PROBLEMS IN THE GEOLOGY OF THE HAURAKI

GOLD FIELDS, NEW ZEALAND.

A.M. FINLAYSON.

The Hauraki gold fields of New Zealand, noted in former

times for the remarkable bonanzas of the Thames and Coroman-
del, and of late yearsfor the progressand prosperityof the Waihi
mine and its smallerneighbors,show geologicalfeaturestypical
of the Tertiary andesiticgold fieldsof the Pacificand of central
Europe. The district has beenstudiedby severalworkers not-
ably by F. W. Hutton, JamesPark, Alex McKay, S. H. Cox,
J. M. Maclaren,P. G. Morgan,J. M. Bell andColinl*,i-aser,
whilevisitinggeologists
havealsowrittenaccounts
•of thefield.
The petrographyhas lately been investigatedby Prof. W. J.
Sollas in a governmentmonograph,while the district is now
being surveyedin detail by the officersof the geologicalsurvey.•
These gold-fieldsgive exceptionalopportunitiesfor studying
three closelyrelatedproblems,namely,the nature of the propy-
litic facies of the andesiresand daciteswhich enclosethe veins,
the causesof the oreshootsand ore-enrichment, and the source
of the' gold and silver. These three questionsare discussedin
the presentpaper, and it is convenientto begin with the alteration
of the rocks,as the discussionof the other two poin.tsrequiresa
knowledgeof this.

I. ALTERATION OF THE ENCLOSING ROCKS.

Thecountry-rock'
of theveinsis a series
of andesitic
andda-
citic Iavas and tuffs, of which the dominant ferro-'magnesian
minerals are, in different types, hornblende,hyperstheneand
augire. Biotite and olivineare absentor rare. In the neighbor-
hoodof the veinsthe rocksare alteredto a greyish-whitepropy-
litic rock, but the extent of alteration is variable, and a suite of
For literature see bibliograhy at the end of this paper.
632
 GEOLOGY OF HAURAKI GOLD FIELDS. 633

specimensshowingtransitionsfrom fresh andesiteto completely

alteredrock is difficultto procure,especiallyin the northerndis-
tricts. Thus the alterationmay be pronouncedon one wall of a
vein and feebleon the oppositewall, it differs in different parts
of the samemine as well as in different mines,and a vein gener-
ally passesthroughseveralflowsof alteredtuffs and lavasof dif-
ferent composition,and in their completelyaltered state such
differencesmay not be recognizable. In order to eliminate
errors arising from thesecausesit was necessaryto collectand
examinea large seriesof specimensfrom different parts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ALTERED ROCKS.

In the progressivechangefrom fresh to altered rock, two gen-

eral types may be distinguished:(I) a chloritisedor partially
alteredrock (griinstein),whichis widelydistributed,and (2) the
completelyalteredrock (" propylite" of New Zealandwriters),
which is confinedto the neighborhoodof the veins.
In the .firsttype the ferro-magnesianmineralsare replacedby
pseudomorphs of green fibrous chlorite (generally penninite),
while the plagioclaseremains fresh or may be partially altered
to carbonatesand sericite. Hyperstheneand hornblendeare the
first mineralsto change,beingalteredto chlorite,with carbonates,
granular quartz, or magnetite. Augire resists alteration to a
greater degree,and may at times pass through an intermediate
stageof uralite. This type of alteredrock is almostuniversally
distributedover thesegold fields,unchloritizedspecimens being
not readily procurable.
In the secondtype of alterationthe rock becomes light-greyor
greyish-whitein color, the original felsparsare representedby
opaquewhite spots,and fine pyrite is scatteredthrough the rock.
The chlorite of the original dark silicatesis destroyedand its
placetakenby carbonates and magnetite,the latter often fringed
with leucoxene,while pyrite occursin scatteredgrains and
strings.andas a productof replacement of magnetite. Pyrite
also forms granular pseudomorphic aggregatesoccupyingthe
place of original ferro-magnesianminerals. Siderite is abun-
dantlydeveloped from chloriteand magnetite,appearingas gray-
634 .4. M. FINLAYSON.

