WEST WANGANUI COALFIELD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 155, 3 July 1877, Page 4

WEST WANGANUI COALFIELD.

The fellawing letter has been ad] iMadrevto. fehe -■Walj :v . Wellington, June 18. | The Secretary ..of .the Chamber ofj Commerce, Wellington. — Dear Sir,-— j t |f,-a^-.Gcgiirre<i to tne that the foliawtbgi mayibaTiDteresSißg to *4he ! e^ftkmfta^Qd.-mem&e.s'oftheC-t^ipb^r of Commerce. On these grounds' I .*ißpeatfu*lly -requei. • yon WiU ist your next t Meeting j aabmie •— ist, printed Jd^fge_tiof , particulars of |he_ West Wan-j gfJpi¥daTfiel^ 2ad, a, map, showings the 'dtfttsfc line and distriot; 3rd, obser-; vations thereoh after a recent re-visit; to the inlet. j '40« Tba West-Wangan't-i Inlet or ! Jinrjbor,' as. l named it on __y discovery \ Ja. .|B4o,]js situated abouS tea miles l mti).of the Saodapitj Cape. Farewell,] f ; jal«qd 9 diafcan. to Nelson by! sea jJO miles, to 160,milen, ' w T6rahaki 170 /miles, Wangaijuii (North Island) ICO miles, Manukau 320 miles, Pbrisfchprcli, 380 n miles, Du«_e_iaSgO miles, 1 HbkUika 2io miles, &c, &_,, water car rfa|e from close to the coal mine' to ; any port: _^!_!_fM 3lbß^!Ql'- baia good entrance from g^ . a^|f! W»My.:.4ißßeirn«bl_H'to a6vig|t|.B,.^nd^saf^ tckeß^rJorivessels of from 2f|o jo 40) tons drawing from eight to tea feet pf w(|t.r.< : M ia. like moaCi). the harbors on the West Coast 0$ Ngw.Zeala^d^asbai' harbor; , bat-has TOaverag|of fourteen feet of watl^r'at bigh tidoC'and eig&^faafi at low water. I^craaaad (hia b^r. sftfQ,iQ.theifirß|-v§^9l f^lS^p^to^^^ -Wellington, -iwned !l>y a Huiifer, Esq, $$: i §B6rgdtio .and .-.terp - . tsio^ father S|/?5W r fUSße^d-Bemfaer of .tßs§tt^oame. This vessel waa the jgUppap-built schooner Jewess in 4B4(s drawing about p-Sl^&O. ftbaft. I entered this unknown harbor of refuge at ; about in... fblldid^ without ehajrt or guide! esde'pt a-good look-ouCj care.ul steerage, and a constant lead, dn. i Q g a heavy .and conls?Sß Mk from; the N.W., with a very heavy sea running tow ; ardß the inlet. -I feonn arosaed the bar, and leM tt^an 14 ft, of water, in4f*3aptp'g Igain |he smooth t and safe anchorage at three fathoms off the inner head iofi the 'tS.W. arm of the J inlet, •*wh-.e^l ; lay sheltered "(rom, all winds eiofe in shore, near a small Maori pa. Esamifiieg.the shores of this inlet nest day, -I discovered, tested, and afterwards mined'and shipped and |qok |o Wellington tbe first New Z .aland coal io ithe I pioneer settlers ! of WelIsagtooi. (See; Report No, 1.) wi My; reioeni'yyisit '^o We^st Wanganui wia from Wellington sia Nelson and W l -???? 00^ M. Mtt93aeca or Golden Bay by steamers ; thence Ott J f oot by the -usea : beaoh about eight miles to Pakawau; thence in company with two <*#_M.eq.ds thsroagh a beautifully wooded mountain pass, four tailesontotheNlE: arm of the West Wanganui Inlefc. We a jS*.i? e 4 feore about three-qaarter " ebb tbl__ jand: found the scenery geaerally vary, gwnjL aud interesting, apd^ W_U i^- Tbe mudflats on eacb aijle of |he channel were very dry; esffiQiet-tly sato enable us to' walk over sist-Ynilds to the S.W.j covered with tffss? r ' **A cockle shells,, and periwinkles, the whole seemed alive with sheil-lsh. Tbe average width of this arm was about one mile frofn sho re to abpre. The hills are high on each side °* HIS.". *°|et»- composed for the most p«riof .red saadstone, and clad from tba. base to the summit with useful trjaeffa^d. lovely, foliage. This sis-mile Walk o^er the ;flats brought us opposite,, t^e entrance from the sea to ttie inlet. It' -.was blowing fresh right in, but the baf.ebpwed little break or obstruction to the navigation of tbe entranoe, which haa.al^ut an average of one mile and a-Aalf. -inT breadth. The deepi^ater cha^nei is od the S.W. side of the bold shores form the seaWsrd entrance 'ojb^ Jn^etc Immediately opposite the fa|r.,entranbe from the sea on tha eastaro. side of the in lei, appears a very relMrkable, cone-shaped mountain. It a leading beacon or .some buoys were placed in line with the aforeaaiJ mount and the bar , entrance of the inlet, I bel^va WeXtVWaaganqv. would; be one of "tbe' safest hafbora of refuge On the Weat Uoasfeof-NewZeaUfad forebips of the class named. West Wan^auui is .always, available for vessels bound: Bouth; for tbe Buller, the Grey, Hokitika, &c., io beavy galea from the S;W. : , when those porta are not safe or even accessible. Indeed, there are are some welUkaowQ coasting captains who have on several occasions foundn.safe and easy shelter here, when by stress of

