Hill. — The Artesian Well System of Hawke's Bay. 291 



water-supply bed. At a short distance to the north-east of 

 Pakipaki the artesian flow in the best wells is about 8 feet 

 above the surface, which at this point is about 375 feet above 

 sea-level. This gives an actual rise for the artesian wells at this 

 place of about 43 feet above the sea. Hastings is about 40 feet 

 above the sea, and the flow varies, so I am told, from 1 to 

 7 feet. Now the flow at the artesian well recently sunk at 

 the Napier gas-works reaches a height above the surface of 

 more than 30 feet, and I should imagine that the well is at 

 least 6 ieet above sea-level. This would give a flow of more 

 than 36 feet above the sea. If we take into consideration the 

 fact that the water, flowing as it does through shingle in its 

 underground course, is much retarded by friction, I think that 

 it will readily be conceded that there is sufficient to account for 

 the small variation in the height of the artesian flow at places 

 so widely apart as Pakipaki, Hastings, and Napier. I have no 

 data as to the water supply between Omahu and Pakipaki, and 

 between Pakipaki and Maraekakaho ; but if my theory be 

 correct, the question is not a difficult one to solve. It resolves 

 itself into one of height. For example, the flow a short distance 

 from Pakipaki is about 8 feet above the surface in the best wells, 

 or between 40 and 50 feet above sea-level. Water may be ex- 

 pected and no doubt got anywhere on the plains within a few 

 feet of this height. Of course water will be found on the higher 

 parts of the plain, both in the direction of Omahu and Marae- 

 kakaho, but it will be by means of ground wells, which will vary 

 in depth as they proceed along the plain in the direction of Eoy's 

 Hill. At the latter place the artesian water-bed ought to be 

 reached or met with at a depth of about 120 feet, and near the 

 Maori pa at Omahu water ought to be reached at a depth not 

 exceeding 25 feet. 



It is not possible to speak with any degree of certainty as to 

 the actual character of the underground basin which supplies 

 tbis district with such vast quantities of pure water, but for my 

 own part I have no doubt whatever that it is an underground 

 stream which moves slowly and steadily through the shingle-bed, 

 which is bottled, as it were, within two impervious beds. This 

 stream has flowed since the formation of the first beds on the 

 plain, and the water has been discharged along the bed of the 

 ocean far from the land. A curious fact in connection with the 

 outflow is to be found in the effect of bigh tides upon the artesian 

 flow near the sea-beach. I am informed that the difference in 

 the height of the flow in the artesian wells in the vicinity of the 

 sea-beach, as at Napier and Farndon, at high tide and low tide, 

 varies as much as 2 feet. This fact goes to confirm my 

 theory as to the outflow of the artesian supply- stream being far 

 away in the ocean. The enormous amount of extra pressure 

 upon the beds in the bay during high tides, and amounting to 