ish-brown and rather opaque masses. By reflected light the

mineral is dull white and often shows its cleavage-lines. This
is the species
whichappearsto havebeenfrequentlyreferredin
these rocks to leucoxene,
1 but an examination of residual mag-
netite in a specimengave no trace of titanium, and the uniform-
ity of low percentageof titanium in these rocks precludesthe
possibilityof so much of the greyish-brownmineral being leu-
coxene. It is very similar to the sideriteof the Tonopah altered
andesite,describedby J. E. Spurr.2 The felsparsare completely
replacedby finely divided carbonatesand sericite, the aggregate
generally preservingthe outlines of the original crystals. Sec-
ondaryquartzgranules
arenotuncommon,
andat timesa mosaic
of fine granular quartz may replacethe felspars. Valencianite
(adularia), a mineral first observedin the Waihi veinsby Lind,
gren,a occursalsoas a secondaryproductin the completelyaltered
rocks of Waihi. It forms glassy low-polarizing pseudomorphs
after the soda-limefelspars,while it also occursfilling cracksand
spreadinginto the original crystalsby gradual replacement. The
Waihi valencianitecarries too much soda for typical adularia,
and is intermediatein compositionbetweenthat speciesand albite
both of which have of late yearsbeen frequently found in asso-
ciation with gold-quartz.4 The mineral was separated and
analyzedby the writer, with the following result, the composition
of adularia from Tonopah,and of albite (Dana) being inserted
for comparison:
S.G. SiO• AI•O, K20 Na20 Total
I. Adularia, Tonopah• .... 2.57 65.52 t8.59 •5.44 0.45 •oo.oo
2. ¾alencianite, Waihi ... 2.6t 65.85 •8.48 xx.25 4.x• 99.69
3. Albite ................. 2.624 68.70 •9.5o

In view of the fact that this orthoclase is, in the specimens

ex-
amined,of secondaryorigin, while the primary felsparsare soda-
• Hutton, Rep. Austr. Ass. Adv. Sci., I., x887,p. 258.
:" Geology of Tonopah," Professional Paper No. 42, U.S. Geol. Survey,
19o5, p. 248.
8Eng. and Min. Journal, 79, x9o5, p. 220.
4W. Lindgren, "Orthoclase as a Gangue Mineral in Fissure-veins,"Am.
Journ. Sci., 4th ser., Vol. 5, •898, p. 4x8.
5j. E. Spurr, loc. c.it.,sup., p. 87.
 GEOLOGY OF HA URAKI GOLD FIELDS. 635

line varieties,the originalrocksappearto havebeenin the main

dacites and andesires. Prof. Sollas, however, has classedsome
specimensas alteredpyroxenerhyolitesand trachytes,
x and it
shouldbe notedthat fresh rhyolitesdo occurin someparts of
the southerndistrict, with the more basic rocks. The presence
of soda in the Waihi valencianite is doubtless due to its derivation
from soda-felspars by the actionof the potash-bearing
vein-solu-
tions.= Mr. P. G. Morgan has identifiedtwo lime-bearingzeo-
lites, stilbiteand laumontite,in the alteredrocksof Waihi where
they occurredin cavitiesand as small veinlets? They have
doubtlessbeen formed at shallowdepthsduring the destruction
of the soda-lime felspars.
The groundmass of the completely alteredrocksis composed
of finely dividedcarbonates, sericite,pyrite, and more or less
secondary quartz. Progressive silicification
is very markedat
Waihi. Epidoteis not very characteristic of theserocks,which
differ in this respectfrom Rosenbusch's type-rock. The mean
specificgravity of fresh hornblende-andesite from the Thames
is 2.688, that of the completelyalteredrock is 2.312.

NOMENCLATURE.

