198 



CAPT. F. W. HTIIOX OX THE 



Good roofing-slate is found in the Takata System :in Otago ; 

 statuary marble in the ZUianapGuri System at Caswell Sound ; 

 lithographic limestone, with rocks belonging either to the Waipara 

 or Oamaru Systems, south of Bruce Bay, on the west coast of the 

 South Island. Coal in thin beds is found in the Mataura Series, 

 but there are no workable seams older than the Matakea Series at 

 the base of the Waipara System. From the date of the Hokanui 

 System to the present day land has existed continuously in Xew 

 Zealand, and no doubt decaying vegetable matter has constantly 

 accumulated in favourable localities. But it was only when these 

 accumulations were covered up by deposition that they have been 

 preserved. This occurred in two ways : — (1) By marine deposits 

 on subsidence of the land; and (2) by lacustrine and fiuviatile 

 deposits. Consequently we find coals or lignites at the base of the 

 Waipara, Oamaru, Pareora, and Wanganiii Systems covered by 

 marine beds ; and also we have coals and lignites of intermediate 

 age covered by fresh-water beds. These latter, however, we may 

 for convenience group in each case in the system to which the over- 

 l}-ing series belongs, although there may be an unconformity between 

 them. The Xew-Zealand coals, therefore, belong to what I have 

 called insular formations. They do not form large basins, as in 

 England, X. America, or AustraUa,|but] occur wrapping round hills 

 formed by older rocks, and are consequently almost always worked 

 by. day-levels and not by shafts. 



Desckipiivi; Geolo&t. 

 Manajpouri System. 



This system is largely developed on the west coast of Otago, from 

 Preservation Inlet to Milford Sound, extending inland to Lake Te 

 Anau. Elsewhere it is only known on the west side of Tasman's 

 Bay in Xelson, from ]M!otueka to Separation Point (Eiwaka series) : 

 but it may probably occur in ^Vestland also. 



The rocks consistof grey and red gneiss, garnet-bearing schist, horn- 

 blende-schist, mica-schist, quartz-schist, and occasionally granular 

 limestone. Scales of gra];)hite have been found in the mica-schist 

 at Dusky Sound. The beds are not contorted, and the dip is almost 

 constantly westerly, varying from 45^ to 80", the only easterly dip 

 recorded being at the marble quarries on the north side of Caswell 

 Sotmd * ; and here this dip seems to be local, for the marble on the 

 south side of the Sound dips S.V., 45". ^e can only escape from the 

 conclusion that these rocks have a thickness of many miles by sup- 

 posing either that the plane of foliation does not always coincide 

 with the original plane of bedding, or that a series of reverse folds 

 occur, neither of which has as yet been proved. 



Tdkaka System. 



This system covers a large extent of country in Collingwood 

 County, and can be traced south, continuously through Mt. Arthur, 

 * l[<^Kay, Eeports of G-eological Surrey, 1881, p. 115. 



