42 BEPORT — 1891. 



heaviest shocks felt in Christchurch come from the Lake 

 Sumner origin, certainly those that do the most damage ; and, 

 if it be of any practical advantage to know it, the fact is one 

 that should be borne in mind by the architects charged with 

 the rebuilding of the cathedral spire. 



The second group of origins lies south of the scene of former 

 volcanic activity. Banks Peninsula. Here are two well-deter- 

 mined epicentra, those of 31st August, 1870, and 27th Decem- 

 ber, 1888. The data for the last were very exact, and the 

 depth of the centrum could be determined very nearly ; it was 

 about twenty-four miles : the depth of the first was about the 

 same. Four other earthquakes may be definitely referred to 

 the same or nearly the same spot, and we might in all proba- 

 bility be quite safe in adding twenty or thirty more — perhaps 

 the majority of the earthquakes felt at Christchurch. The 

 shocks from this region are generally short and sharp, and do 

 no damage. 



The fifth of the ascertained origins, situated beneath the bed 

 of the Pacific Ocean 198 miles from Napier and 280 miles from 

 Wellington, is that of the 7th March, 1890 ; and from that place 

 or near it have probably proceeded other shocks felt in the 

 south and east of the North Island. 



None of the origins of the Cook Strait earthquakes have, 

 so far as I am aware, been exactly determined. Three I have 

 succeeded in finding approximately, to the west of the line 

 already named ; and six others are shown as probable — two 

 north of Cape Farewell ; two near D'Urville and Stephen 

 Islands, not far from a steep slope, 1 in 36, in the sea-bottom, 

 near which the first recorded New Zealand earthquake was felt 

 by Captain Furneaux on the 11th May, 1773 ; one north-north- 

 west of Picton ; and one south of Wanganui. As " doubtful " 

 I have marked the position of six more — two south of Wanga- 

 nui, and four north and north-east of Picton. One red circle 

 marks the probable position of the epicentrum of severe earth- 

 quakes in the Tarawera and Mount Edgecumbe district on the 

 22nd and 23rd September, 1866, and of other earthquakes also. 

 In the south of the South Island, the circle south-east of Oamaru 

 marks the limits within which we must probably locate the 

 source of the shocks experienced at Oamaru and in South 

 Canterbury and North Otago in February, 1876. A large 

 number of small shocks are recorded in the lake district of 

 Otago, many of them being felt as far east as Port Chalmers, 

 and from Oamaru on the one hand to the Bluff and Eiverton 

 on the other. Only one of these can be determined with any 

 degree of probability — that of the 18th December, 1883 — ^which 

 I put at thirty-five or forty miles west-north-west of Queens- 

 town. Three others are placed, more doubtfully, among the 

 lakes to the south-west, and one of these has a secondary 