weather ihey oouid not proceed oni ward to the Grey, &o. : ; "To resume our journey, wa walked onwards over the mudflats 60 tm S.W, arm of she outlet until we striven opposite the Maori pah, now nearly deserted by a once friendly and hospita< ble family of the Ngatiaioas. Here c . ¥•? . i\ broagh* a gw?q , for ac, and.wd !M(fe>l»V#aßMlio OiMeitt-_ujiJa(i a cost of la each. From thence wa again walked about a mile over similaf| ground, and arrived at the outcrop oi ■■Ifatfflfb ■*. ■H!W'fo*.B|?rty dti^jfeire^ by r mys9lf. These outcrops at thoLjlrat. •-'^o^ s ?&p. „N% LW*ar§Tiaiag u fll|]fjaftiSf6 or Ift in height above the flats, and dippiug &•- angles of about tea. degree under the adjacent sandstone rising land. I found them collectively about! 12ft thick. The outofope-^ra^noW^drj the greater part removed off the surface! by the crotwe.of'-'vesaelifreqb^b.ibg the; inlet for shelter, or by small parties ofj minq.slwishout; capitat or proper ap-' plianc9B, i^_;d Narcosis -e). ld to obaoce; vessels as opportunity offers. About?QClo S^_s;,of;esc6!tQQ. surface coal ia reported to have been raised and sold. I Thesis ;_.|U some showing above the! water mark ; but the measures are j under the sh6reS|'-an^ddub6les&^'co-i*-! tinuous under the land in vast quanti- j .tie-Vaay B G GQ . _ : IG.OQO tons tbe aore, j of superior quality to tbe surface out- ! crop. j Iv order to attack these coals in a j proper manner/}! iki Willi be necessary j to sink a shaft whiob will be quite j easy, aod will cu (Pitta first two seams \ of about Bft.^ta depth of- about 69ft , ; probably less. Besides the two seams i aforaaaid t several •pthfs-j&^afps-. of;..fair | average thickness of escelleat coal are '■ visible at various . parts of this inlet [ which underlie these outcrops at i greater depths, the same in- : d'iQ&'tion and dip. [' These also may be ; by: contitfuiatidQ rof . shaYfi "6r | shafts at a r moderatefdepth. Indeed, any : person having fair mining kndwledge^ who, will take the trouble . to examine this country properly and impartially, will conclude chat there isian esteiisive and unbroken coalfield of great commercial, value easily " and economi-O-lly obtainable, lying still uowoiked by capital and skill, 160 miles by water-carr irge jrqin the. pit mouthy to the 1 /wharves qf tha capital ; of ? %w Zealana. "PaasiagF, op wards • from .these out- : crops towards the h-a'd of the -inlet, a ; quarter of a mile distant we reached ! tbe refreshment etorexof MrT Howard Here we had a comfortable supper, I aod saw several decent miners, somo of I whom bad been working the surface 1 coal. All gave excellent accounts of ithe quantity and superior quality of ithese particular se»ms, but complained I that they had no means to rise more local, nor ot™ shipping it when raised, ithey had abanoaied the work for gold'digjgiog in the neighborhood, or iothe; . r chance employ ment.T - - Here iwerpa_-.a'the night. , With 'o6m.orta6le jbeda, &c. V j "Aa Jt have no djesire' to trespass on [the time of ithe members: ofv the IChamber of Commerce,- 1 will m briefly las possible add tba6 : wb'Ue . .at Weat i Wanganui I examine^ tha-auirrounding icountry .carefully, and -spent a day at the N#4s ojf ■ tbe entrance of the ha r boric When- -blowing right in and - pretty rough, I icbuld {see no i difficulty Taa to ithe approach from seaward that would be-all llkaly to deter *' d ''"'sailo.- ' 'fr'l>ia\ entering eieu at low wafieri alwa^prff'- *" Riding bis vesael did- not -draw m0j0,, , thaneigbt feet. Of course, at highT kater7~shiper "o'fmucii eafger "draught could enter gSfelyV Notbibg^ls jet has been done by the Government to plaoe 4ny lading ■ marks- to guide e^ipmastefs |nio r -ibis- haven- -of -safety. 1' a_a *of that samS 'COntparati-^ciy ine^*? i-ea_iV- marka as indicated above, might &c recommended by "your Chainbof," wiSh- -great *4'dva_tta|e W -WSvlgtt&i-a t"&kf-' •" ipg sueher in $U port.'"*"'" o - j " West Waugaauiis on the high.r.Qad. r Sbdie int&reyt(q^ , aaid i ''v.aiti^bfe\'igbl^\ daines, qqajrtz, rSccYl . visited one nine milea_6,W. pt the 'inlet, which was-^---marvel of wbat the trouble, garaevers_ncu, aud aucc.aa of a taw r^Oittte, «nd ibduaHridil*i_Wn F _faW;^ttia^y Ij argue for this part' of lha country •iraat^ucoease^ buth .ia, cowl minia^.^uu^gofd' p^nqa^", : : , \ # .' . T \ ; '. , ; y A._ AY yy t^ : " Not ten miles off (as the crow flies), on tba:9|to.rea ot the Golden B^y, in a •' mountain Jit bauiaiito iroa ot suryaaaia^ . , r|ohness,. with, silvor and other or^ ir . ev^/y where",.. Sai^ily'," ftpprqachftule; Workable [if bapit'al could ba : -spared ' o|_t...:of_, ordinary (Commercial: pursuita. Surely this partofJSe.w-:- Zealand will

afelpact large capital from England mm 4 day gooo/ for there is abuadan.a q£ '.re 4 prod«cei?e Q-ineralain lhe neighborhood] E vRM* Ql .?I*. f?PPIy el>e fature reqaire-5 menta of New Zealand, ba6 all" She colonies oj (_te sOaeh.— l feavej j

date.