The Hawke's Bay Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. MONDAY, 19th NOVEMBER, 1866. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 439, 19 November 1866, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY.

MONDAY, 19th NOVEMBER, 1866. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW ZEALAND.

“NCLLIU3 ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI."

By the courtesy of the Colonial Secretary, we have received a copy of the first general report on the coal deposits of the Islands of New Zealand, by James Hector, M.D., F.R.S., the Director sf the Geological Survey. It appears to have been prepared at the desire of the Colonial office for the purpose of being laid before the Imperial Parliament, and has been executed in a manner uniform with other reports of a similar nature. ■ The report itself is of an elaborate character, containing very much interesting and valuable information, and a series of tabulated statements, showing the relative value of the various kinds of New Zealand coal, comparatively with that of Great Britain and the Australian Colonies, and which certainly tells strongly in favor of the former, although at first view such a conclusion could not have been suspected from the external appearance and generally friable nature of tbe bulk of the New Zealand coal, which is different in its nature, and belongs to a different geological age from that of tbe Northern hemisphere. The classification adopted is not, as might be expected, that of the geological ages of the various coal formations, on account of the imperfection of our present data. It is, therefore, that of the chemical composition of the different coals themselves, but it [is understood that this classification is only of a provisional nature, and will ultimately give place to one of a more scientific character. The main characteristic difference in New Zealand coals is that which depends on the quantity of water entering into their composition. This is accordingly taken as the basis of a classification, and the coal naturally divides itself iuto two classes—'lst, that containing much water, being analogous to the brown coal, known on the Continent of Europe; and, 2nd, that which, by a process of natural chemistry, has been deprived of most of its water, and has become in much the same state as the ordinary coal imported from England and Australia. The former is called hydrous coal, and is most abundantly found in various districts of the Colony, and often in districts where there is a marked deficiency of growing timber. The latter is designated anhydrous coal, and of this there also seems to be an abundant supply, only requiring the necessary 'energy and capita] to overcome such difficulties as exist in the way of its being profitably turned to account. The hydrous coal, though from its bulky

and fragile nature' unfit for the purposes of steam navigation and kindred uses, is nevertheless, of good value as a fuel-, and is extensively used in the districts where it is found for domestic and economical purposes. It is, however, used to some extent even for steam navigation, as on the Clutha River, and it is well adapted for the manufacture of bricks, pottery, &c. . ; In the Northern lsland it is supposed that the deposits of this coal underlie an area of several hundred miles in extent, in seams Varying from six to fifteen feet in thickness; while in the Middle Island, in the formation best known (that of the Molyneux River district) it extends continuously for at least forty-five miles, in seams varying in thickness from six to twenty feet, — the aggregate thickness of the several seams for an extent of three miles on the sea shore being 56 feet, and the estimated quantity underlying this district alone amounts to a hundred millions of tons. On page Bof the report a table is

given showing the average composition of the two above varieties of New Zealand coal compared with Australian and English coal, from about seventy analyses, the results being briefly—.

The sulphur seems to be in rather larger proportion, but a note explains that it is not in the coal as pyrites, but combined with hydrogen in the form of sulphuretted hydrogen (hydrosulpburic acid) which is entirely combustible. The general results of these analytical experiments are eminently favorable to the New Zealand coal, particularly the anhydous variety, which in average composition closely resembles that imported from Australia, and this result is borne put by a series of experiments made in the year 1865 at Woolwich Dock Yard, under the superintendence of Mr Trickett, C.E., who gives the following account of the matter, in addition to a tabulated statement of results:— The Grey coal cakes in burning, and makes a hollow fire forming a small quantity of light clinker that does not adhere to the bars. Light ash only falls through the fire-bars and a considerable quantity of white ash passes up the chimney, leaving a dark grey sandy kind of dust in the tubes and fire-box. The smoke is small in quantity, and the coal is tender and likely to break small in being moved from ship to ship. The Buller coal is a more open burning coal, and does not cakef forming a rather closer clinker than the other; and leaves a sooty deposit in the tubes and fire-box, more like the Hartley (North of England) coal, and gives off a black smoke. No stoking tool was used in burning the samples of both kinds of coal, and nothing seems to be required, beyond throwing the coal on to the fires; and the quantity of each clinker is not greater than that of the North of England coal. The evaporative power of this coal is about the average of that of North of England coal as suplied to the service; but it is not quite so rapid, and requires a rather longer time to boil off a given quantity of water. The trial of the 17th November was made with the bars half-inch apart, the other trials with the bars about three-eighths of an inch apart. And again Mr Trickett writes— I beg to report that additional trials have been made of the New Zealand coal, and a comparative statement is forwarded herewith. The mean result of ten trials of Welsh coal at the same boiler are given for comparison, from which it will be seen that the New Zealand coal evaporates more water per pound of coal (hah the North of England or Welsh, but does not evaporate it so rapidly ; or in other words a larger fire-grate is required in the same boiler to evaporate a given quantity of water per hour with New Zealand coal than would be required if North of England or Welsh coal were used. There is a great deal of valuable information respecting the coal of the Colony in adtioa to that (above noticed in the report, a consideration of which we must defer to a future occasion. t AU the samples examined in the Geological Survey Laboratory caked.

