H,— 34,

On the south bank of the Blackburn the seam extends east from locality No. 6 around the hill side and up the head of the tributary joining it 10 chains east of this point. In this valley the strata are synclinally folded, a small fault fracturing the axis of the fold. There are many coal outcrops up to 8 ft. thick, but much of the coal has been stripped off as the seam is at the surface. Reference is made to this area in Bulletin 17, p. 152, where 8-J- ft. of hard coal is reported twenty-nine chains west of Trig. Station A. The westernmost extension of this coal lens is at a point of which the co-ordinates are 542'5 N. 1510 E., where there is a thickness of 1 ft. of coal. Four chains north-west of this the seam is 3 ft. thick, and 6 chains west it is 6 ft. thick. 545 N. 1528 E. —A seam 3 ft. 6 in. thick crops out here, but it pinches out entirely 4 chains to the north. Eight chains south it has thickened to 13 ft. and can be traced for a farther 8 chains round the head of the valley whence it continues to, and thins out completely at, a point 8 chains east of the outcrop showing 13 ft. of coal. This coal lens is synclinally folded, and apparently is not continuous with the coal-seam 20 chains to the west, though apparently they are both at the same horizon. South of Trig. J, in the Mackley watershed, is an extension of the Blackburn coalfield, the Brunner beds outcropping over an area 50 chains east-west, by 30 chains north-south. The coal ranges in thickness from a few inches to 10 ft. ; much of it has been denuded. Possibly, however, the 10 ft. seam may continue east beneath the Kaiata mudstone. Other outcrops that have a bearing on the possible coal resources of the reserve are mentioned in Bulletin No. 17, where on page 153 the authors refer to the " coaly streaks in sandstone near the Mokihinui-Lyell track, east of Mount Berners." Coal fragments were found in this locality, but no seam was located, and it is probable the fragments came from this or a similar outcrop. Search was also made for the 8 ft. of coal a short distance south of the Mackley, near the point where the Glasgow fault crosses (Bulletin 17, p. 153), but without success. Samples were taken from seven of the above localities, but the analyses are not yet completed, and reports on these samples will appear in a subsequent annual report of the Dominion Laboratory. The following analyses of coal from this area are taken from N.Z.G.S. Bull. No. 17, p. 139 : —

130

LocaUt y- Carbon, j Hylrocarbon. Water - Asl >- Sulphur. Eemarks - Coal Island: Head of Blackburn .. 56-99 36*77 5-72 0-52 0-91 From outcrop 25 ft. or more thick. Does not coke. Ash dark brown. Head of Blackburn : Pakihi .. 53-06 40-50 3 • 13 3-32 2-45 Outcrop coal. Forms a firm coke. Ash grey.