Wellington Philosophical Society, July 21.—Mr. W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S., president, in the chair.—The hon. Mr. Mantell read a paper by Mr. J. C. Crawford, F.G.S., on gold found in the rocks of the Tararua and Rimutaka ranges in the province of Wellington.
Mr. Crawford had forwarded a specimen to Melbourne, and Mr. J. Chapman, the assayer to the Bank of Victoria, had reported that the specimen was composed of sulphate of iron, and gold at the rate of 1 oz. per ton.
The hon. Mr. Mantell said he would like some explanation regarding the presence of sulphate of iron. Dr. Hector stated that there must have been some mistake, probably iron bi-sulphide was meant.
He reminded the society that a great deal had been done in prospecting the country referred to by Mr. Crawford, and that in 1869 he (Dr. Hector) had communicated to the society the results obtained. Eighteen analyses had been made of quartz specimens from reefs in the district; of these only six had proved auriferous, varying from mere traces up to 13 dwts. per ton of gold, the richest being from Wainuiomata, the same locality from which Mr. Crawford’s specimen had come.
In his former communication he had warned prospectors against the solid quartz reefs which traverse the sandstones and slate, as the gold at Makara and Terawiti appears to occur in jointed sandstones, chiefly as dendritic films.
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