TOKOMAIRIRO COALFIELD.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 268, 25 April 1874, Page 3

TOKOMAIRIRO COALFIELD.

Captain Huttou's report is as follows: Otago Museum, Dunedin, April 16, 1874. Sir,—l have the honor to inform, you that I have just returned from an examination of the Tokomairiro and Kaitaneata coalfield. I believe this to be the largest coalfield in New Zealand. It covers an extent of about sixty square miles, from the north side of the Tokomairiro River to the Molyneux, and contains several seams of workable coal from twenty-two feet to three feet in thickness. The total amount of coal in the field is certainly considerably oyer 100,000,000 tons. The coal is the best kind of brown coal, and is quite suitable for all stationary engines, locomotives, &b. This field can be very easily opened up by making a branch line, some four or five miles long, from Tokomairiro down the river and by extending the Kaitangata lino fire or six miles to Coal Point, on Mr. Macf'arlane's farm. Neither line presents any difficulties to the engineer. I consider it very important for the whole Province that steps should be at once taken to open up this magnificent coalfield. For, when these two lines are made, Dunedin will be supplied with coal cheaper than any other city in New Zealand; Zaitangata alone can never supply the demand; neither can coals from there be landed in Dunedin at so l:>w a, price as they could either from Tokomairiro or Coal .Point, owing to the great facilities these .latter places have for working thmh. —I ain, . F. W. Huttcn, , Provincial Geologist. Horace Bastings, Esq., Secretary for Public "Wjorks,