New Zealand Thames, and the larger rivers in the North of the 
island, contain half carbonized and turflike strata of lignite, which 
must not he mistaken tor deposits of brown coal. 
Of much greater variety and extent seem to be the indications 
of coal beds upon Sovth Island, and if anywhere it is reasonable to 
hope that upon this island a Newcastle will spring up some day, 
which will turnisli the desired quantity and quality of coal for the 
Pacific steam navigation. I myself was able to examine only a 
few of the coal seams in the Province of Nelson on the shores of 
Blind Bay and Golden Bay. 
The first point I examined is Ennerglyn, four miles South of the 
City of Nelson and about 200 feet above the level of the sea, close 
by the foot of the steep rising ranges of clayslate. Mr. Jenkins has 
the merit of 1 laving proved to the inhabitants of Nelson by several 
trial-shafts , that here they have coal in the immediate vicinity of 
the city. Through a tunnel driven about 250 feet in an easterly 
West East 
Jenkin's Colliery near Nelson, 
a) Clayslate. b) Brown Coal Formation. 
direction into tlie slope of the mountain through sandstones, con- 
glomerates and shales, several brown coal seams from 3 to 6 feet 
thick were cut, which with a very steep inclination of 50 to 00 
degrees dip towards the East, apparently under the older slate for- 
mation. The structure of the coal, however, indicates violent distur- 
bances in the stratification of the layers in consequence of a pressure 
from the East, which has wholly bent and inverted the strata. In 
consequence of this pressure the coal has lost all consistency; it is 
specular-cleft and crumbles in small, very glossy scales or la- 
mina. Between this crushed coal there are isolated nests of a remark- 
able jet-black coal with perfectly conehoidal fracture and a bright 
gloss, presenting the appearance of obsidian In the ferruginous 
