1921 .] 
Departmental Reports. 
21 
Half a mile south of the coal-mine on the north bank of the Waitahu 
a large seam has been driven on for a few chains. The outcrop is 
surrounded by gravel, and the relations of the seam were not ascertained. 
On the track leading from this locality across the hills to the Inglewood 
Gold-mine coal outcrops at a height of 300 ft. above the river-flats. 
In a small north branch of Madman Creek, itself a tributary of Burke 
Creek,* a large seam is exposed more or less continuously for about 
10 chains. Adits have been driven from two points, and a small amount 
of coal extracted. The seam, which is at least 30 ft. thick, dips westerly 
at about 1 in 4. The hill rises to the east with the same slope, and a few 
shallow pits show that the seam has a cover of from 3 ft. to 10 ft. of gravel 
and soft shale. An acre of coal has been proved in this way, and from 
a superficial inspection it is probable that there is an area of about 10 acres 
containing coal concealed only by a tlim cover. 
About 10 chains north of the upper adit and about 100 ft. above it a 
coal-seam of unknown thickness beneath a thin cover of Pleistocene gravel 
has been burning for several years. Already at least an acre of coal has 
been consumed, and steps should at once be taken to extinguish this fire. 
About 4 chains westward from the lower adit and on the north side of the 
tramway a seam of unknown thickness is exposed. This is probably the 
same seam that is on fire to the north-eastward. 
The Reefton Coal Company is working a seam from 12 ft. to 16 ft. thick, 
outcropping on the south side of Stony Batter Creek. The section in this 
locality, in downward sequence, consists of 2J ft. of coal, 120 ft. of strata, 
16 ft. of coal, 40 ft. of sandstone, 2 ft. of coal, 60 ft. of sandstone, 3 ft. of 
pyroshale, and 6 ft. of coal, followed bv sandstone and shale. A small fault 
or roll striking north and south and with downthrovV to the east is exposed 
in a rill a few chains up-stream from the main adit Coal, probably belong¬ 
ing to the 16 ft. seam, is reported to outcrop in the low hills north of Stony 
Batter Creek, but this occurrence was not visited. 
In Burke Creek valley, 20 chains south from Stony Batter Creek, the 
16 ft. and 5 ft. seams have been extensively worked, and in the case of 
the former the workings are continuous through the spur. In this locality 
the seam 120 ft. above the 16 ft. seam is not known, but a large seam 
below the 5 ft. seam and a few r feet above the basal slate is exposed in the 
stream-bed 10 chains east of the workings. 
The section on the north-east side of the valley of Ajax Creek, one of 
the south tributaries of Burke Creek, shows, in downward sequence, 7 ft. 
of coal, 150 ft. of rock, 17 ft. of coal, 30 ft. of rock, 2 ft. of coal, 150 ft. of 
rock, 6 ft. of carbonaceous shale with coaly bands, 100 ft. of rock, and 
25 ft. of coal separated from the basal slate by a dozen feet of clay and 
sandstone. On the other side of this valley the highest seam, 7 ft. in thick¬ 
ness, is being worked, and the lowest, showing 21 ft. of coal, was worked 
many years ago. The intervening seams are known to occur, but were not 
seen. 
Half a mile south-westward from the last-described locality two seams, 
respectively 4J ft. and 16 ft. thick, have been worked near the base of the 
high terrace overlooking Reefton. About a mile southward from this 
locality, on the south side of the Inangahua River, opposite the town, coal 
is reported to outcrop in a small stream. A. mile and a quarter southward 
* This stream is near Reefton, and must be distinguished from Burk Creek, which 
is a tributary of Boatman Creek (see map). 
