KAKAHU MINERALS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1372, 30 July 1885, Page 2

KAKAHU MINERALS.

A meeting of persons interested in the development of the minerals of the Kakahu district was held yesterday afterpcon, in Mr Ashwell’s office. Mr John Talbot, who occupied tbs chair, stated that, as directed at the last meeting, be had written to the Minister of Mines, and the Hon. Messrs Rolleston and Wigley. He next read the replies of Messrs Rolleston and Wigley, which were to the effect that they had communicated with the Minister of Mines, and that Dr Hector wonld supply a report compiled from information already in his possession, He then read the report, from which we take the following extracts : Gold.—Gold has been found in the Kakabu riverbed, and a quartz reef is known to occur in connection with the rocks of the Te Anau series where those have been cut through by the river to form the 'Kakahu Gorge. Speculating on the source of the alluvial gold found further downthe Kikahu. Dr Yon. Haast at page 265 of his Report on the Geology of Canterbury and Westland, says ; “On the southern bank of the Kakahu River a quartz reef about three feet broad strikes S.W. and N.E., and consists of > flinty quartz. An assay made from stone " taken from this reef did not give the least trace of gold, and it is therefore evident that the wash gold found in small quantities in the banks of . the Kakahu River is derived from the interlaminated quartz (mentioned at page 263 of the same work). As' traces of gold were found by Mr McKay in similar quartz taken from a quartz reef in the Waihoa district in 18S1, it is just possible that gold may yet be found in- the reef mentioned by Dr von. Haast, as well os in the interlaminations of quarts described as occurring, with the associated schistose rock at the same place. But there is another and much more probable source from which the alluvial gold in the Kakahu could have been derived: viz., from the quartzose grits at the base of the cretaceo-tertiary series, a possibility of which Dr von, Haast makes no mention whatever. Ferruginous quartz grit seen on the Southern hank of the river above the Limestone Gorge and scattered over the hills between the Kakahu and the Opuha, of which an undetermined thickness lies at the base of the coalbearing series. A sample of this quartz grit, collected from where it is exposed in', a situation a little below the so-called Marble Cliff in the Kakahu river, was tested in the Colonial Laboratory snd yielded at the rate of loz sdwts p«r ton. The specimen was not taken as promising the possible presence of gold, but only as a specimen of the grit in question, and was tested years afterwards on account of its resembling auriferous cements from another part of the oolony

which were then being analysed. It would thus be well if further samples of this grit were forwarded to the Colonial Laboratory for verification of the abovementioned results. The occurrence of gold under such conditions is only what may reasonably be expected as a northern extension of the auriferous grits and gravels of the Marawhenua diggings ■oath of the Waitata, which also underlie the horizon of the cretaceous coal. Coal.—Coal has been known for many years past on the banks of the Kakahu and in the valley running north from the river above the Limestone Gorge. The ■earns are thin and not of the best quality. No samples have been analysed at the Laboratory, but, except that it may contain a greater amount of ash and other impurities, it is not likely to differ much from that found further to the N.E. on the Ashburton River, and further to the S.W. within the Waihoa Basin at Elephant Hills, etc. These coal Beams in the Kakahu are described by I)r yon. Haast at page 309 of the Geology of Canterbury and Westland. According to his description the dip of the coal Beams and associated beds is 15 degrees in a N.E. direction. Farther towards the N.N.E. on the E. side of the valley, W. of the limestone scarp of W eka Pass or Ototara stone, the beds dip,at a 1 ower angle, and the coal has been worked here to ■ome extent, but only for local consumption, and, the quality being inferior, the mine seems, to have been abandoned. What the result might be were these coal seams opened out or sunk upon more to the dip is purely a matter of speculation, They might thicken and improve, but it is equally probable that they might thin and disappear. This can only be set at rest by sinking on or boring for the coal at such distances from the outcrop as might involve no greater expenditure than the prospects might seem to warrant. S. of the Kakahu the dip appears to be higher than on the opposite bank, a mile or more along the line of coal-bearing rocks in the Waihi River N. of Geraldine. In prospecting for coal heavy expenditures is not advisable.

Fireclays.—There can be little doubt but that the excellent fireclay seen on the southern bank of the Kakahu is a Valuable desposit, and probably the coal seams in its immediate neighborhood would serve in the manufacture of the various products for which it is used. This clay resembles a sample from the Hakamatara Valley, reported on some years since (in 1881), but from the Kakahu there is no sample in the Colonial Museum, and it has not been analysed. Should it equal or approach the sample from the Hakamatara it Would appear that with lime, either as ■oft calcareous sandstone, chalk mar), or hard compact or crystalline limestone and coal, this clay might be valuable in the manufacture of Portland cement. Limestones —A species »£ compact limestone occurs in connection with the Te Anau rocks in the Kakahu Gorge, and in the same rocks there are thin veins of a white crystalline limestone (marble), but none of these deposits have as yet been worked with profit. Unquestionably the blue limestone, forming a cliff on the northern bank of the river, would form a valuable mortar lime. The district as regards the davelopement of its mineral resources requires careful examination. So far it has been indicated what should be looked for, and where; and further information, to be practically of value to the prospector, must be the essence of a carefully made, detailed survey, whicb at this season of the year it is not possible to undertake. JiMEs Hector, Mr K. A. Barker said be had gone over the ground on the previous day with Mr Binns—a Government In-spector—-and Mr Shier*. Mr Binns did not give him any information, a« be was bound to report first to the Government. They would get his report in due course. He might say, however, that they met, on Mr Wigley’s land, with coal that promised better things than any met with yet. There was a piece of it, which had been dug out years ago, found exposed to the weather on the surface, and it was as sound as when it came out of the earth. The Shag Point and Kaitangata coals fall to pieces if subjected to the weather for any length of time. Mr Pilbrow said be had spent a lot of money in digging for coal in the Kakahu district. He had sunk a shaft 160 ft., but a flood came and ruined it. He had experienced coal miners at work there, and they cut through a seam 4ft. thick. The coal was good, but the experienced miner, of 19 years standing, he had working for him expected to strike the third seam daily, when the flood came and stopped the work. The miner expected the third seam to turn out very good. He thought the best way Would be to bore for it. The Chairman pointed out that the report of Dr Hector deprecated boring for it,

Mr Barker said that he believed it Trould bo better to follow the lead of the outcrop at present until it could be seen what it was like. Then, when the seam was laid bare, scientific men could be got, who would be able to form some opinion on the subject. At present there was nothing to show them when taken to the place. They could only see bits of coal here and there, and unless tbeso were exposed no one could say whether they were “ faults ” or not. Hia idea was that they should get an experienced miner, and set him to work there for a month or so—and then, if the result warranted it, they could get a mining, engineer to test the place properly. After some conversational discussion, it was decided to adopt this course, ami Mr Barker moved—“Tb at an ex perienced miner be written to with the view of ascertaining the terms on which he would come to test the place.” He gave ths name of a man who had been recommended to him. Mr Job Brown seconded the motion, and it was carried unanimously. It was also decided that before any Work should be done a guarantee should be obtained from owners of land, to the effect that in the event of coal being

found they would be willing to allow a company to work it at market rates, The meeting theh adjourned,