606 Tra7isacUo7is. 



Speaking of the evidences of ancient glaciation in South America, Pro- 

 fessor Prestwich* says, " Those facts are nevertheless decisive as to the 

 prevalence in late geological times of a glacial epoch which there is reason 

 to suppose was synchronous in the two hemispheres." 



If the Southern Hemisphere suffered a period of glaciation synchronous 

 with that of the Northern Hemisphere, how could New Zealand escape ? 

 South America shows clear evidence of ice invasion as far as 37° S. latitude : 

 why not look for similar e\adences in corresponding latitudes in New Zea- 

 land ? My discoveries of gigantic and hitherto unrecorded evidences of 

 glaciation in the South Island and in the Province of Wellington seem to 

 show that New Zealand did participate in the general glaciation of the 

 Southern Hemisphere as far north as 39° S. latitude. 



Speaking of the criteria of glaciation. Professors Chamberlin and Salis- 

 buryf say, " It is not strange that the glacial theory was resisted half 

 a century." It is perhaps not strange to find resistance still alive in 

 this remote Dominion, where the modern thought of the northern world 

 must of necessity permeate slow^ly, and take time to find a place in our 

 literature. 



Having shown that the South Island and a portion of the North Island 

 were glaciated during the Pleistocene, I have ventured to suggest that the 

 glaciation was caused by a general uplift of the land to the extent of 

 3,000 ft. or more — an uplift giving New Zealand continental dimensions^ 

 and bringing it close to the Antarctic land. The natural corollary of this 

 hypothesis was my suggestion^ that the glaciation of New Zealand was 

 caused, or, at any rate, accompanied, by an advance of the Antarctic ice- 

 sheet in the same manner as the Glacial epoch of northern Europe was 

 caused by an invasion of the Arctic ice-sheet, which was followed by a 

 great extension of the Alpine glaciers. 



The distance from New Zealand to Wilkes Land is 1,320 miles, or about 

 the same distance as Melbourne. The Campbell, Auckland, Macquarie, 

 and other subantarctic islands stand on the same marine platform as NeAV 

 Zealand, and, according to Sir Joseph Hooker § and Captain Hutton,|| were 

 at one time a continuation of that area. As we have already seen. New 

 Zealand geologists are agreed that the Glacial period was caused by eleva- 

 tion of the land, the majority — myself included — agreeing that an uplift 

 of 3,000 ft. or 4,000 ft. w^as required to give the necessary refrigeration. It 

 is obvious that an uplift of that amount would link up all the southern 

 and outlying islands with the mainland of New Zealand, thereby reducing 

 the sea gap between glacial New Zealand and the Antarctic land to less 

 than seven hundred miles, besides coiTcspondingiy reducing the depth of 

 the sea in the intervening gap. 



If the New Zealand elevation was accomplished by uplift in the 

 Antarctic to a corresponding extent, then Eoss Sea.^ which is relatively 

 shallow, would be dry land, thereby still further reducing the stretch of 

 water intervening betw^een the extended New Zealand area and the 

 Antarctic continent. 



* Prestwich, " Geology," vol. ii, p. 465. 



t Chamberlin and Salisburv. " Geology." vol. i, p. 337. 



+ J. Park, " Glaciation of Wakatipu Region," Bulletin No. 7, N.Z. Geol. Surv., 1909 ; 

 and presidential address to Otago Institute^ 12th Mav, 1909, " On the Block Mountains 

 and Great Ice Age of New Zealand," Otago Daily Times, 12th May, 1909. 



§ Ross, "Voyages." vol. i. p. 160; 1847. 



II Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxxii. p. 182. 



11 Dr. K. Fricker. - The Antarctic Region," p. 208 ; 1900. 



