Canterbury and Westland. 365 



sandstone is reached, forming the bottom of the auriferous deposits. 

 Here amongst blocks of eight feet in diameter coarse gold was 

 found, and often in such large quantities that it was well visible to the 

 naked eye. Nos. 8 and 9, on plate 5, give some details of these 

 interesting sections. It is thus clear that the huge torrent issuing 

 from the glacier not far away, deposited a considerable amount of 

 coarse gold amongst the large boulders ; the greatest portion, however, 

 became so finely divided, or was washed to such distances, that at 

 present it is inaccessible to mining operations. 



In the descriptive part of this publication I have already alluded to 

 the black sand beachers, who watch the coast principally in such 

 localities where small indentations favour the preservation of magnetic 

 or titaniferous ironsands. These sands always contain a certain 

 amount of fine gold, derived from the enormous destruction of 

 auriferous rocks going on without interruption : first in the rivers drain- 

 ing the Southern Alps, and afterwards along the sea coast. I may here 

 observe that some of the quartz conglomerates belonging to the Grey 

 Coal Measures, on prospecting, have been found to yield a certain 

 amount of gold. If these operations should prove to be of a payable 

 nature, a great deal of additional ground for mining enterprise will no 

 doubt be opened up. 