The historyof the term propylitein petrographicnomencla-

ture is now familiar and need be recounted. Its use as a term
descriptive
of the thermallyalteredphasesof andesiticrockson
Tertiary goldfieldshasbeenabandoned, notablyby Lindgren, 4
Spurt,5 andVon Inkey,ø on accountof the varyingnatureo.fthe
altered rock in different districts, while its etymology, dating
from a time whenage-difference becamea basisof rock-classifi-
cation,is equallyopento objection. The termpropyliticfacies,
•"Rocks of Cape Colville Peninsula,"Wellington, I9o6, II., pp• I7-•9,
and 67.
UThe possibility
of secondary
orthoclase
was suggested
for theserocksby
Dr. Malcolm Maclaren (Gold, London, •9o8, p. 3•5).
STrans. Austr. Inst. Min. Eng., 8, •9o2, p. •86.
• Trans. Amer. Inst. Min. Eng., 33, I9o3, p. 798.
*Professional PaperNo. 42 (Tonopah),U.S. Geol.Survey,•9o5,p. 236.
* Internat. Geol. Congress,sess.•o, Mexico, •9o6,Vol. I., p. 508.
636 A.M. FINLAYSON.

however,retains its significanceas appliedto the generaltype

of alteredrock. Zirkel'suseof the term propyliteas a primary
rocktype--a deep-seated representative of dacite-porphyriteand
diorite-porphyrite,
hasnot met with generalacceptance.
In New Zealand,the useof the term propyliteon the Hauraki
gold fieldswas advocatedby Prof. J. Park,• and the word was
commonlyusedin the former reportsof the New ZealandGeolog-
ical Survey. Prof. Sollas,however,in his monographon these
rocks,accepts Zirkel'sdefinitionof propylite,so that an unfortu-
nateconfusionof termshasarisen. Again, New Zealandwriters
appliedthe term to the completelyaltered rock (sericite-pyrite-
carbonaterock), whereasBela von Inkey definesthe propylitic
faciesas chloritizedandesite(griinstein). In the face of these
and other confusionsarising from the varying use of the term,
and the varying nature of the altered rocksto which it has been
applied, it is obviouslyadvisableto abandonthe term.

PRODUCTS OF WEATHERING.

The altered rocksin generalare very .susceptible

to the action
of surface-watersin the neighborhoodof the vein-fissures. Un-
der these conditionsthe rocks becomesoft, earthy, and iron-
stained,with destructionof pyrite. The two chief productsre-
sulting are abundantkaolin and iron oxides. The unweathered
rocksare free from theseproducts,kaolin beingnot a productof
alteration by the vein solutionson thesegoldfields. This bears
out the statement of Lindgren that kaolin does not generally
occurwith carbonatesand sericite-formedby metasomaticproc-
esses?

Chemicalchanges.
i. Thames.--The following analysisof a seriesof specimens
from the Halcyon mine, illustratethe changesin the variouscon-
stituents.

•" GeologyoœHauraki Goldfields,"Trans. N. Z. Inst. Min. Eng., I., I897,

p. 25.
2,, Metasomatic Processesin Fissure-veins,"Trans. Amer. Inst. Min. Eng.,
30, I9OO,p. 614.
 GEOLOGY OF HAURAKI GOLD .FIELDS'. 637

x 2 3 4 5

SiO............... 57.42 52.09 57.99 55.38 58.98

AlcOa ............. 17.61 18.33 17.59 15.63 x1.21
Fe•Oa ............. 2.34 2.32 1.56 1.88 1.45
FeO .............. 3.77 2.98 2.37 2.95 2.42
MgO ............. 2.19 3.09 2.Ol x.88 1.43
CaO .............. 5.69 7.87 5.45 6.ox 8.11
Na•O ............. 3.22 2.62 1.98 0.83 o.61
I•O .............. 1.94 0.98 1.65 3.28 3.93
H,O-- . .......... 0.85 0.73 1.56 2.41 2.54
H,O -{-- ........... 2.62 3.71 1.89 1.92 1.15
TiO ............... 0.68 0.53 o.51 0.24 O.lX
CO• .............. 0.95 3.59 3.89 4.58 4.69
P,O, .............. o.31 0.42 0.35 o.II 0.06
MnO ............. 0.43 0.25 o.21 0.23 o.II
FeS• .............. 1.42 2.35 3.13
Total ............. lOO.O2 lOO.ll lOO.43 99.68 99.93
1. Fresh hornblende andesitc, Thames.
2. Chloritized hornblende andesitc, Halcyon mine.

