Hill. — On iJtc Kidnapj)er and J'nliui Coiujlonieratcs. 3-i5 



the Kaiwaka and Eualiine Mountains, as separate ranges, or as 

 ranges at all, did not exist. The watershed of the south-east 

 portion of the country, known as the Taupo volcanic ?;one, 

 was primarily to the east ; but when the rivers — or river, in 

 preference — reached the more indurated and less broken and 

 denuded limestones towards the east, it was diverted to the 

 south-west and south-east, in the direction of an area of de- 

 pression caused by the progressive elevation of the mountain - 

 ranges named above. This was the period of extreme volcanic 

 activity, and it was the period likewise of great denudation. 

 ■Great Hoods appear to have been a special characteristic of 

 the period, by which means vast quantities of the same kind 

 of products were moved scores of miles from their place of 

 origin, and deposited in the most extensive beds, and in per- 

 fect conformity with other beds of entirely different material. 



This dilTerence of material in the composition of the bed- 

 ding implies either a change in the direction of the drainage- 

 area, or greater floods at special periods, because the shingle- 

 deposits, although they are interbedded with beds of pumice 

 as pure as the pumice on the Taupo plain, or with greyisli- 

 blue clays and lignite-beds, are not structurally of igneous 

 origin, although they might have been thrown from volcanic 

 orifices, just as shingle and blue clays were thrown out during 

 the Tarawera eruption. As pointed out above, these deposits 

 cover a wide extent of country ; but, wherever found, they 

 simply occupy the place of limestones and clay-marls, as may 

 be easily demonstrated by reference to the surrounding rocks 

 in cases where the pumice and conglomerates are traceable. 



With the exceptions of the Kidnapper beds on a large 

 scale, and a few minor deposits at the mouths of the Esk, 

 Mohaka, and Wairoa Eivers, all the shingle- and pumice-de- 

 posi+c are found at a comparatively high level. For example, 

 between the Kaiwaka Hill and Pohui, on the Napier-Taupo 

 Road, w^bere these conglomerates, sands, pumice, and other 

 beds are largely developed, they are met with at an average 

 height of from 600ft. to 800ft. 



Between Pohui and Maraekakaho the country, except 

 where the Ihnestones and marls remain, presents one vast 

 accumulation of these deposits, and they continue past 

 Hampden and throughout the entire lei^gth and breadth of 

 the Kuataniwha Plain, and onward into the district known as 

 the Seventy-mile Bush. As already pointed out, the latter 

 plain is simply a rcnmantof the old valley-plain of denudation, 

 when the v>hole sui'rounding country was filled — absolutely 

 filled — with enormous deposits of shingle, blue volcanic 

 clays (?), and pumice, brought down by the rivers that ran in 

 this direction towards the close of the Tertiary and the com- 

 mencement of the Post-tertiary period. 



