29S The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. [Jan. 
east of Coal Creek (tributary of Paparata Stream), which was the farthest 
point reached by me. The downthrow of this fault is to the east. 
Age and Correlation. 
The coal-seams of Tangarakau Gorge appear to • correspond almost 
exactly with those of the Mokau Kiver both in character and age. From 
the shelly sandstone of the Raekohua Valley near Tahora I collected the 
following fossils (identified by Mr. J. Marwick) : Glycymeris sp. (probably 
new), *Dosinia greyi Zitt., Lima colorata Hutt., Pecten burnetti Zitt., Pecten 
huttoni (Park), Conus sp. cf. fusellinus Suter, Verconella nodosa ziiteli (Suter). 
The horizon of the Mokau coal - seams is believed to be Pareoran 
(Awamoan), an age-determination with which the fossils named above are 
in accordance. 
Coal-outcrops. 
On Section 2, Block VII, Pouatu Survey District, a small seam of 
brown coal outcrops almost at water-level on the bank of a little creek 
less than 20 chains from the road and railway now under construction 
through the Raekohua Valley. The seam is nearly horizontal, and from 
14 in. to 18 in. thick. To the south-westward it abruptly thins out, but 
can be traced for a few yards in the opposite direction (up-stream). Fine¬ 
grained bluish sandstone forms both roof and floor. The coal is bright, 
hard, and clean, but the seam is too small to be of any value. The 
horizon is probably several hundred feet at least above that of the seams 
in the Tangarakau Gorge. 
About two miles to the north-east an insignificant seam of coal (4 in. or 
5 in. thick) outcrops in the bed of a small creek, a little above a conglomerate 
band. This outcrop is in the south-east part of Section 9, Block VII, 
Pouatu Survey District (owned by Messrs. Kerr and Gwilliam). Somewhere 
in the northern part of the same section (or just outside its boundary) an 
outcrop of coal, said to be 5 ft. of 6 ft. thick, occurs in a small creek near 
the summit of Pukemiro. This spot, however, was not visited by me. 
The most important coal-outcrops known to exist in the district occur 
in the Tangarakau Gorge, and are all close to the Stratford-Ohura Road. 
Messrs. Herbert Pittmans and Charles McCarty, of Tahora, kindly accom¬ 
panied me on my visit to these outcrops, and explained what was known 
concerning them. Near the 57-mile post (distance measured from Strat¬ 
ford), and five miles by road from Tahora, a thin, almost horizontal seam 
outcrops on the cliff-face about 20 ft. above the road. A little farther on 
a seam, said to be 3J ft. thick, including 6 in. of stone, outcrops below the 
road and a few feet above the river. The ground above the outcrop has 
lately slipped, and at present no coal is visible in situ. Several bags of 
coal extracted from the seam were stacked on the road at the time of my 
visit. Some of the coal at least was not of very good quality. This, 
however, is only what might be expected in the case of outcropping brown 
coal, which is always more or less weathered. Coal outcrops across the 
river nearly opposite the place just mentioned, but I was not able to see 
this. I am informed on reliable authority that the seam is here about 
5 ft. thick. 
A few chains from the 59-mile post hard, clean brown coal outcrops 
just off the road in a little gully : 3 ft. of coal, without a floor, is visible. 
Mr. Pittmans informed me that thirteen or fourteen years ago he 
“ jumped ” a hole down here, or close by, and found 6 ft. of coal. 
* Recent species. 
