Cockatne. — Plants of Chatham Island. 247 



The south portion of the island forms a compact four-sided 

 block of an almost uniform length of nine miles and a half 

 from Petre Bay to Pitt Strait, and with a breadth of, from 

 east to west, 13£ miles. The south-east corner beyond Ouenga 

 juts out slightly towards the east. 



The greatest length of the island as a whole is thirty miles, 

 measuring from Cape Young to Te Eahui, and its greatest 

 breadth, measuring in the north from Te Whakaru Island to 

 Te Eaki, is thirty-five miles. From the above it may be seen 

 that, owing to the peculiar shape of the island, no place in the 

 interior is at any great distance from the sea or the great 

 lagoon : in the north two miles and a half is the extreme 

 limit, in the centre only one and a third miles, and in the 

 more compact south four miles and three-quarters. Hence, 

 no part of the island is beyond the reach and influence of a 

 strong sea-breeze. 



Speaking generally, the surface of the land is low, though 

 in most places more or less undulating. The southern portion 

 of Chatham Island is by far the highest above sea-level, and 

 in comparison with the rest of the island looks quite hilly. 

 Its highest portion, however, the Trig, station near Te Awa- 

 tapu, is only 286 m., and Pipitarawai, the highest point of the 

 main ridge and watershed of that part of the island, is about 

 2 m. lower. From this ridge to the sea stretches a kind of 

 tableland, culminating in some abrupt cliffs, which vary in 

 height from 182 m. to 213 m., and are cut in places into deep 

 gorges by the small streams which drain the tableland. From 

 the other sides of the Pipitarawai Eidge the land slopes 

 gradually downwards to the coast. The flat but usually 

 undulating surface of the northern and central portions of the 

 island is relieved here and there by conical hills, which reach 

 at times a height of 152 m. or 182 m., and of which the most 

 important are the forest-clad Korako, Wharekauri, and Mau- 

 nganui. The extensive coast-line varies in character from flat 

 ground bordered with sandhills or low rocks to the high cliffs 

 of the south coast. Small streams are abundant all over the 

 island, but only two, the Waitangi and the Awainanga, rise to 

 the dignity of rivers. Most of the streams flow slowly, and 

 the water is always dark-brown, from the large amount of peat 

 which it holds in suspension. The great lagoon, Te Whanga, 

 is nearly fifteen miles in length, and its area is estimated at 

 46,000 acres (18). In certain places the lagoon is so shallow 

 that it can be forded on horseback ; indeed, under certain con- 

 ditions of the wind the northern ford may be quite dry. Be- 

 sides Te Whanga there are many other lagoons and lakes ; 

 indeed, it is stated that fully one-third of the surface of the 

 island is occupied by water (18). Bogs of considerable size 

 are very frequent, and occur both on the high and low ground. 



