Meeson. — Newly -opened Cacc near Sicmner. 67 



and lather loose material \vhicli tilled the exposed crevices or 

 lay at the foot of the lava rocks was washed away. This is 

 Sir Julius von Haast's explanation of the origin of the Moa 

 Point Cave, and it is equally applicable in all respects to the 

 cave now exposed. The two are only half a mile apart, the 

 latter being the farther from Christchurch. They are similarly 

 situated in every respect as regards elevation above and dis- 

 tance from the sea, and, singularly enough, each is, or was, 

 exposed to the north-east, and protected from the north-west 

 by a similar point of rock. This, perhaps, accounts for the 

 formation of the caves ; for the exposure of both points to the 

 full force of the north-east breakers would facilitate the wash- 

 ing-out of loose rocky material ; and perhaps the protection 

 from the north-west — that is, the land side — gave these par- 

 ticular cave-dwellers at a subsequent time the privacy and 

 security which, among such a people, when every man's hand 

 was against that of his neighbour, were matters of no slight 

 importance. 



Like the Moa Point Cave, this of Monck's also consists of 

 three chambers, but of smaller dimensions. They are, how- 

 ever, more equal in size to one another. As the front of the 

 cave was covered up by loose material, so are the floors of its 

 chambers, to the depth of how many feet it is at present diffi- 

 cult to say. These figures must be left for subsequent caref\il 

 measurement, as also the levels of the floors, the heights of 

 the chambers in different places, &c., and also the exact 

 nature of the material of which the debris consists. This is 

 only intended to be a preliminary notice : a much fuller and 

 more exhaustive report, more amply satisfying curiosity, and 

 more thoroughl}- examining the various interesting questions 

 on which excavation will throw light, should certainly be 

 undertaken as soon as can be done conveniently. Generally 

 speaking, it may, however, be said that the debris covering up 

 the bottom of the cave consists of a mixture mostly of shell, 

 and fragments of rock and heaps of grit and scoria fallen from 

 the roof. Here ■ and there, however, can be clearly traced 

 layers — in one place as many as five — of various thickness 

 from lin. or 2in. to 6in. or 9in. These layers are of volcanic 

 ash at top, and the debris of fires (ashes of wood, dirt-beds, 

 (tc), intercalated with a kind of silt or loess earth, apparently 

 identical with that found here and there all round the 

 peninsula. The second cave contained as its floor-covering 

 nothing but a 3ft. -thick bed of this silt or loess. 



As to the relics, &c., found either on the floors of the cave 

 innnediately when it was opened, or since by digging here and 

 there in a very haphazard sort of way before the day of our 

 visit, in so far as pertains to the numerous bones, whethei- of 

 fish, or bird, or mammal, Mr. Forbes, as I have mentioned, has 