Sericite- cyon mlne.

pyrite-
carbonate
rock.

The progressive
3-
Altered
.andesite,
cyon 14
feet
mine. from
Ophir
vein,
Hal-
1level.
J '
4-Altered andesitc,5 feet from Ophir vein, Hal-

5. Altered andesitc, adjoining Ophir vein, Halcyon

changes
mine.

in the constituentsmay be summed

386 feet

up as follows: With chloritization of the hornblende

thereis a
preliminarylossof silica.whichis afterwardsrestored,but there
is no markednetchangein thisconstituent.Alumina,alongwith
titaniumand phosphoric oxides,is reducedin the rock closeto
the vein. The loss of iron oxides is more than balancedby the
formationof pyrite. Thereis a lossof sodaandgainof potash,
characteristic
of the propylitictype of alteration. Magnesiais
alsoreduced,with a correspondingincreaseof lime, andthe rock
hasgainedmuchcarbondioxide,chieflyin the chloriticphaseof
alteration.
In the vein-zonethe waters were evidentlyrich in potashand
poorin soda,andsuffered a depletionof the formerandaddition
of thelatterby theirinteraction
with the feldspars
andthe forma-
tion of sericite and adularia. The solutions must have been
highlysiliceous,
but the bulk of their silicawasdeposited
in the
638 A. 3,1. FINLAYSON.

fissures,there being no markedsilicification

of the adjoining
rocks.
2. I/Vaihi.--The next seriesof analyses,of specimens
from
a cross-cutto the Empire vein, Waihi Mine, showsthe extensive
replacement and silicification
of the rocks,whichhas beenvery
markedduring vein-formationat Waihi, and which is similar in
this respectto the processes of vein-formationat Tonopah.
x
x 2 3 4 5 6
$io ............ 63.45 58.39 61.78 69.35 76.6i 85.65
A120• ........... 15.26 16.51 14.89 11.66 8.31 1.35
Fe20• ........... 2.28 2.46 2.08 1.53 1.08 o.43
FeO ............ 3.Ol 2.98 2.51 1.66 0.59 o.21
MgO ........... 1.29 1.66 1.o8 0.46 o.51 o.31
CaO ............ 3.44 4.08 3.16 2.09 3.61 2.56
Na:O ........... 2.21 2.08 2.18 1.06 0.29 0.28
IGO ............ 1.78 2.89 3.68 3.31 1.98 1.41
1-120-- . ........ I.I0 2.41 1.89 1.61 0.43 0.24
H20 d- ......... 2.90 2.87 3.05 2.12 1.08 1.33
TiO ............ 0.75 o.68 0.69 0.43 0.28 tr.
CO............. 1.o8 1.56 2.Ol 2.24 1.87 2.04
P•O, ........... 0.29 o.31 0.30 0.26 O.ll tr.
MnO ........... 0.36 0.32 0.28 O.ll O.ll -o. 12
FeS2 ............ 0.65 1.88 3.59 4.69
Total ........... 99.20 99.20 lOO.23 99.77 lOO.45 lOO.62
1. Fresh hornblende dacite, Waihi.
2. Chloritized h.ornblendedacite, 45 feet from Empire vein.
3. Altered dacite,30 feet from Empirevein. ]
4. Altered dacite, 15 feet from Empire vein.
5. Altered dacite, adjoining Empire vein.
6. Replacement-ore, Empire vein. 85o
feet
level.
Taking the seriesfrom No. • (fresh dacite) to No. 6 (replace-
ment-ore), it will be noticed that silica is reducedand carbon-
dioxide increasedin the chloritizedtype (No. 2), exactly as at
the Thames. Subsequently, silica showsa steadyincrease,cul-
minating in the highly silicifiedrock which composesmuch of
the vein-material (No. 6). Alumina, together with titanium
and phosphoricacids,has beenreducednotablyin the neighbor-
hood of the veins. The progressiveloss of iron oxides is ac-
countedfor by the metasomaticformation of pyrite. Magnesia
hasbeenreduced,but lime hasnot on the wholebeengreatly af-
• J. E. Spurr, loc. cit., sup., p. 216.
 GEOLOGY OF HA URAKI GOLD FIELDS. 639

