570 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



form of a telegram from some other place, where the motion 

 has been more strongly felt. The shocks, however, which are 

 noticed in the local papers follow an invariable course. First 

 there is a dull explosion away in the south-west. This is 

 followed, after an interval varying from one to three seconds, 

 by a sharp upward jerk, also often very perceptibly from the 

 south-west. Then comes a rapid horizontal vibration, evi- 

 dently caused by waves travelling from south-west to north- 

 east. A rumbling sound usually accompanies these, and 

 sometimes slightly precedes them. As these die away, they 

 are succeeded by a gyratory motion, usually, if not always, 

 from left to right. It is not a steady gyration, but progresses 

 by sharp jerks. If a person is standing up, he has to shift his 

 feet to prevent falling ; and in this way he describes sometimes 

 a triangle, but more generally a square. It is this gyratory 

 motion which is so destructive to chimneys. The courses of 

 bricks are often twisted to the extent of 20° or 30°, and in 

 severe shocks frequently at several different levels; thus neces- 

 sitating the rebuilding of the chimney, even if it has not fallen. 

 This usually concludes the performance, but occasionally some 

 slight return-waves from north-east to south-west are felt 

 afterwards. My own conviction is that in all our earthquakes 

 there is an upheaval, which is maintained during the passage 

 of the waves, and that the gyratory motion occurs during 

 subsidence. 



As no newspapers were published in WangaTiui in the 

 early days of the settlement, there is probably no record of 

 the early shocks felt here, however violent. The shock in 

 October, 1848, which caused such alarm in Wellington, seems 

 to have been comparatively slightly felt here ; but, on the 

 other hand, one which occurred in 1841 was very severe. It 

 occurred about midday ; and persons who experienced it have 

 often assured me that they were not only thrown down, but 

 that they had to lay hold of the fern and grass to prevent 

 themselves from being rolled about on the ground. No 

 damage, however, appears to have been done, probably 

 because there was nothing easily damaged. The shock of 

 the 23rd January, 1855, seems, however, to have been the 

 most severe that has been experienced since the foundation 

 of the settlement — at any rate, there has been nothing since 

 that could be compared with it. I was building a mill for the 

 Maoris at Waitotara at the time, and was living in a toitoi 

 whare, which I fully expected would be shaken to pieces over 

 my head. There was a very peculiar condition of the atmo- 

 sphere that day — I never experienced anything like it before 

 or since ; though, of course, I cannot say whether it was con- 

 nected in any way with the earthquake. The day was 

 perfectly calm, and unusually cold for the time of year. Dull 



