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shore only small vessels , at most of ten tons freight, are able to 
land, and in consequence of the extravagant rate of wages the price 
came so near to the price of the English coal that a sale of it 
on a large scale was entirely out of the question. Mr. Burnett 
was of opinion, that by establishing a coal depot upon the Tata 
Islands, — situated along the coast not far from Matupipi, — where 
larger vessels can anchor with safety, and by the putting up of a 
steam engine the whole matter may be set right at once, and the 
price of the coal be reduced to from 15 to 20 shillings per ton. 
The extent of the coal field near Motupipi is considerable. 
The coal has been found in various places up the Takaka river 
as far as Mr. Sheet’s farm. At low water the coal seams can 
be traced upon the shallow muddy bottom far out into the sea. 
Furthermore on the Rcmgiheta Point , several miles West of Mo- 
tupipi, I observed the same brown coal formation again. The 
vertical bluffs along the shore present here moreover a very inter- 
esting geological section. The coal seams, likewise containing Am- 
brite, are again partly on, partly below, the high water mark; 
they are covered with bituminous shales, sandstones, conglomerates 
and solid quartzites, such as are frequently met with in Germany 
and Bohemia within the range of the brown coal deposits. The 
top-most layer consists of tabular limestones, the banks of which 
protrude at the top of the cliffs. Here, therefore, the curious ob- 
server has ample opportunity to convince himself that the lime- 
stone formation so extensively met with upon the North and South 
Islands overlies the brown coal. 
Totally different from tho brown coal hitherto described is the 
coal of Pakawau in the western corner of Golden bay. The car- 
boniferous strata rest on the metamorphic slates of the Wliakama- 
rama range, and are laid bare on both sides of the Pakawau Creek 
by natural sections and by small trial-shafts. They consist of 
micaceous sandstones, conglomerates and shales, with several coal 
seams. The strata dip at an angle of 20° towards South West in the 
direction of the Harbour of West Wanganui, — a distance of six miles, 
— where the outcrop of the carboniferous strata is again visible. 
