﻿Pond. 
  — 
  Notes 
  on 
  a 
  Salt 
  Spring 
  near 
  Holdanga. 
  ' 
  513 
  

  

  Tlie 
  spring 
  in 
  question 
  is 
  situated 
  in 
  dense 
  bush, 
  on 
  the 
  dividing 
  range 
  

   between 
  the 
  Wangape 
  and 
  Waihou 
  rivers, 
  the 
  latter 
  of 
  -which 
  runs 
  into 
  

   Hokianga 
  Harbour. 
  The 
  distance 
  from 
  tlie 
  sea 
  in 
  a 
  direct 
  line 
  is 
  about 
  

   nine 
  or 
  ten 
  miles, 
  and 
  is 
  at 
  a 
  considerable 
  elevation 
  above 
  sea 
  level 
  ; 
  hence 
  

   the 
  presence 
  in 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  chloride 
  of 
  sodium 
  is 
  highly 
  interesting, 
  

   showing, 
  as 
  it 
  does, 
  that 
  there 
  must 
  be 
  in 
  the 
  locality 
  a 
  deposit 
  of 
  salt, 
  

   probably 
  some 
  distance 
  below 
  the 
  surface, 
  which 
  I 
  should 
  judge 
  from 
  the 
  

   fact 
  of 
  its 
  not 
  being 
  more 
  highly 
  impregnated. 
  As 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  by 
  the 
  

   analysis, 
  this 
  water 
  contains 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  percentage 
  of 
  chloride 
  of 
  

   sodium 
  as 
  ordinary 
  sea 
  water, 
  but 
  differs 
  therefrom 
  in 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  sul- 
  

   phates. 
  The 
  following 
  gives 
  the 
  chief 
  constituents, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  small 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  the 
  sample 
  at 
  my 
  disposal 
  would 
  permit 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  The 
  solid 
  matter 
  equals 
  2937"558 
  gr 
  

  

  Organic 
  matter 
  

   Soluble 
  silica 
  

   Carbonate 
  of 
  Magnesia 
  

   Chloride 
  of 
  Potassium 
  

  

  ,, 
  Sodium 
  

  

  Lime 
  and 
  Iron 
  

   Sulphuric 
  Acid 
  

   Loss 
  

  

  ains 
  per 
  gallon, 
  composed 
  of 
  — 
  

  

  51-115 
  

  

  49-562 
  

  

  18-710 
  

  

  1-9 
  

  

  27974 
  

  

  traces 
  

  

  18-871 
  

  

  The 
  sample 
  was 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  fine 
  sedimentary 
  

   deposit, 
  which 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  silicate 
  of 
  alumina, 
  with 
  a 
  trace 
  of 
  iron 
  and 
  

   lime. 
  After 
  standing 
  some 
  days 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  opalescent, 
  acid 
  reaction 
  

   and 
  strong 
  saline 
  taste. 
  From 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  deposit, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  

   fragments 
  of 
  gravel 
  brought 
  separately, 
  I 
  should 
  judge 
  the 
  locality 
  from 
  

   whence 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  taken 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  a 
  clay-slate 
  formation 
  ; 
  but 
  during 
  the 
  

   coming 
  summer 
  I 
  hope 
  to 
  make 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  place 
  in 
  which 
  this 
  

   spring 
  is 
  situated, 
  and 
  a 
  further 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  Spectroscopically 
  I 
  could 
  

   not 
  detect 
  lithia. 
  As 
  I 
  have 
  already 
  mentioned, 
  this 
  spring 
  ranks 
  higher 
  

   than 
  any 
  other 
  in 
  this 
  Colony, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  records 
  show, 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  

   amount 
  of 
  alkaline 
  chlorides 
  present. 
  

  

  While 
  speaking 
  with 
  respect 
  to 
  springs 
  not 
  included 
  in 
  Mr. 
  Skey's 
  

   report, 
  I 
  will 
  add 
  some 
  information 
  respecting 
  two 
  other 
  mineral 
  waters 
  

   from 
  our 
  district 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  analyzed. 
  The 
  first 
  is 
  located 
  near 
  

   Whangarei, 
  and 
  is 
  highly 
  charged 
  with 
  carbonic 
  acid 
  gas. 
  The 
  springs 
  

   are 
  surrounded 
  with 
  a 
  vitreous-looking 
  silica, 
  and 
  in 
  places 
  with 
  large 
  

   quantities 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  light 
  porous 
  rock, 
  presumed 
  by 
  the 
  residents 
  at 
  first 
  

   to 
  be 
  meerschaum, 
  but 
  this 
  I 
  find 
  on 
  examination 
  to 
  be 
  incorrect, 
  the 
  

   chemical 
  tests 
  showing 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  silicate 
  of, 
  alumina, 
  and 
  the 
  microscope 
  

   resolving 
  it 
  into 
  an 
  infusorial 
  earth, 
  well 
  worthy 
  the 
  consideration 
  of 
  our 
  

  

  a30 
  

  

  