The Oil Springs

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 973, 27 August 1881, Page 3

The Oil Springs

Having heard that the river was fordable, we started for Rotokautuku. at 7 o’clock on Monday the 22nd of August. Our road lay over a most interesting country, but as it is pretty well ascertained that the long, devious route maWai-o-matatini will be exchanged for that through Tuparoa, a distance of about 5 miles, only, it is not requisite to say more with regard to it. We arrived at the springs in a little over 2 hours, and I must say we were all well repaid with what we saw. Not one amongst us regretted the circumstances that led to our delay ; the disagreeables of the past were forgotten in the absorption of the present, and contemplation of the future. But to business. The whole of our party, except Mr. Clarke, accompanied by Mr. Parsons, and Mr. McLeod, started on the inspection which the Directors had thought necessary, and here we found that ignorance is the heaviest "incubus the human mind has to sustain, especially if self interest is at stake, as most of ours was. Those who have never examined an oil-producing ground, can form no opinion of its nature. The first place we inspected was the largest, whence the splendid specimens of paraffin, to be seen at the Company’s office, came. This well, or hole, is about a dozen feet long, about 6 feet broad, and some 8 or 10 feet deep, running into the face of a hill, with an apparently inexhaustible supply of what Mr. Benies described as “ butter.” Delving down deeper and deeper, many shovels full of bright amber-colored stuff were brought to the surface, amidst exclamations of surprise and delight from the onlookers. There were many indications of oil too, and a tube stuck into the ground emitted a flame of about 6 inches in length. For a considerable distance around the hole, the surface is spongy and fatty, the treader on which sinks over his boot an each step. After exploring this for some time, we proceeded in different directions, at every score yards or so, digging. test holes, in a large majority of which indications of paraffin were found. One remarkable fact was noted and that was that in all the holes dug where the paraffin existed, it exuded >Jo the sursace, and was not logt sight of again, the deeper we dug ; whereas, in spots where surface indications did not exist, Mr. Benies’ theory was that the level would have to be struck first, but time would not admit of our testing the depth beyond some 3 or 4 feet. Altogether I should say we traversed about 50 acres, in different directions, but,— although it may not be of much significance —it was noted that more indications were found in a line running about S.E. and N.W. from the No. 1 hole. As lam not tasked to write scientifically upon the stuff to be obtained, but to confine myself to a record of facts, there islittle more tosay than that the result of our researches proves most incontestably the correctness of Mr. Benies’ report to the shareholders, and establishes a warranty of confidence in at once aggregating the necessary capital to develop an industry second to none, for quality and quantity, in the Colony. There can be no two opinions that the Southern Cross Petroleum Company has a most valuable property, which it would be a shame not to utilise without delay. I am but too sensible of the contagion of enthusiasm, and am the more careful to suppress rather than exaggerate. Still it is difficult, in view of such splendid prospects, to keep the safety valve of our expectations from blowing off now and then; therefore, I should advise all who have an interest in the Company to personally visit the springs, for individual experience is, alone, the only proper and successful disperser of doubt. Time and space will not allow me to give a description of the typography of the country; suffice it to say that it is simply magnificent for either sheep, cattle, or agriculture. It is a great pity that the Waiapu river is not navigable, and that the land is locked up in the hands of the Natives. The Government should push on with the road through the valley, which would be the means of largely solving the question of acquisition and settlement. In the afternoon, we started on our return to Wai-o-matini, after being regaled by Mr. Parsons, all well pleased with a trip that had nothing of incident in it, beyond Mr. Haase s horse tumbling his rider over a boulder into the river, which ended in no more sprious consequences than a good duckand in Mr. Ratcliffe bringing his steed to grass, he, himself, somersaultinto a neighboring pool.

On Tuesday, we started for Gisborne via Awanui and Tuparoa, at which latter place the Rosina took us on board, together with Mr. Clarke, who, I was pleased to find, had been most successful in negotiating for the business he had in hand. We bade adieu to the shore at 3 p.m., and arrived in port at 1.30 on Wednesday morning ; after pledging ourselves to the many pleasant memories of the trip, we landed, and so ended a most enjoyable, though untoward excursion of the Rotokautuku Rangers.