30 Historical Notes on the 



On February 4th, 1864, 1 presented a report to the Provincial Govern- 

 ment, on the building stones collected during these journeys, 

 together with thirty-two specimens, which are now deposited in 

 the Canterbury Museum. This report* was printed in the local news- 

 papers on the following day. 



Seaech foe Coal in the Ashbtjeton and Eangitata Disteicts 

 and Continuation oe Geological Suevey, 1864. 

 Having during my surveys of 1861, near the head waters of the 

 Rivers Rangitata and Ashburton, met with large fossiliferous beds of 

 probably young palaeozoic age, situated about sixteen miles apart from 

 each other, amongst some of which a few small seams of fine coal were 

 exposed, I was not then able to spare so much time for their investi- 

 gation as I should have wished, the winter with heavy snowfalls 

 having set in. A set of the fossil shells and plants collected during 

 that journey in the localities in question, were sent by me to the well- 

 known palaeontologist, Professor F. McCoy, in Melbourne, for examin- 

 ation, who informed me that they were nearly all identical with those 

 that accompany the Coal measures of Xew South Wales. I therefore 

 proposed to devote some time towards a more detailed examination of 

 the country referred to, and started in the middle of February (1864), 

 for that district, beginning my surveys at the upper course of the 

 Eiver Hinds. Having ascended, first the southern, and afterwards the 

 northern branch, to their sources, I examined afterwards the Gawler 

 downs, a separated series of hills, consisting mostly of a large number of 

 streams of melaphyre. Another day was employed in visiting the gorge 

 of the Eangitata, where, in the vertical walls, beautiful sections are laid 

 open, and where some of the most interesting phenomena in connec- 

 tion with the Great Glacier period of 2s ew Zealand can be studied. 

 On Februarv 24th 1 left the Hinds, and proceeded towards the sources 

 of the Cameron, a river which joins the outlet of Lake Heron, shortly 

 after it issues from this lake, both forming the South Eakaia branch. 

 Having crossed the extensive morainic accumulations round this 

 prettv lake, we reached the large shingle fan of the Cameron, which, 

 together with another of nearly the same size, coming into this valley 

 from the opposite side, has o\\e\i its present form to the lake. Here 

 travelling was easy, until we reached the gorge-like valley of the river 



* Eeport on the Buildiuj Stones of the Province of Canterbury, Xew Zealand. First Series. By 

 Julius Haast, Ph.D., F.G.S., Provincial Geologist. 



