170 Historical Notes on the 



country near the sources of the Pareora, returning in the middle of 

 February to Christchurch. During the first journey to the south-eastern 

 portion of the Province, I not only visited the low hills by which 

 the area between the Lower Waitaki and Lower and Middle 

 "Waihao is formed, but proceeded also to the so-called auriferous reef 

 country, near the head of the Northern Waihao, where a party of 

 prospectors were then at work. I found that the narrow belt of 

 auriferous micaceous schists, which from the Province of Otago strikes 

 across the TTaitaki, beginning about ten miles east of the junction of 

 the Hakataramea with that river, and forming the left bank of that 

 tributary, widens considerably near the sources of the Northern Waihao. 

 This region narrows again towards Burke's Pass, and disappears 

 entirely near the sources of the Opuha under newer and unauriferous 

 rocks, of which by far the greater portion of the Southern Alps and 

 their eastern outrunning spurs in this Province are composed. I may 

 be allowed to mention that as far back as 1864, 1 alluded to the 

 occurrence of this small area of auriferous rocks in that part of the 

 Province, on page 3 of the Progress Eeport of the Geological Survey 

 addressed to the Hon. John Hall. More than a week was devoted to 

 a thorough examination of this auriferous district, during which I re- 

 ceived valuable assistance from Mr. Michael Ford, the leader of a 

 prospecting party sent out by the "Waimate people, and who had just 

 begun to sink a shaft on a supposed auriferous reef; the results of 

 these investigations will be found in the Greological Chapter. A 

 number of brown coal seams of average quality were also examined, 

 and the existence of other minerals, and rocks of economic value in 

 the district, was ascertained. In October of the same year, I made 

 some detail examinations in the "Waipara and Waikari districts, during 

 which the remarkable ancient rock-paintings in the Weka Pass ranges 

 were inspected. In December, several newly exposed coal seams in the 

 Gorge of the Eakaia were surveyed, and all the coalfields in the 

 Malvern Hills, of which several had lately been opened, were re-visited. 

 In the beginning of February, 1876, I again left for the south, when 

 the districts of the middle Kakahu, Opihi, Opuha, Tengawai, Pareora, 

 and Otaio were investigated ; during which a careful search for useful 

 rocks and minerals was continued, and after which I returned to town 

 towards the middle of March. 



My engagement as Provincial G-eologist terminating on the 31st of 

 March, 1S76, all specimens, maps, and sections were deposited in the 

 Canterbury Museum, and thus the actual work of the Geological 



