Iron Sand.

Three samples of black iron sand from Stewart Island, Taranaki, and Tokomairiro. The iron ranges from 49 to 54 per cent.

Port Molyneux.

Maeruwhenua.

Cromwell.

Tokomairiro.

Carrick Range.

This sample was forwarded from Carrick by W. Buchan. It is copper pyrites, and coutains 13.5 per cent. of metallic copper. It is at present unavailable, on account of the large quantity of fuel of good quality necessary for its extraction. F[gap — reason: illegible]. Cornwall similar ore of 5 to 10 per cent. of metallic copper is transmitted to Swansea for reduction.

Arrowtown.

This sample was forwarded from Arrowtown through Mr. Willis. It contains 11 per cent. of metallic copper, combined with sulphur and iron as copper pyrites, and containing much earthy impurities. It is too poor to be worked profitably at present.

Moke Creek.

This sample of copper pyrites was examined in September, 1873, for Mr. R. Gillies. It was obtained from Moke Creek, near Queenstown, It contains 24 per cent. of the metal, and is the best specimen of copper pyrites yet examined in this laboratory.

Another sample of copper pyrites from Moke Creek and one from Waipori forwarded by Mr. Ulrich, to be tested for gold, were found to contain that metal, apparently in payable quantity, but there was not in either case a sufficiently large quantity sent to determine the gold quantitatively.

Carrick Range.

These samples from Carrick were forwarded by Mr. Buchan, and were found to contain 50 to 54 per cent. of antimony. The ore of this quality is too far in the interior of the country to be exported profitably. With good fuel, however, it might be freed from the earthy matters with which it is associated, and then conveyed to Dunedin for transmission to Melbourne, where there are, I believe, large works for the reduction of this ore (stibnite) to the metallic state.

Miller’s Flat.

This sample of stibnite was sent from Miller’s Flat by Mr. J. A. Grant in September, 1873. It was found to contain 58 per cent. of metallic antmony, but the sample examined was too small to be taken as an average of the bulk of ore.

Arrow.

This sample, forwarded through A. Willis, Esq., from Arrowtown. It contains 34 per cent. of metal, aud is therefore too poor to work profitably.

Waipori.

This sample of Cinnabar, forwarded by Mr. R. Gillies, was was obtained from Waipori. It yielded 76 per cent. of metallic mercury.

Another sample was forwarded from Waipori, or Waitahuna, by Mr. Rutherford, and was found to contain 72 per cent. of metallic mercury,

Both these ores, if they exist in quantity, are very valuable. The metal is easily freed, by means of cheap fuel (dried scrub, &c.) and lime from the sulphur with which the mercury is contained in cinnabar. The extensive use of mercury in this Colony and in Victoria for the extraction of gold is an additional reason for not neglecting any ore of that metal that exists in the country.

Waitahuna.

A sample forwarded from Waitahuna, by Mr. R. Smith, contains from 70 to 75 per cent. of mercury, and is therefore very valuable.

Carrick Range.

This sample was forwarded by Mr. W. Buchan, from Carrick. It is the best sample of cinnabar yet analysed in the laboratory. It contains 82 per cent. of the metal. This ore is of great value if present in quantity.

Orepuki.

This mineral was forwarded from Orepuki through Mr. Daniel. It was reported on in December, 1873, as follows:—Laminated, very fissile, greyish black, shale flexible in thin layers, densely speckled with mica scales, cuts easily with the knife with unctuous, waxy, section; inflames readily over ignited lucifer match, and maintains after removal of the match a long somewhat smoky flame; the shale shows no trace of woody tissue.

Dunedin.

This shale was forwarded by Dr. Burns from Burnside, near Blueskin. It is of the same mineral nature as the Orepuki shale, described above. It yields per ton of shale 38 gallons of crude oil. This, when purified by redistillation, after treatment with sulphuric acid and caustic soda in succession, yields per ton of shale about 14 gallons of oil, fit for burning in lamps, and 9 gallons of heavy unctuous oil suitable for lubricating purposes.

If we could produce our own sulphuric acid and soda cheaply, it might be profitable to extract burning and lubricating oils from these shales. As it is, the price of imported acids and alkalis is such as to deter the proprietors of these shales from importing the retorts and other appliances necessary for this purpose.