Canterbury and Westland. 457 



Ashburton to the Waitaki ; however they are generally confined to 

 localities of less extent than those of the preceding formation. As 

 far as I am aware, no seams of any value are found at the base 

 of this formation north of the Kowhai river, the first seam of any 

 thickness (about 4 feet) being found near the southern foot of Mount 

 Grrey. It doubtless lies at the base of the Oamaru formation. It is a 

 lignite, the woody structure of most of its component parts being still 

 clearly discernible. After crossing the Eakaia, small outliers with 

 brown coal have been preserved in many localities, consisting generally 

 of one seam only, but of considerable thickness. Thus., for instance, 

 the seam on the right bank of Taylor's Creek two miles above its 

 entrance into the Canterbury plains, is at least 28 feet thick. It 

 consists of a lignite of fair quality, but stands at a very high angle 

 (70 degs.). A similar seam exists on the western slopes of the Clent 

 Hills, in the Upper Ashburton plains, of which section No. 9 on 

 plate 3 gives the details. 



In ascending the hillside close to the Clent Hill station, and after 

 passing through 10 to 12 feet of shingle deposit, the lowest beds 

 belonging to this outlier are reached, consisting of — 



42 feet of loose ferruginous sands dipping E.S.E. 76 degs., and 

 containing pockets and concretions of ferruginous clays. Upon 

 them reposes — 



A band of clay marls 12 inches thick, full of casts of a Cypris and 

 of a bivalve, allied to Cyrene, thus proving the fresh water 

 origin of the beds under review. They are overlaid by — 



14 feet of arenaceous sands gradually becoming sulphurous, 

 separated in many layers by small bands of clays, through 

 which the whole obtains a well stratified appearance ; they are 

 succeeded by a bed of under-clays, several inches thick, upon 

 which reposes a large seam of — 



Brown coal, dipping E.S.E. 63 degs., 28 feet 6 inches thick, separated 

 by several small bands of shales into different banks. 



This seam of brown coal, of fair quality, is covered by loose quartzose 

 'Sands, first white and afterwards assuming yellowish tints, which, 

 80 feet above the coal seam, abut against the palaeozoic rocks, here 

 forming steep cliffs and being greatly decomposed, the whole overlaid, 

 as before stated, by post-pliocene alluvium. 



There are some other coal seams near the Canterbury plains, either 

 in small outliers, or skirting the ranges ; for instance, in the bight 