ARRIVAL OF THE S.S. QUEEN. IMPORTANT NEWS FROM WELLINGTON. RETURN OP THE ST. HILDA PROM CHATHAM ISLANDS. WRECK OP THE BARQUE LIZZIE SCOTT. PERILS OP THE PLYING CLOUD. THE HAU-HAU PRISONERS SETTLED AND CONTENT. By thejarrival of the s.s. Queen, Capt. Kreeft at 3 30 p.m. yesterday, we have our usual files from Wellington and Southern Ports. These contain several highly important items of intelligence, for which, however, we have only space for a brief outline, reserving a more detailed statement for our next issue. The s.s. St. Kilda arrived in Wellington harbor from the Chatham Islands on Wednesday, the 14th inst., having landed her freight of Hau-haus and their guard, and left them in a comfortable and contented condition. In passing round the island, the captain discovered portions of a wreck, which proved to be that of the Lizzie Scott, bound from Wellington to Callao, having left the former port on the Ist inst., and been cast on the Chatham rocks on the evening of the 3rd. After a night of peril, the captain and crew safely effected a landing. The crew with the exception of the captain, had been brought to Wellington in the St. Kilda. The schooner Flying Cloud narrowly escaped a similar fate in the early part of last month, having put into a port for shelter from a strong westerly wind. In a few days, the wind having abated, an attempt was made to get her under weigh but her anchor had become entangled with an enormous mass of kelp, which c ;used her to miss stays, and rendered her unmanageable and to prevent her going ashore they were necesitated to slip the chain. She then put back, and brought up in her former position. Exertions were now made to recover her first anchor, but an accident prevented them from getting it on board ; in the act of hauling it up, the buoy rope parted, and after diligent efforts to recover it, the attempt was abandoned, and the vessel went into Port Waitangi with their sole remaining anchor. Next day, a terrific N.W. gale raged over, the island, and the poor little schooner was in a most perilous situation. A hawser was procured, and with that she was moored, but both hawser and chain parted like a thread, and about 5 p.m. she came driving ashore. Eventually she was got off, and on 19th she was taken to Port Hult, when an examination of her bottom took place. Fortunately, she has sustained very little damage. We regret to add that no news can be had of the missing schooner Sea Serpent, and it must, therefore, be concluded that she is lost, and that Captain Blair, a crew of four, and five passengers, have all met with a watery grave. It only remains for us to record our deep sympathy with the surviving relatives and friends of the unfortunate individuals who have thus perished, PROVINCIAL ITEMS. TARANAKI. A new Presbyterian Church has been opened;—estimated cost of building, £IOSO. The fifteenth session of the Provincial Council was opened by His Honor the Superintendent on the 13th inst. NELSON. The Superintendent, Mr Alfred Saunders, is about to resign, and pay a visit to England. Efforts are being made to secure the return of Mr Oswald Curtis, M.P.C., M.H.R. The Provincial Engineer, Mr Blackett, is also likely to be a candidate. OTAGO. The Provincial Council met on the Bth inst. The Executive have resigned. Mr Dillon Bell and Mr Cargill were sent for, but both declined to undertake the formation of a Government. After this, Mr Vogel was sent for. WELLINGTON. There are a'wut 400 Hau-haus in the Wairarapa district, who seem to be bent on mischief. The Sturt arrived from Wanganui on Friday last. There is no news from that district. The Governor has gone up the Wanganui river.

Fixed Hydrocarbon, carbon. Water. Ash. Sulphur. Hydrous... 37-93 1407 S-34 2-79 Anhydrous..,, 33-23 2-84 6-04 2-53 Australian..,;. 32-23 2-86 7-44 •87 English 3403 148 3-21 •82