COAL FIRST SIGHTED

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 14

COAL FIRST SIGHTED

I ,; UP MOUNT ROCHFORT IN 1860.

; The original discovery of coal in tho J3uUor district was made oii July 5 t 'ISM), by, Dr. von-Haast (afterwards Sir .lulius von , Haast). The doctor was at the, time- engaged by tho Nelson Provincial Government on a,geological exploration of thy district, following after Messrs. Eochfort and Maekay, who had first penetrated thr> surrounding coun-tr-V-....l'l?e.,narratiYo..of this ascent up. Mount Roebfort/was publisliod by Dr. 'von Haast in a pamphlet the following year, and an extract from it will bo of interest. After describing a first attempt to niako the ascent, abandoned by his Native guides -because- •of ■ the cold andsriow, he says:-r' ; -'' .'!'- "On the oth. July I again ascfended tho mountain; thero was ,not a cloud to bo seen an'd the whole country lay like a splendid panorama before me. To. the north appeared tho Rocky Point nf 'J'auro-te-AVcka, with other headlands, stretching into the sea. Above these rise a mass of mountains, amongst which towered the snow-clad giants of tho central chain..-Deep valleys indicated tho courses of .the great rivers, amongst which , the valley of .the Karainea was the most conspicuous. Towards tho east lay tho Lycll Mountains, with their bold,- unbroken, outline, over .which appeared tho rugged peaks of Mount Owen, and of the mountains at the head of tho eastern branch of tho Matin. Beyond tho Lycll Range where it sloped towards tho Buller,' roso Mount Murchison, tho three' peaks of which, visible from Nelson, are well known. Following'' tho lino.of the large opening bptween the Lyell and Brunnor ranges, and tho eastern mountain chain commencing above the Top-houso and running 'to Mount Franklin, the hifiFiest point in tho Spencer Mountains is observed, and a sorics of lower mountains forming cones which plainly tell the history of this groat -fissnre.""The valley of tho Tutaki, .the Matakatakj, and tho Maruia were also visible, and abovo tho eastern chain, in tho direction of tho head of Rotoroa Lake, ap--pcared Tapaianuka, the highest summit of tho Kaikoras. Towards tho southeast and sonth tho rugged lines of tho Brnnner range wero visible, broken through by tho Awerati, the principal tributary of the Inangahua, over tho broad valley "of which the view reached to tho grey country and Black Hill. .This splendid panorama was further hounded by the Southern-Alps, in front of which Kaimata lay auspicious. More towards tho,south, across the Buller, I looked dawn into the valley'of Ohika-iti and Qh'ka-iuii, shut in at their heads by the rtiggwl masses, of tho I'aparoha chain, the whole, presenting ono of the finest and most magnificent views that it is possible to conceive. . . . Tho l'apahaua chain consists of two ranges, one , near the sea, running north-ivpst, tho two afterwards uniting in a common centre. I •named-tho highest peak, upon which I had lixeil my station, Mount Rochfort (3572 feet), after the firsfc-'filiropeaii. who. had ascended it; tho highest point in the eastern cliain, Mount William (3GII foot), and their common -terminus on tho north Mount Frederick" (3300 feet). B.etween those two'chains lies a platform from 1300 to 1800 foot high. The plateau is intersected; by an incredible number of small etYeams, rivulets, and precipices, and is covered with manuka and sub-alpino Scrubs."

If was on tin's plateau .that Dr. Haast first discovered coal, and it is the Hanks of Mount ]{oclif«rt and Mount William tliiil aro to-day' pierced l>y tlic many miles of the AY'cstpoi'fc Cool Company's workings. In making tho descent, the doctor and ln's ::omi>anion found small hits of coal or. the ha like of a rivulet, and mndo diligent'search for more. The discovery wliiclv subsequently, led to tlie opening up of one of tlie finest coalfields in' tho world is thus de-

scribed:—"At length my search was •rewarded, for having passed up a little waterfall in a deep gully, 1 saw that the overhanging rocks were compact grits, and although my whole party had passed over tho fall, I at once returned, and having moved the moss that covered tho stratum below these grita, I found to my joy a large seam of good coal. . Of. course I stopped my party, who very soon returned to assist mo in uncovernig the seam, which, on removing the moss and ice that encumbered tho fall, proved to bo eight fcot two inches of pure coal.' A-further examination of this' valloy, which I named Coalbrook -Dale, proved that this coal was striking and dipping regularly." .' :.V