fected. There is a notablelossof sodaand gain of potash,ex-

ceptnear the vein,wherethe potashhas alsobeenreducedwith
the intense silicification.
Thus at the two localities selected for examination--Thames
and Waihi--the processes
were similar, except for the notable
silicification at Waihi, and the more intense carbonation at the
Thames. In this connectionit is worthy of note that great vol-
umes of carbon dioxide were encountered in several of the
Thamesmines2 The gas evidentlyrepresents a residuumwhich
escapedfrom or was left by the vein-formingsolutions,and en-
closedin cavitiesin the veinsduring their filling.

AGENTS OF TI-IE ROCK-ALTERATION.

The microscopicevidenceas already mentioned,shows two

types of altered rock, namely, the chloritic type, found almost
universallyover the whole of the gold fieldsand not confinedto
vein-bearingareas, and the completelyaltered sericitic type, con-
fined to the neighborhoodof the veins. The chemicalevidence
also indicatesthat the processes of alterationin thesetwo rocks
were different. In the first therewas a lossof silicaand a gain
of carbondioxide, which latter was presumablythe agent in the
formationof chlorite. The watersin this case,then, were poor
in silica and highly carbonated. In the secondrock there is a
lossof the refractorybase,a considerable lossof sodaand gain
of potash, and introduction of sulphur. The solutions were
here rich in potash, sulphur and silica. The differencesin the
solution,as shownby their effects,do not seemreadily explicable
by gradual changesin their compositionas they circulatedlater-
ally from the vein-fissures
into the country-rock. Moreover,the
widespread alteration of the ferro-magnesian silicates could
scarcelyhave been accomplished by the circulation(of waters)
through the great extent and thicknessof the solidified rocks,
either before or after the period of vein-formation, and this
chloritic faciesof andesiticrocksis found in many volcanicdis-
tricts devoidof mineral veinsor other evidenceof hydro-thermal
processes.
• Jas. Park, Trans. N. Z. Inst. Min. Eng., I., •897, p. 23.
640 A. M. FINLA¾SON.

The'mostreasonableexplanationseemsto be that the chloritiza-

tion took placeimmediatelyafter the eruptionof the rocksand
during their solidification,through the agencyof containedso-
lutionsor gasesrich in carbondioxide,which is sucha character-
istic product of volcanic action. In this connectionit is note-
worthy that the hornblendeoften showsa resorptionborder or
reaction-rimof chloriteand magnetite,probablydue to reactions
with gaseswhich saturatedthe rock during or immediatelyafter
the separationof the crystals.
The formation of the sericite-pyrite-carbonate rock, on the
other hand, is certainlydue to the vein-formingsolutionswhich
were at first rich in silica and potash,but becameimpoverished
in these constituents,and gained soda as they seepedinto the
rocksimmediatelyadjoining the vein-fissures. The correspond-
ing effect on the rock was a concentrationof potashand a leach-
ing of soda.

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF CHANGES.

