Wellington Philosophical Society. 603 



Fourth Meeting : 3rd August, 1904. 

 Professor Easterfield, President, in the chair. 



Neio Member. — Mrs. Ponsonby. 



Papers. — 1. " On Storm-routes in New Zealand,"* by 



E. A. Edwin, Retired Commander R.N. (Transactions, p. 555.) 



2. "The Early History of the Morioris," by A. Shand (of 



the Chatham Islands) ; communicated by Professor H. B. 



Kirk. (Transactions, p. 144.) 



This paper was read by Mr. E. Tregear. Mr. Tregear, in the course of 

 some introductory remarks, pointed out chat Mr. Shand was the sole 

 repository of the knowledge of a lost race — the Morioris — therefore any- 

 thing that he had to say upon the subject possessed a unique value. 



The hour being late, the discussion of Mr. Shand's paper was de- 

 ferred until the following meeting. 



It was resolved that a letter should be sent to Mr. Shand thanking 

 him for his valuable contribution. 



Fifth Meeting : 7th September, 1904. 

 Professor Easterfield, President, in the chair. 



New Member. — Mr. E. R. Dymock. 



Auditor. —Mr. E. R. Dymock was elected Auditor to the 

 Society for the current year. 



Mr. Earp Thomas exhibited a tube of bromide of barium 

 and bromide of radium which he had obtained from Madame 

 Curie in February, 1901. 



Mr. H. N. McLeod exhibited a spinthariscope. 



On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr. R. 

 Couplaud Harding, it was resolved, "That the Right Hon. 

 the Premier of New Zealand be respectfully urged to make 

 provision as soon as possible for having copies taken of the 

 valuable manuscripts relating to the Polynesian race which 

 were presented to the Cape library by the late Sir George 

 Grey." 



Captain Gilbert Mair, at the request of the Chairman, read a list of 

 some of the more important of these manuscripts, and pointed out their 

 extreme interest and their value to New Zealand. It was decided that a 

 copy of this list should be sent to the Right Hon. the Premier along with 

 the resolution. 



Mr. A. Shand's paper on " The Early History of the 

 Morioris" (read at the previous meeting) was then discussed. 



* (a) "The Meteorology of New Zealand: On the Routes of High 

 and Low Pressure and the Changes of Pressure and Wind-movement 

 resulting from them" ; (b) " On the (probable) Mechanical Principle on 

 which Atmospheric Circulation is based." 



