154 REPORT — 1891. 



range a line across it, setting up rods at equal distances, mark- 

 ing both ends on the permanent lateral moraines or on the side 

 of the adjoining mountain, and to fix, trigonometrically or 

 otherwise, the position of the points so marked that they could 

 at any time be reproduced, to record the distances the rods had 

 moved, and to note the time and date thereof. In like manner 

 I instructed him to paint numbers on certain very large blocks 

 of stone which I had observed on the Mueller Glacier, to fix the 

 position of these blocks trigonometrically, and to record the 

 date on which the observations were made, so that their posi- 

 tions could also at any time be again fixed, and thus the rate at 

 which the glacier was travelling could be accurately deter- 

 mined. I make this explanation of the causes which led to 

 these measurements being made, as it was not my intention to 

 investigate the motion of the New Zealand glaciers myself, for 

 it does not come within the scope of my work ; but I deemed 

 that, if properly recorded, such data would be of use to geolo- 

 gists who might wish to do so ; therefore these rough notes 

 are put together in the hope that, being, so far as I know% a 

 record of the first actual measurements of glacier-motion in New 

 Zealand, they w^ould be of interest to some of the members of 

 this society. 



The Hooker Glacier is situate on the west side of Mount 

 Cook, is seven miles long, and on an average half a" mile or a 

 little more in width. The line ranged across it for measuring 

 its velocity was about three-quarters of a mile from its ter- 

 minal face ; and Mr. T. N. Brodrick, who made the survey, 

 reports as follows : " On the 4th of April, at 12 a.m., taking a 

 fixed point on the other side of the glacier, I ranged a line 

 across it on a bearing of 101° 43' from peg F, setting the rods 

 at fairly regular distances apart in the ice ; and again on the 

 7tli x\pril, at 8 a.m., re-ranged the same line, and found the rods 

 had travelled the distances set down below. The rods are 

 numbered from 1 to 5, counting from the west to the east : — 



No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. 5. 



3-3in. 8-2in. 12in. 15-4in. 12-8in. 



— thus showing that, although the centre moves the fastest, 

 the eastern side travels more quickly than the west. The 

 old lateral moraine on the east side of the glacier, on which 

 peg E is placed, is very distinctly marked between the shingle 

 slips, as are also the ones between it and the present one now 

 being formed. This seems to show that, after occupying one 

 position for a long time, the glacier had melted away, -and then 

 remained stationary for ages before melting again, and so on, 

 until at the present time it is 235ft. below the position it oc- 

 cupied at E. The corresponding old moraine-lines on the west 

 side, although not so distinct, can still be traced : the reason 



