might be thereby released, beyond the boundaries of 

 the hills, and deposit them in the valleys to the east and west of the chain. 



If, on the east side, we consider the wearing away which has scooped out the 

 valleys of the Tauherenikau, the Waiohine, the Waingawa, the Waipoua, and 

 the B/uamahunga, we may reasonably expect, supposing the rocks are to 

 any extent auriferous, and the fall and force of water are sufficient, that gold 

 must have been carried out and deposited somewhere in the Wairarapa 

 valley. 



On the West Coast, in a similar way, from the valleys of the Wainui, the 

 Waikanae, the Otaki, the Manawatu, the Rangitikei, gold may have been 

 deposited in the trough between the main ranges and the line of Kapiti and 

 Mana. 



I put this statement theoretically : how to prove the ■ theory to be fact, 

 is the point to be decided. If we attempt to sink to any depth, on either 

 side of the range, we shall probably soon require powerful pumping apparatus, 

 and of necessity considerable capital would be required. It is possible that 

 tentative explorations may be made, at the least difficult points, which, without 

 going to much expense, may either lead to further trial, or to the abandonment 

 of the idea. 



Supposing the land to have formerly stood at a higher level (at a 

 comparatively recent period), there is a possibility that the Lower Hutt Valley, 

 and even the bottom of this harbour, may have undergone the conditions 

 necessary for the concentration of alluvial gold. 



My reasons for advancing the above theory are, the extremely steep 

 incline of the chain on both sides, and the rapid fall of the rivers, the great 

 general force of their currents, and the frequency of heavy floods, combined 

 with the proved fact that gold is found, more or less, distributed within these 

 ranges. 



It is possible that the above remarks may be found applicable to the 

 valleys of the Wakamarina and the Pelorus, in the Province of Marlborough^ 