The chemicalchangesare illustratedby the following diagrams

constructed in accordance with W. H. Hobbs's modification of
Broegger'smethod,x the arms being drawn proportionalto the
molecular ratios. The first two diagrams, Figs. a and b, Plate
VIII., constructedfrom the Thames analyses,show the change
from fresh andesire to the chloritic modification. The third and
fourth, Figs. c and d, Plate VIII., from the Waihi analyses(Nos-
I and 6) show the changefrom fresh dacite to replacement-ore
by silicification.

EVIDENCE FROM THERMAL SPRINGS.

j.E. Spurr has pointedout that thermalsprings,having risen

through a considerablethicknessof rocks,may be expectedto
have a compositionanalogousto that of the vein-forming waters
after they had penetratedlaterally somedistanceinto the rocks.2
Analysesof springsin typical New Zealand thermal districts,
• W. H. Hobbs, "Classification of the Igneous Rocks," fourn. Geol., 8, 19oo,
p.I.
2Loc. ciL, sup.,pp. 237-238.
 GEOLOGY OF HAURAKI GOLD FIELDS. 641

recordedby W. Skef andJ. S. Maclaurin, •' showgenerallypov-

erty of silica,and nearlyalwaysa great excessof sodaover pot-
ash. A similar state has been inferred in the case of the vein-
forming solutionson the Hauraki goldfields,after they had
passedinto the country-rockfrom the vein-fissures.The present
mineralspringshavethereforeevidentlysuffereda continualloss
of silica and potashin their ascentand gained soda from the
walls of their circulationchannels. It is worthy of note that the
siliceoussintersof Rotoruacontainappreciable quantitiesof gold
and silver. 3

2. ORE-SHOOTS AND ORE-DEPOSITION.

The veins of Hauraki are broadly divisibleinto two types--a

northern and a southern.

NORTHERN TYPE.

Theseveins,occurringin the Thamesand Coromandeldistricts,

are generally small, and carry bonanzasin irregular shootsof
often phenomenalrichness. The 'vein-filling is chiefly massive
or combyquartz, the gold is typically coarseand free, with a
fineness of from 680 to 700, and is accompanied
by pyrite, arseno-
pyrite, and other sulphides. The bonanzasare separatedby low
gradeor barrenportionsof the veins,which are generallypoorly
mineralized. The bonanza-zoneextendsto a depthof from 400
to 600 feet below the presentsurface. At greater depthsthe
veins have seldombeen found payable,although there are indi-
cations at Coromandel of a lower zone of similar but less rich
bonanzas,
4 as at CrippleCreek.5 The ore-shootsare closelyde-
pendent
onfaults,vein-intersections,
andleaders.Lindgren
con-
cludesthat the ore-shootsare of primary origin,ø but Morgan
inclinesto the view that they have resultedfrom secondaryen-
x Trans. N. Z. Inst., Io, •877, pp. 423-448.
' 39th Ann. Rep. Col. Lab., Mines Dept., N'. Z.
sj. M. Bell, xst Ann. Rep. N. Z. Geol. Survey, x9o7,p. 6.
s Fraser, Bull. No. 4, N. Z. Geol. Survey, •9o7,p. •oo.
• Lindgrenand Ransome,P. P. No. 54, •9o6,p. 207.
6 Lindgren,En. and Min. Journal, 79, x9o5,p.
642 A. 21I. FINLAYSON.

richment by descendingwaters? Microscopicexamination of

the rocks,however,showsthat the bonanzazones,althoughoccur-
ring comparativelynear the surface, are always enclosedby
highly altered andesites,while poorer portions of the veins are
frequently associatedwith comparatively fresh country-rock.
This feature is difficult to explain by the action of descending
waters, as the rock-alterationis clearly due to ascendingthermal
solutions. The petrographic evidence, therefore, is in favor
of the view that the localizationof the ore-shootsis primary, and
due to depositionby ascendingsolutionsin a zone rendered
"critical" by extensivefissuringwith consequentrelief of pres-
sure, the ores being continuallyaugmentedby the cumulative
effects of mass-action. At the same time, it is difficult to ac-
count for the extremely rich bonanzasexcept by processesof
secondaryenrichment,and it seemshighly probablethat descend-
ing waters have subsequently played a considerablepart in the
concentration of the ores.

