1918.] The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 115 
Public Works quarry, the other near the railway a mile north of Te Kuiti. 
The calcareous beds of the district are in several places at least 200 ft. thick, 
and large quantities of high-grade limestone exist. 
The coal-measures that occur beneath the calcareous series to which the 
limestone near Te Kuiti undoubtedly belongs form one of the most im¬ 
portant groups of coal-bearing beds in New Zealand. The thick seams of 
the Huntly district to the north, of the Ohura district to the south, and 
of the Kawhia district to the north-west belong to these measures. Coal 
also occurs in the neighbourhood of Te Kuiti. Six miles north-eastward 
of the town coal at least 5 ft. in thickness outcrops on the road to Otewa. 
About 20 chains to the eastward the same seam appears in the bed of the 
Mangawhero. The stream flows over solid coal for about 7 chains, but 
owing to the low dip of the seam it is impossible by mere inspection 
definitely to ascertain its thickness. South-south-westward of this locality 
carbonaceous shale containing lenses of coal is known. At two points, 
one close to where the Rangitoto Road crosses the valley of the Mangarapa, 
and the other near the Ahoroa Road, three miles and a half south-east of 
Te Kuiti, prospect holes have been sunk on this material, but at the pre¬ 
sent time it is impossible to see the actual bed. Other favourable features 
are the comparative freedom of the district from large faults, and the 
wide distribution and gentle dip of the Oamaruian strata. 
Unfortunately, geological exploration discloses unfavourable features. 
After the writer’s arrival in the district, quarries to supply roadmaking 
material were opened in the greywacke near the prospect holes above 
referred to, and these showed that no coal-seam existed at either locality. 
No other outcrops of coal were discovered to the eastward of Te Kuiti, 
although the topography is favourable for their exposure should the coal 
exist. Again, the coal-measures, which in other coalfields of this age in 
New Zealand are hundreds of feet in thickness, are here poorly repre¬ 
sented, and at many points are entirely absent. The strata beneath the 
limestone appear to thicken to the westward as the beds disappear to the 
dip, but where the limestone again appears on the eastern flank of the 
Tawairoa Range the underlying beds are thin or absent. 
For these reasons it is considered unlikely that an extensive coal-bearing 
area exists beneath that part of the basin of the Waipa that was examined. 
The outcrops of coal near the head of the Mangawhero probably belong 
to a seam covering a relatively small area, and certainly no large amount 
of level-free coal can exist to the eastward of Te Kuiti. 
Analyses of samples of the coal outcropping on the Otewa Road, six 
miles from Te Kuiti, have been made in the Dominion Laboratory, with 
the following results :— 
1 . 2 . 
Fixed carbon 
.. 25-63 
20-38 
Volatile hydrocarbons. . 
.. 34-62 
34-05 
Water 
.. 12-58 
11-70 
Ash 
.. 27-17 
33-87 
100-00 
100-00 
Sulphur 
1-00 
0-95 
The high proportion of ash in these samples is due, in part at least, to 
weathering and the introduction of foreign material by percolating surface 
water. 
