278 WAITEMATA HARBOUR. [PART II. 



of black and reddish vesicular lava. There is now 

 a flag-staff erected on it. The navigable entrance 

 into the harbour is only three-quarters of a mile 

 broad, as it is narrowed by a reef, the outermost 

 point of which is marked by a beacon, and is dis- 

 tant three-quarters of a mile from a curious bastion- 

 shaped sandstone rock, which may be regarded as 

 the southern head. Within the heads the channel 

 widens to an average breadth of one mile ; it has its 

 greatest depth on the northern shore, and is shal- 

 low on the southern, on which the town of Auck- 

 land has been laid out, at the distance of two miles 

 and a half from the south head. 



The depth of the harbour is from six to nine 

 fathoms in the mid channel, and three and three 

 and a half at the sides. The inlet continues about 

 ten miles to the westward, sending an arm to the 

 northward towards the river Kaipara, and another 

 to the southward towards the harbour of Manukao. 

 The northern arm has a deep but very narrow chan- 

 nel near the northern shore; but shoals and rocks 

 obstruct the passage leading towards Manukao, ex- 

 cept for large boats, which can go up for several 

 miles in the river-like inlet, and between its upper 

 part and the harbour of Manukao there is a portage 

 of one mile and a half. 



The southern shore, or that on which Auckland 

 stands, consists of cliffs of a soft pepper-coloured 

 sandstone, or sandstone conglomerate, with occa- 

 sional seams of lignite. The country itself is 



