62 Historical Notes on the 



coal in the Mount Potts range, in Mount Harper and other ranges^ 



where rocks similar to those of the Clent Hills were observed by me, 

 but without obtaining any more favourable results. Large collections 

 of fossils were however made, and the observations on the glacial 

 phenomena, here on a truly gigantic scale, continued. Finally, I visited 

 the River Stour, a tributary of the Ashburton. where two years ago I had 

 found a large rolled piece of green carbonate of copper, when I was 

 returning to Christchurch during snowy weather. Tor several days I 

 searched over the whole part of the range from which it might have- 

 come, but without success, and I arrived at the conclusion that it had 

 been washed out from the morainic accumulations close by, and brought 

 from the sources of the Eakaia. At the beginning of April, I returned 

 to Christchurch. 



G-EOLOG-ICAL SUEYEY OF THE ChEISTCHUECH-LtTTELTON 

 Eailway Tr>VN"EL. 



The tunnel works in the Caldera wall having been pushed on with- 

 great activity by the contractors, Messrs. Holmes and Co., I began 

 shortly after my return, to make a geological survey of the adits on 

 both sides, and to note my observations on a section, at the scale of 

 twenty feet to one inch. I did this with a hope that some important 

 contributions would accrue therefrom to geology, this being the first 

 case where a crater wall of an extinct volcano had been pierced in its 

 whole length by a tunnel. As this work was continued day and night 

 during the week by three shifts of eight hours each, I found it impos- 

 sible to work during the usual time, and had to make use of the 

 hours beginning at midnight on Saturday, and ending at the same time 

 Sunday night, when the work was again begun by the miners. The 

 Railway Engineer. Mr. Edw. Dobson, C.E., as well as the contractors, 

 Messrs. Holmes and Co., gave me all the assistance in their power r 

 during the number of years the work was progressing. 



Some time had now also to be devoted to the classification and 

 arrangement of the public collections, which had so much increased, 

 that they already consisted of about 6000 specimens, I therefore made an 

 arrangement with the Provincial G-overnment to hand over the two 

 rooms which I occupied in the north-eastern portion of the Government 

 Buildings, in order that they might be used as a Public Museum. 

 However, when the necessary preparations were nearly completed, it 

 was found that the rooms to be given to me instead, could not be- 



