1921.] Morgan.—Status of Areal Geological Mapping. 
255 
roads and railways were mostly unmade or still in the making. Hence 
Hector and his staff worked under great difficulties, and as a rule did not 
attempt to produce highly detailed geological maps. Some creditable 
manuscript maps were spoiled by being published on too small a scale. 
Worthy of mention, however, are some excellent topographical maps of 
the Buffer Coalfield (showing coal-outcrops) which were published in 1877. 
These were drawn by A. Koch from surveys made by W. M. Cooper. 
In 1893 and various succeeding years geological maps of various parts 
of New Zealand, prepared by Alex. McKay to illustrate his reports, were 
published by the Mines Department. Nearly all these maps are on a small 
scale, and very sketchy in detail, but have nevertheless been of use to 
students of New Zealand geology. In 1897 McKay and Park published 
independent geological maps of the Hauraki Goldfield (Auckland), which 
were useful in illustrating the views of the two geologists, but neither map 
can lay claim to any great degree of accuracy. 
Besides the maps already indicated, many minor geological maps of 
portions of New Zealand have been published in connection with papers 
on the geology of this country. Some of these will be found in the Trans¬ 
actions of the New Zealand Institute. 
So far as reconnaissance surveys are concerned, one may say that the 
whole of New Zealand is covered by the various maps already referred to. 
In some cases the same area has been repeatedly mapped, but without any 
great gain to general knowledge. The wasting of energy in this way is to 
be deplored, but, as a rule, where one perfunctory examination succeeds 
another it is not the fault of the geologist, but of circumstances beyond 
his control. Not until 1905, when Dr. J. M. Bell was appointed Director 
of the Geological Survey in succession to Sir James Hector, were system¬ 
atic surveys instituted with a view of producing detailed geological maps 
of all New Zealand. Dr. Bell in 1906 stated his plan as follows :— 
“ The reorganized Geological Survey Department has outlined a scheme 
for the preparation of a detailed topographical and geological map of New 
Zealand. For this purpose the country has been cut up into divisions, 
each one of which is supposed to represent a problem of especial interest, 
or several such problems which can be conveniently grouped together. 
For example, the Hauraki Division is of note chiefly on account of its 
containing the richest quartz-mining fields of the colony ; the Karamea 
Division contains the immense iron-ore deposits occurring near Parapara ; 
the Westland Division is of marked interest because of its richly auriferous 
gravels, and of the veins and rock-masses from which they were derived ; 
the Rotorua Division contains the chief manifestations of the remarkable 
thermal phenomena for which New Zealand is justly famed; and so on. 
Each division contains a number of survey districts corresponding in 
boundary with those of the Lands and Survey Department. Several survey 
districts which can be conveniently grouped together to give a continuous 
section of country comprise a subdivision. It is intended to prepare fuff 
reports, accompanied by geological and topographical maps, on each sub¬ 
division as soon as the necessary field-work in each case is completed, and 
to issue them to the public without delay at an almost nominal price. In 
carrying out the field-work a good topographical map is the first requisite, 
and on it, as a basis, the geological work is placed. The whole area which 
is being investigated is most carefully examined, the various creeks are 
ascended, and the spurs and ridges followed in mountainous country. 
