Haedcastle. — Oil ihc Drift in South Cantcrhuru. 317 



In the Progress Eeporfc of the Dkeetor of the Geological 

 Survey for 1887, p. xxxix., there are described as existing on 

 the eastern side of the Taieri Plain " coarse, angular breccia 

 beds, apparently of glacier origin, the age of which has never 

 yet been clearly determined." These beds cover a good deal 

 of ground, and range up to 800ft. in thickness. " At the back 

 of Henley," says the report, " the deposit is composed of 

 exceedingly angular material, often containing blocks of great 

 size, 5ft. to 10ft. and 12ft. in diameter, and is but loosely 

 compacted together, the irregular spaces between the con- 

 fusedly-heaped angular blocks being often filled with finer 

 material." This is a description of a glacier moraine, and of 

 nothing else. These beds, it is stated, have been disturbed 

 and invaded by volcanic rock ; so also have the red gravels 

 here. In Haast's " Eeport on the Formation of the Canter- 

 bury Plains" (186i)— Dr. Haast having in his mind but one 

 glaciation, and clear distinctions could not be expected — there 

 are one or two glacial deposits mentioned in such wise as to 

 suggest that they probably belong to the red-gravel age, and 

 if so are indices of the severity of the climate of that age. 

 Writing of the earliest work and greatest extension of the 

 glaciers of Canterbury, he says (p. 5), " The glaciers 

 began to fill all the existing valleys to the plains, and 

 even advanced beyond, spreading in the plains in a fan-like 

 shape. Of this occurrence, however, we have very little 

 proofs, if it be not that the older glacier deposits in the bed of 

 the Eangitata, several miles below the gorge, and some others 

 rising above the plains between the Malvern Hills and the 

 Waimakariri, belong to that period." As the Eangitata de- 

 posits are in "the bed of the river," they probably, as we 

 shall see further on, are of red-gravel age. The other deposits 

 alludpcl to are no doubt Little Eacecourse Hill and Trigpole 

 Hill, described on page 46 as morainic ; and on page 47 Haast 

 clearly refers them to some period antecedent to his Pleisto- 

 cene glaciation. 



If these morainic deposits do belong to the red-gravel age, 

 they seem to show that that period was more severe than the 

 'later cold age. This is not in agreement with my observa- 

 tions in the South Canterbury lowlands so far, for I have 

 found no signs of local glaciation within the red-gravel forma- 

 tion, while there are proofs that the same area was glaciated 

 during the second cold age. It is, however, quite possible 

 that the contradiction is only apparent. A less severe climate 

 prevailing for a long time may produce longer glaciers, where 

 glaciers are produced at all, than one which, whilst of suffi- 

 cient severity to glaciate lower lands, persists but a short 

 time. 



I have not had time or opportunity to look through other 