SOUTI-IERN TYPE.

Theseveinsare typicallydevelopedat Waihi and Karangahake.

At Waihi 2 the veins are of great width, while the ore-shootsare
very uniform and continuous. The free gold is generallyinvisi-
ble and has a finenessof about 645. Near the surface the vein-
material is a typical siliceoussinter, oxidized,but not appreciably
enriched. At greater depthsthis is gradually replacedby pri-
mary sulphide-ore,composedof finely crystallinequartz, with a
little calciteand valencianite,and impregnatedwith finely divided
pyrite, argentite and blende. The gold values occur mainly in
the pyrite, and the ratio of gold to silver in the ore is •: 6. This
sulphide-ore is typicallya productof replacement of the country-
rock, as has beenseenin the analysesdiscussedabove,and this is.
also evident from the manner in which the veins shadeoff by
degreesinto barren rock, without any definedwalls. Under the
microscopethe vein-materialappearsas a fine mosaicof granu-
lar quartz,with occasional pseudomorphs of adularia,and patches
• Morgan, N. Z. Mines Record, 8, I9o5, p. 465.
• Bell and Fraser, Canadian Min..rourn., 29, 19o8,pp. 388 and 420.
 GEOLOGY OF HAURAKI GOLD FIELDS. 643

of carbonatesand sericite,the whole impregnatedwith grains

and strings of sulphides. ..

In the deeperlevelsthis replacement-ore

is frequentlytraversed
by numerousparallelstringsand veinletsof quartz, argentiteand
pyrite, giving a finely banded appearanceto the ore. This
bandedsulphide-ore,carrying gold to silver in the ratio of •: 3¸,
constitutessomeof the richestore mined at Waihi. The sugges-
tion that it may be due to a later periodof mineralizationthan the
original replacement-ore,
• is confirmedby microscopicexamina-
tion. This shows it to consistof close-setparallel strings of
quartz, often banded and comby, alternating with seamsand
stringsof pyrite and argentite. Examinationsof the adjoining
rock shows that it also is traversed by numerous veinlets of
quartz and sulphides,of later date than the alteration of the
rocks.
There have thus been at Waihi and in similar districts, either
two successive periodsof mineralization,or elsea prolongedper-
iod of mineralization,during whcih the characterof the ore de-
positedunderwenta change. The earliestphasewascharacterized
by extensivesilicificationand replacementof the adjoiningrocks,
and to this the great width of someo.f the veins is chiefly due.
The later phaseswere markedby the depositionof more highly
argentiferousore alongportionsof the veinswhich had beenpar-
tially reopenedor fracturedby movem/•nt,and had thus given
access to the solutions. The alteration of the rocks was effected
during the earlier stages,the productsthen formed being stable
and unaffectedby the circulation of subsequentsolutions. The
later mineralizationaccountsfor the uniform and often improved
value of the ore in depth,and as the highestlevel of deposition
was then apparentlyat a considerable depthbeneaththe outcrop,
the deepzone which has beenthus enrichedmay reasonablybe
expectedto persist for somedepth to come.

3. SOURCE OF THE PRECIOUS METALS.

Bela yon Inkey has recently,while emphasizingthe universal
association
of griinstein(propyliticfacies) with the tertiary an-
• Id., lb., p. 420.
644 A.M. FINLAYSON.

