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continuously. Prior to 1865, however, 7 tons of manufactured plumbago from Pakawau, Nelson, valued at £1,400, were exported, but the trade has not been continued.

The first mention of its occurrence in New Zealand is by Dr. v. Hochstetter (New Zealand, 1863, p. 477, Eng. Ed.) where he says,—"The Bros. Curtis, in 1861, opened extensive beds of plumbago near Pakawau." Dr. Hector also (Jurors' Rep. N. Z. Ex., 1865, pp. 34 and 417) mentions its occurrence at Pakawau, near Collingwood, as thick beds interstratified with metamorphosed shale. Compressed samples were found to be quite equal in colour and brilliancy to that commonly sold in paper packets for domestic purposes. Analyses of these samples showed that they contained:—

He, also, in the same report (p. 267), mentions its occurrence as scales in the marble of the West Coast, and Mr. J. C. Crawford (Essay on the Geology of the Wellington Province, p. 5) says,—“Thin seams of an impure graphite are found at a great variety of places:—on the Pitone Road, near Wellington; at the Mungaroa Hill; at various points on the Rimutaka Mountains; in the mountain part of the valley of the Waiohine; the Waingawa and the Ruamahunga; in the Waikanae, the Akaterewa and particularly in the upper part of the Otaki Valley.” Dr. Hector (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. ii., p. 379) again refers to the deposit of plumbago at Pakawau, stating that it has probably been derived from an altered portion of a coal seam; and (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. x., p. 490) Prof. Liversidge also mentions the occurrence of graphite at Few's Creek, Lake Wakatipu, and Dunstan, Otago—both samples being of an impure nature.

During 1878 a sample of graphite shale was forwarded to the Colonial Museum by the Hon. Mr. Acland, as coming from the Malvern Hills; in 1871 samples were forwarded from Wakamarama by Mr. A. J. Burne, which contained from 31.14 to 22.59 per cent. of carbon; in 1876 a graphitic sandstone was forwarded from Jackson's Bay by the Hon. J. A. Bonar, containing 10.42 per cent. of carbon; and in 1878 Mr. McKay collected a very pure sample of graphite, from the Glossopteris beds of Mt. Potts, which contained 90.17 per cent. of carbon, the colour of the ash being reddish. "Although so rich in carbon, it has not that unctuousness which distinguishes the more valuable graphites, but appears indurated and granular defects which must depreciate its value very considerably," (Lab. Rep. xiii., p 22).