110 
EXPLANATION OF THE MAP. 
sterling. The nature of the gold-fields of the Aorere and 
Takaka valley convinced me that by a well-managed and 
regulated plan of working, and with a larger amount of 
capital, sufficient profits would he realised, and that the 
development of these gold-fields was only the commencement 
of gold discoveries which would ultimately extend throughout 
the whole mountain chain of the South Island ; and that 
discoveries would he made which, though perhaps not equal to 
the gold-fields of California and Australia, will nevertheless 
class New Zealand amongst the gold lands of the earth. # 
The summits of these mountain chains, such as the pic¬ 
turesque Mount Arthur, Mount Owen, and others, which are 
from 5,000 to 6,000 feet above the level of the sea, when covered 
with snow, are visible at a great distance. When arriving in 
Blind Bay, they give to the landscape of the Province of 
Nelson its peculiar charm. In the north of the Province are 
large plains, bordering important rivers, which intersect the 
mountain chains. Of these plains those by the Buller Elver 
are the most remarkable, where there is abundance of land 
fitted for agriculture, and rich natural pasture suitable for 
sheep runs. The western and south-western parts of the 
Province of Nelson are only now opened for settlement, and it 
may be surmised that in the next few years, these districts 
will become most important, on account of their treasures of 
coal, near the mouth of the principal rivers, viz., the Buller 
(Kawatiri) and the Grey (Mawhera). 
The eastern mountain chain, running in a direction from 
south-west to north-east, consists of stratified sedimentary 
formations, comprising old grauwacke sandstone, red, green, 
and grey clay slates, and isolated patches of laminated calca¬ 
reous strata. These strata, highly inclined, and trending in 
the same direction, are friction-breccias, accompanied by great 
masses of eruptive rocks, which have altered the contiguous 
strata. These eruptive rocks occur in a straight belt which 
extends from Stephens and D’Urville Island in Cook's Straits to 
the Cannibal Gorge in the south of the Province, over a dis¬ 
tance of 150 miles. Throughout this line the lithological 
* It will be remembered that the very rich gold-fields of the Province 
of Otago were discovered in 186L 
