Geological Survey of Canterbury. 105 



fields, and which their further development during the last two 

 years, has confirmed in every respect : — " To sum up the results 

 obtained, the examination of the country under consideration has shown 

 us that there is one large area belonging chiefly to the pliocene or great 

 gold-drift formation, bounded in this province by the rivers Arnold and 

 Grey to the north, and the Hohonu ranges, whence the eastern boun- 

 dary line runs towards Abut Head, crossing the Arahura, Hokitika, 

 Totara, and Mikonui, gradually nearer to their mouth, whilst the sea- 

 shore forms the western boundary. In this triangle all the richest 

 goldfields are situated. East and south of these lines younger or 

 pleistocene strata have mainly been deposited, consisting of glacial 

 beds, either moraines or glacier mud, fluviatile boulders, shingle, sand, 

 or loess, amongst which in a lesser degree gold may be discovered, 

 although from the great scarcity of auriferous assorted drift there is, 

 in my opinion, very little hope of a goldfield of any extent. Again, 

 east of these glacial deposits the western base of the central chain is 

 reached, consisting of the rocks which have formed the original matrix 

 of the gold. Here we may expect either to find quartz reefs, or, under 

 favourable circumstances, in the smaller creeks and gullies, auriferous 

 ground of older age, or formed during or since the pleistocene epoch, 

 with coarser gold than near the coast, although experience has already 

 clearly demonstrated in New Zealand, as well as in other parts cf the 

 earth, that we can only expect rich ground when, after denudations on 

 an enormous scale, aqueous agency, has repeatedly re-assorted the 

 material derived from such sources, and concentrated the gold con- 

 tained in it during numberless ages into much narrower limits." Not 

 only are the principal goldfields here still being worked in the Province 

 of Westland, where also the newly discovered Kumara diggings are 

 situated, but I have no doubt that still other and equally extensive beds 

 will be discovered, all belonging to the same pliocene fluviatile beds, 

 running in a north-east and south-west direction, and gradually 

 thinning out before Bold Head, south of the Mikonurriver, is reached. 



The track cut across the Hurunui saddle by the late Mr. Howitt, in 

 the year 1862, and improved in the beginning of 1S65, under the 

 direction of Messrs. Edwin and Walter Blake, had become almost im- 

 passable, principally on its western side, from the enormous traffic. 

 Moreover, its line along the northern boundary of the Province, was 

 formed too far north for the inhabitants of the middle and southern 

 portion of Canterbury. The Provincial Government therefore sent 

 out several expeditions to the headwaters of the "Waimakariri and 



