DR HECTOR ON THE WEST COAST COALFIELDS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 550, 4 September 1869, Page 2

DR HECTOR ON THE WEST COAST COALFIELDS.

At "Wellington, last week, Dr Hector delivered a lecture on the coalfields of the Colony. In the South Island, the Pakawau, West Wauganui, and Aorere coalfields (all in Nelson Province) were described as being very extensive, and the seams opened in some places, valuable, but rather inaccessible. The coal is inclined to the westward and extends from the sea and up to an altitude of 150 feet. This is the characteristic feature of all the "West Coast coals which are of superior quality. After mentioning the coal strata at the source of the "Wangapeka and Karamea rivers, which has been much disturbed and altered- by dislocations, the Mount Eochfort coalfield (Buller 1

river) was described. There is only one main Beam, ten to thirteen feet in thickness, resting on a lofty plateau of slate and granite rocks and covered only by a thin coating of gravel and sand which has been cemented into a rock which is as hard as granite. Coal seams are also found at lower levels near the sea, but the quality is inferior. Some day the Mount Bochfort coal will be worked, but for the present it is too inaccessible.

The Grey river coalmine (Nelson) was next described in detail. Dr Hector stated that this mine is one of the most striking he has seen anywhere. The seam is over twenty feet thick, and some of the galleries already run for 1100 feet, with that height. The coal is excavated with great facility at small cost, as the mine from its position requires no pumping, while the coal trucks run out of themselves to the barges; the consumption at present being about 1000 tons per month. The seam has been observed at several points, and is supposed to underlie a very large area of country. There is no clear evidence of the existence ■of more than one workable seam, but it rises to an altitude of over 2000 feet in Mount Davy. It is also continued in the south on the Canterbury side of the Grey river, but dips in that direction below the level of the surface. The distance of the mine from the sea is seven miles. The Preservation Inlet coal field was next mentioned, and it was stated to be part of the same field that extends through Southland into East Otago. The value of the coal is variable, but on the whole good.

In concluding his lectue, which occupied two hours, Dr Hector stated that New Zealand must be considered as, on the whole, well supplied with mineral fuel. Certainly coal of the most valuable description was confined to limited and not very accessible areas; but still there is nothing to prevent their being profitably worked for the supply of our steam service; but the great point for congratulation is, that throughout almost every part of these Islands, coal of a practically useful description is to be found within a short distance.