97 
of the streams that sections of these slates may be examined. In 
these sections the clayslates are frequently found to resemble Ly- 
dian stone; they are arranged more or less vertically, their irre- 
gular upturned edges affording the most convenient and abundant 
“pockets” for the detention and storage of the alluvial gold washed 
from the higher grounds. The most gold was found in the narrow 
valleys , where , after digging to a depth of four to five feet through 
boulders and shingle, the “bed-rock” is struck. Where the valleys 
extended into broader alluvial plains, there was always but little 
and very light gold found. 
At a small branch of the Kapanga in the vicinity of the “Coo- 
lahans Diggings”, not far from Mr. Ring’s mill , at a place poin- 
ted out to me by Mr. Pleapliy as especially rich, I went to work 
myself to make an experiment in washing. We dug, partly from 
the bed of the small creek, partly from the banks, several sliovel- 
fulls of quartz gravel intermixed with earth and clay, which, after 
removing the larger pieces, we washed in round tin dishes. The 
result of the very first trial was a considerable number of extremely 
fine scales of a light yellowish green gold , 1 which glistened among 
the black magnetic iron sand that had remained after the wash- 
ing process , and some small pieces of ochrey quartz , in which fine 
scales were seen imbedded. Each successive trial yielded the same 
result, nor was there a single dish full of “dirt” that did not 
show the “colour”, so that I had to acknowledge to myself that, 
if those deposits of detritus should extend over a larger area , and 
could be worked on a large scale with the necessary machinery, 
the result must doubtless be a very remunerative one. But in 
regard to the former point I had no opportunity to convince my- 
self, and as to the latter the natives would not have consented at 
that time. The pieces of quartz , among which there were many 
violet coloured or amethystine, all being angular fragments, could 
not have been brought from any considerable distance, although 
in the creek itself we found nowhere a quartz vein in situ. On 
1 On the Waiau Creek the gold found is said to have been heavier and more 
rounded. 
Hoc hs tetter, New Zealand. 
7 
