OFFICIAL REPORT.

Inangahua Times, Volume XI, Issue 1651, 11 January 1886, Page 2

OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr Jan es Park, of the Geological Department, has forwarded to Dr Hector tb^ following report on the Pohatuiua reefs: —Sir, —l have the honor to report that, as instructed, I visited the locality of the reported quarts reef 3 at Pohmgina. The precise locality is situated on a stream that rises on the 'western flanks of the Ruahiite Range and falls into the Pohangina abont 25 miles above the unction of that river with the. Manav-atu at Aahurst. At the time of my visit the position at Pohangina was far from satisfactory. A great a noun t of prospecting had been done, but not a trace of gold could be fc and, and the men on the ground stated that they were detained there not by the prospects, but by the perplexing results of assays of stone, said to com 3 fron; Pohangina. About ten goldmiuing leases have been applied for and most of the parties interested in these, together with a few outsiders, formed a ui.ited prospecting company to test the teef, which was covered by a large slip. Funds were sul»scril>ed t and Anderson, the original prospector, with an experienced miner wasongaged to clear awjy the slip and bare tlw reef. This was effected on the 27th November, two days l*fore my visit. A-* you already know Uy my telegram, the. reef is not quartz, but a whitish gr.y limestone of go >d quality, which effervesces f.'ee'y in weak acetic acid. It does nut form a continuous bed, but is simply interiiedded with associated grey sandstones, jasperoid, and back crmnbling sates and shales. Before p:o<-et ding to PohangniaT cirefuliy examined the Gorge section. Tbw rocks here are precisely the game as at Pohangina, striking no th and south, generally at right ang'cs. The whole series has >een subject to great disturbance, a id most <>f the rocks a 11 © much shattered and broken, which has givHn ri«e tc a great amount of silkenside among :he blavk and red jasperoid slues. The wrey silicions stud to es are often calcareous, and in the Gorge alternate wi.h I .lack crumbling slates as their ludded strata. A similar section or th»- same rocks is s?en passing over the Rimntaka by (be old coach read."