desiticgold fields,calledattentionto the desirabilityof further

chemicalexaminationof the fresh rocks for gold and silver, and
suggestedthat the metals were originally contained chiefly in
the hornblende,from which they were leachedout by the solu-
tions which at the same time effected the chloritization. x But
the samewidespreadalteration of andesitesis found in regions
where there are no gold-veins. The view that the ores of Ham
raki were derivedfrom the surroundingan&sites was advocated
by F. W. Hutton,2 but Dr. J. R. Don, after a seriesof exhaustive
tests,failed to find gold in the unalteredrocks? Further, assays
now in progressin the laboratoryof the New ZealandGeological
Survey are statedto be in confirmationof Don's results.4 It may
possiblybe found that the unaltered ferro-magnesiansilicates
of theserocksdo containtracesof gold and silver, a matter which
the writer has not had the opportunityto investigate. Even,
however, with that fact established,the theory that these sili-
cates were the direct source of the ores in the veins encounters
great difficulties,sinceit seemsmost probablethat the solutions
which effectedthe chloritizationof the ferro-magnesianminerals
were active during the consolidationof the successiveflows, and
gradually escapedupwardsunder low pressure,whereasthe solu-
tions which mineralizedthe veins rose from considerabledepths
at a distinctly later period.
It seemsmostreasonable, in the caseof gold-fieldsof this type,
to concludethat the rocks arose from a magma, in which or in
portions of which the metals were segregated,and from which
they were subsequently transportedin solutionsfreed by the for-
mation of fissuresin the overlyingsolidifiedlavas and tuffs.
The writer is indebted to Mr. Colin Fraser of the New Zea-
land GeologicalSurvey, for a seriesof rock-specimens
from the
Thames, and to Professor W. W. Watts of the Imperial Col-
xB. yon Inkey, "La relation entre 1%tatpropylitique des rochesand•sitiques
et leurs filons mineraux," Internat. Geolog. Congress, sess. xo, x9o6, Vol. I.,
p. 5oI et seq.
•Rep. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Sci., I., •887, pp. 245-274.
8j. R. Don, "Genesis of Certain Auriferous Lodes," Trans. A. I. M. E.,
:•7, •897, p. 564 et seq.
4Bull. No. 4, N. Z. Geol. Survey, •9o7, p. •o7.
 GEOLOGY OF HAURAKI GOLD FIELDS. 645

lege of Science,London,for granting facilitiesin the laboratory

and for suggestionsand criticisms.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

The literature on these gold fields is fairly extensive,but scattered. The

following list includes the more important papers.
•'?M. B'elland.O. Ivraser. The Great Waihi Gold Mine. CanadianMining
Journal, Vol. 29, 1908,pp. 388 and 42o.
Lairua Gold Field. Austr. Mining Standard, 39, I9o8, p. 608.
8. H. Oox. Gold Fields of Cape Colville Peninsula. Rep. N. Z. Geol. Sur-
vey, 1882, p. 4.
O. Ivraserand.;Y.It. A4ams. Geologyof Coromandel,
Hauraki. Bull. No. 4,
N. Z. Geol. Survey, I9o7.
1v. W. Itt•t•n. Rocksof the Hauraki Gold Fields. Rep. Austr. Assoc.Adv.
Sci., I., •887, p. 245.
W.x.indgron. The Hauraki Gold Fields, New Zealand. Eng. and Min.
Journal, Vol. 79 (I9o5), p. 218.
,1. 1•. l•ffaelaxen. Geologyof CoromandelGold Field. Ann. Rep. Mines
Dept. N. Z., C-9, x9oo.
Alex. l•½l•ay. Geologyof CapeColvillePeninsula. Ann. Rep. Mines Dept.
N. Z., C-3, x897.
•P. I•. l•organ. Geology, Quartz Reefs and Minerals of Waihi. Trans.
Aust. Inst. Min. Eng., 8, •9o2, p. •66.
Hauraki Gold Fields. N.Z. Mines Record,Vol. 8, x9o5,p. 370.
•'a•o8 •Paxk. Geologyof the ThamesGold Field. Ann. Rep. Mines Dept.
C-3, x894.
Geologyof Hauraki Gold Fields. Trans. iV. Z. Inst. Min. Eng., I., •897,
P. 3.
W. •'. So119and.Alex. l•elray. Rocksof CapeColvillePeninsula. 2 vols.,
Wellington, •9o5-•9o6.