516 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Aet. LXXVI. — Notes regarding Icebergs at the Chatham 



Islands. 



By A. Shand. 



[Bead before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 15th February, 



1893.} 



On Friday, 28th October, 1892, icebergs were seen in the 

 northern part of Hanson Bay, in lat. 44° S., drifting, borne 

 back and forwards under the influence of the tides between 

 the Motukara and Te Whakuru, one berg coming in quite 

 close, but being ultimately driven off by the wind in a south- 

 east direction. 



The next day (Saturday, 29th) an iceberg was seen from 

 Trig. Station B, near Waitangi, in Hanson Bay, close to 

 Ouenga, having drifted through Pitt Strait. Two or more 

 were drifting about outside Petre Bay, one coming in possibly 

 six miles distance from the harbour of Waitangi on the succeed- 

 ing day, where large pieces could be seen broken off and float- 

 ing. Further out, at the south end of the west reef, another 

 one could be seen with a glass, apparently much larger. The 

 one distant six miles appeared to be something between 160ft. 

 and 200ft. in height, and about four to five hundred yards in 

 length, precipitous, with high pinnacles on opposite ends, 

 the centre comparatively level. Seen through a glass, the 

 one by the west reef appeared to have the same peculiarity 

 in having pinnacles at each end. Out in the same direction, 

 but near the Horns (Whakahewa), a large one was seen 

 on the 31st, estimated by the known height of the adjoin- 

 ing land to be not less than 500ft. in height, as its summit 

 towered over certain parts of the land, while around num- 

 berless small ones floated about, possibly the debris of larger 

 ones broken up. 



The one near Ouenga appeared to be more of a razor-back 

 in shape, sloping down to about 50ft. or 60ft. from about 180ft. 

 in height, thence precipitous to the water's edge. 



On Saturday the natives saw three large ones drifting 

 northward through Pitt Strait in a regular procession, keeping 

 their respective distance from one another, the hindmost one 

 being the largest, being as large in apparent size (over 900ft. 

 in height) as Mangere (an island possibly three-quarters of a 

 mile in size, or more), but not so high. A number of bergs 

 also broke up about Pitt Island, one grounding between it 

 and South-east Island, but, beyond the general statement, 

 I had no particulars concerning them. 



