Skey. — On supposed Paraffin Deposit at Wai2}au. 39S 



Assuming my result to be approximately correct, you camiot avoid com- 

 ing to the conclusion that the substance which exists in largest quantity in 

 this mineral, has been all along mistaken both by professional analyists and 

 those interested in the article for paraffin. 



The precise nature of this substance is more a matter of scientific 

 interest than of anything else. I intend, so soon as I can spare the time, 

 to determine this, but I think that for the present I have done all that is 

 requu-ed for economic purposes. I show that about half of the carbonaceous 

 part of this " mineral grease" (as Dr. Hector terms it) is neither paraffin 

 or oil. You can judge for yourself of this matter by inspecting what I have 

 just obtained from this grease as separated from oil and paraffin.* You 

 may notice that it is solid, brittle, and infusible — characters which do not 

 belong to either of the substances which, I think, it has been mistaken for, 

 viz., paraffin or oil. It is besides highly absorbent of water, and swells very 

 much in this liquid, passing thereby into a gelatinous form. The mineral 

 grease or supposed " solid paraffin" yields nearly fifty per cent, of this 

 substance. Mineralogically it belongs to the class of combustible minerals 

 known as oxygenated hydrocarbons, and I believe contains several of these 

 bodies. It is obviously formed out of some of the constituents of petroleum 

 by oxydation and absorption of water. Copies of the reports of the 

 analyses to which I have just referred, are laid upon the table for your 

 inspection.! 



* Sample was exhibited, as also one of the supposed paraffin mineral. 



t Since this paper was read an examination of the Waiapu mineral grease has 

 been made upon a large scale on the grounds of the Southern Cross Petroleum Company. 

 The result of this, for comparative purposes, I here render centesimally : — 



Light oil 



. . 5-4 



Kerosene 



. . 13'2 



Lubricating oil 



. . 4-0 



ParaflBin 



. . 7-9 



Balance not specified . . 



.. 69-5 



100-0 

 It seems therefore that, as in my results, that constituent of the mineral which is the 

 most valuable, and which has been asserted to be the most abundant, viz., paraffin, is 

 present, but in minor quantity ; the difference between my result and these, in respect 

 to the paraffin, is only 1'4 per cent. The excess of oil over that which I indicated is 

 doubtless derived by destructive distillation from the oxy-hydrocarbons present. 



