PARAPARA IRON DEPOSITS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 19 August 1907, Page 4

PARAPARA IRON DEPOSITS.

REPORT 15Y DR BELL. The geology of the Parapara SulidiviBiun, Karamea, Nelson, is fully described in an interesting report by Dr Bell, Director of Geological Survey, submitted to Parliament on Thursday by the Minister for Mines. The Karamea division occupies the north-western corner of the old provincial district of Nelson, surrounded on two sides by the ocean. —the quiet waters of Tasman and Gulden liays on the east, and the stormswept expanse of the Tasman Sea on the west. Ivarame.i is an area rich in geological phenomena of scientific, popular and economic interest. Its linshciad mountain,* are supposed to be rich in mineral wealth; its wild, little-ex-plored valleys exhibit geological sections repiesentirig a wide range in time; its rugged hills and uplands show murainedammed tarns carved by glaciers limy since, departed. Economic interest ill the Karamea division centres around the deposit of iron ore situated on the shores of the Parapara Inlet, an indentation on the coast-line of Golden Bay. I The whole embraces a section of country twenty-five miles from east to west, and twelve and a-half miles from north to south, stretching from the Tata Islands in Golden Bay almost to the shores of the Tasman Sea. The iron ore deposits occurring in Washbourn block is much the largest and also the bestknown of all tile ore deposits of the Parapara subdivision. The most striking point about the deposit in Washbourn block is the vast amount of ore which is visible on the surface. Quite onequarter of the area in which the outcrops of ore occur at intervals is actually covered by iron ore. The longest single continuous outcrop is that of .Mount Rinopai. where the ore appears unbrotenly for twenty-six chains. The game outc-rop has a width of over live chains at the widest point. Mount Kinopai has a local relief of 20ft above imonite creek, the' ore being exposed almost continuously from the cross-bred to the top of the" hill. The gorge of Washbourn creek, below the junction of Skilton Gully and Limonite creek, is cut completely in iron ore. In places the water disappears beneath the huge boulders of ore, which clog the creekbed, while elsewhere Bplendid cliffs of Bolid ore rise majestically from [he stream. The quality of the iron ore occurring in Washbourn block is, in general, extremely high. It seems remarkable that'deposits of iron ore of such immensity, of such high average quality, and of such accessibility should have remained so long unworked, remarks Dr Bell. "The day surely cannot be far distant," lie concludes, "when these cnormoi deposits will be mined on a scale commensurate with their great proport iunr. Exposed as they are on the surface, tliev possess every facility for cheap and easy winning; while their close proximity to the sea const a fiord, every opportunity for their exportation in the crude state, or as pigiron. The actual winning of the ore could be undertaken with little difficulty or expense by simply quarrying on the open-cut system." The Parapara lease, which is held by the executors of the late Sir A. C,idman,is being administered by the Public Trustee. It is expected that' £500,000 will be raised in London to work these deposits, and news that the whole of the capital has been subscribed is expected shortly.