COLLIERIES IN NEW ZEALAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 309, 15 September 1874, Page 4

COLLIERIES IN NEW ZEALAND.

The following timely letter appears in the Sydney Morning Herald, in answer to one that we have not seen: — Sir- While agreeing with Mr R. Adams as to the desirability of exploration being made re the coal seams near our' harbor of Sydney, I find that he is in error as to the localities of the local deposits in New Zealand. Mr Adams says, " Hitherto all the coal foond:in New Zealand is far back." Having some knowledge, from actual inspection, of. the coal mines of the Grey River district, and from close reading, pf the reports, &c, of Messrs Hector, Haast, Blackett, and Burnett, Goverjifnent; geologists and engineers, I venture to submit the following:— Tbe t Nelsoo Coal Mine on the North side and the Westinnd Mine on the sooth Side -of the Grey River, both working on the Bruoner seam, are only Seven miles from the port at Greymbbtb, between which a railway is now being made at a cost of £74,000. The Bruoner seam is 16 feet thick of clean coal, and has been proved, by underground workings which I personally inspected in IS6B, to he of uniform qunlity, and superior to anything that has' oWn ! rtiscovered io this colony, as has been proved over and over again by analysis.- experiments at Woolwich Dockyard,. M Ibourne Gas Works, colonial steamers, &c, he. Meam colliers could be constructed to 400 to 500 tons of coal, which would cross the Var at the month of the Grey. -The Bronner scam has been recently prwvej-by borings and sinkings to exif-nf>fdr miles. southward; and northward it is seen at Mount Rochfort, the j Ngakawao River 00 the coast, and the Mokitiinui River, on to Cape Farewell, a clstsnre of nearly 100 m les. The Mount Rocktort Plateau, with its five seams of workahle coal, none less If a- five feet thick, giving a total thi- kness «»f thirty-right and a haH feel — *p>rtion of ibis same Grey River snd M<>un< Davy coalfield, only twelve miles in a direct line from the town of We^jp'-rt, with a port s>id to he superior to the G<ey— is estimated to contain, ajier making very large allowances for lrfeVi.y dykes, Ac, 322,663 500 tons, or b?pw»,r.?B of 1,000000 tons a year for 322 y ars. A railway has been surveyed, and tenders are now invited for the construction of a railway between Westport and the coalfield. A mine is being worked at the mouth of ihe Ngakiwau River, eighteen miles north ,of Westport. The seam is sixteen feet thick; and Dr Hector, the director of the geological survey of New Zealand, says "its quality is excellent " The harbor is easily available in ayorage weather for vessels drawing eight feet. 1 might have referred to the immense deposits of brown coal in the Proviuce of Otago, Middle Island, and the Provinces of Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, and Hawke's Bay, all contiguous to moderately good (one or two to really good) harbors; but, as it is not probable this coal will interfere to any great extent with the demand for a better kind, I deem it not desirable. In conclusion, I have no hesitation whatever in saying that when the New Zealand collieries, containing very superior ccal for steam and other purposes, are fully developed, very little coal indeed wilt be exported from New South Wales to New Zealand. Yours faithfully, John Ushbb, Juu., C E. f August 25.