RAMBLES ROUND DUNEDIN. 2OI 



was taken across from the Anderson's Bay Road to the 

 Ocean Beach, and this disclosed only beds of blue clay and 

 shells running out on the ocean side into fairly deep 

 ([Hick-sands full of salt water. 



But the insulation of the Peninsula was not within 

 historic times. It has been affirmed that Captain Cook 

 either brought his ship the "Endeavour" through this 

 channel to where Dunedin now stands, or that he sent a 

 boat in. But neither Cook nor Banks make any mention 

 of the fact. Here is a passage from the diary of Mr 

 Sydney Parkinson, one of the draughtsmen on board the 

 "Endeavour." He says :-" Having beat to windward for 

 several days without gaining any way, with the weather 

 gloomy and very cold, on the 24th (February 1770) we had 

 a fresh breeze from the N. which carried us round the 

 outermost point of land we had seen, which we called Cape 

 Saunders, beyond which the land tended away to the S.W. 

 On the 4th March, after having beat about near a week, we 

 got sight of land again, and saw the appearance of a 

 harbour, which we named Molineux's Harbour, after the 

 name of the master of our ship." This is pretty conclusive 

 evidence that Cook never came here, and I question if there 

 was a channel deep enough for a boat to pass through 130 

 years ago. On this point, however, it is almost idle to 

 speculate, for there are no data to go upon, as is often 

 the case in old-settled countries. 



From our point of vantage on the Forbury Head, looking 

 up the coast that is, in a due-easterly direction a curious 

 feature of the Peninsula presents itself. The basaltic rocks 

 lie in parallel waves or sheets across the Peninsula, some 

 three or four such great masses being visible from where 

 we sit. These slope somewhat gently to the west, but drop 

 sharply in many cases almost precipitously on their 

 eastern face. The first and least perfect of these sheets or 

 dykes ends its abrupt seaward face at Lawyer's Head ; the 

 third is the steepest and most pronounced ; the fourth runs 

 out to the sea near Sandymount. This last projecting 

 promontory cuts off the further view of the coast. 



The cliffs at St Glair are formed of basalt, showing 



