Hill. — Artesian Water -supply at Buataniwha Plain. 351 



flank both plains, and afford complete evidence of the sequence 

 of change such as I have described. The hills between Marae- 

 kakaho and the Guavas form the dividing-line at the present 

 time between the Heretaunga and Euataniwha Plains, and if 

 a cutting were made in the hills so as to unite the plains the 

 bedding which would be exposed would be identical with the 

 beds at Eedcliffe and the Kidnappers. The whole country 

 between the Guavas and Maraekakaho, and between Havelock, 

 Pakipaki, and the Kidnappers, received its supplies of pumice- 

 shingle, which it has in abundance, from the same source 

 and at the same time ; and wherever there are great breaks in 

 the continuity of the beds the causes are due to changes in 

 the land-surface brought about by earthquakes and earth- 

 movement. The beds flanking the limestones on the eastern 

 border of the Euataniwha Plain were formed at the same 

 time, and are a part of the beds which are exposed on the 

 banks of the Tukituki and "Waipawa Rivers. And the same 

 remark applies with respect to the beds at Norsewood, for 

 they correspond in every particular with the beds forming the 

 hills between the Guavas and Maraekakaho. 



But between these boundaries comes the Euataniwha Plain, 

 which is covered with more recent deposits, and has been filled 

 up since the subsidence took place with the material that the 

 streams and rivers brought down from the fractured surfaces 

 of the country now forming the Euahine Mountain-range. 

 From this brief explanation it will be seen that the Euataniw ha 

 Plain, like our own plain, is of comparatively recent origin. 

 Both plains have grown and are growing, but the evidence as 

 to their origin is sufficient to determine the possibility of 

 their containing an underground water-supply. Of the Here- 

 taunga Plain, including the area even within the limits of our 

 own town, we have full proof, and it is through the accumu- 

 lation of facts such as are available with regard to the water- 

 supply in this district that it is possible to make inferences 

 as to the prospects of finding water in other districts. 



Nature carries out her work with precision and regularity. 

 The materials with which the work is carried on may differ, 

 but moving water acting under similar conditions produces 

 similar results everywhere, and this is why it is possible to 

 generalise when dealing with changes brought about by ordi- 

 nary physical laws. It has been already pointed out that 

 limestones form the higher boundary hills on the eastern side 

 of the plain, and traces of a limestone range are met with in 

 the lower hills towards the Euahine Eange. But the lime- 

 stones in the latter locality have been partly denuded, and 

 replaced by the Kidnapper beds. Underlying the limestones 

 everywhere are blue clays locally known as "papa," and 

 of course these clays may be looked upon as impervious to 



