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General Geology. —During my sojourn in the Heaphy Subdivision somewhat hurried journeys were made across the Gouland Downs; along the sea-shore south from the Heaphy to Karamea: northward for a few miles from the Heaphy along the coast; up the Gunner to its headwaters, and thence down the Heaphy to its mouth; across the Gunner Downs to the valley of the Ugly, along the ridges to the west of Heart Lake, and southward from the Roaring Lion; and finally down the Aorere from Heart Lake to Eliot's Homestead, near the mouth of Brown's River. The splendid weather which prevailed during the whole summer greatly facilitated these journeys, and we were thus able in a short time to consider a large area of country, and gain a general idea of the geology. The north-western ami the south-western parts of the subdivision are composed mainly of metamorphosed argillaceous and arenaceous sedimentaries—mainly schistose grauwackes, quartzites, and phyllites. The exact age of these strata is not yet known. They may not all belong to the same period, though it is probable that they are all Early Paheozoie, and may be Ordovician, like those in the Parapara Subdivision farther northward. The great central part of the subdivision is occupied by a belt of granites and allied plutonics. Those rocks appear along the coast for almost the entire length of the subdivision, and extend north-eastward to and beyond the valley of the Aorere. They occupy much the greater part of the Heaphy area. Occurring in small patches along the coast, in the valleys of the Heaphy and Gunner streams, and in the valley of the Karamea, and in an even more limited way on the surface of both the Gunner and Gouland Downs, are Miocene strata —conglomerates, sandstones, shales with coalseams, and limestones. Recent fluviatile deposits occur along the various rivers, and very limited amounts of morainic debris at the, headwaters of the Roaring Lion and Aorere rivers. During the course of our vory cursory investigations we learned that coal was of fairly general occurrence in the western parts of the subdivision, where Miocene strata outcrop. Before our investigations commenced it had been known to exist on the Aorere-Heaphy track about eight miles from Whakapoai, and also at a point on the sea-coast about nine miles north of Karamea Settlement, where a seam about 3 ft. thick has been worked in a small way for some time. Coal was discovered during the past season in Pitt Creek, about three-quarters of a mile from Whakapoai. Though there are large fragments of good coal in the creek-bed, the seam itself does not outcrop. It is proposed to carry on prospecting investigations on the coal-bearing strata exposed in the immediate locality in order to locate the seam. The coal, as shown by the following analysis by the Government Analyst, is a high grade lignite of good quality for household purposes: — Fixed carbon ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36"46 Volatile hydrocarbon ... ... ... ... ... ... 47"19 Water ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1466 Ash ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1-69 10000 Total sulphur, 236 per cent. Fragments of coal occur in the valley of Gunner Creek and elsewhere along the lower Heaphy, so it is hoped that our future detailed investigations in this area will reveal new and strong seams. Quartz fragments, containing ores of copper and molybdenum like those of Mount Radiant, were picked up in the Upper Aorere and Heaphy streams, and have been reported from the mouth of the Roaring Lion. Numerous quartz veins, generally, though not always, small and irregular, were seen in the country at the head of the Roaring Lion. It is hoped that the detailed examination to be conducted later in this wild and mountainous part of the Heaphy Subdivision may be productive of economic results. The Heaphy subdivision contains a promising asset in the Gouland and Gunner Downs. While poorly timbered in the gullies and where limestone outcrops, these uplands are mostly open, and are clothed with tussock grass and alpine flowers. Though the herbage is often scanty, in places it is excellent. It would seem that these relatively large stretches of open country are well suited for sheep-grazing. The Urewera Country. Narrative.- During the last two weeks of February and the first few days of March I made a hurried journey through the Urewera country in order to get a general idea of the country lying to the westward of the Poverty Bay oilfields, which are at present being investigated. Our route from Galatea, at the eastern edge of the Kaingaroa Plains, lay by graded road to a point about sixteen miles south-east of Te Whaiti, or just beyond the crossing of the most westerly branch of the Whakatane. From this point we pursued our way by a narrow track, well graded in places but elsewhere very poor, through the Maori pa of Ruatahuna to a place where the track forked about eight or nine miles beyond that settlement. Here we left the graded track leading onward to Lake Waikaremoana, and followed what is known as the Ruatahuna section of the GisborneRotorua stock-track. The latter, descending into valleys or rising over ridges, leads to and just beyond the pa of Rua, the Maori tohunga, situated at Maungapohatu, a distance of about ten miles from the junction with the Waikaremoana track. The Ruatahuna section of the stock-track is considerably overgrown, and the path along its course is not always easy to follow. From the end of the Ruatahuna section of the stock-track to the beginning of the W r harekopae section our route lav for about ten miles along the northern crest of the Huiarau Range. Here the track is very poor, and pursues a devious course through innumerable bog-holes and among roots of trees. The Wharekopae section of the Gisboi no-Rotorua stock-track is also badly overgrown in places. Its 2—C. 9.

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