THE PHYSICAL HISTORY OF THE FJORDS OF NEW ZEALAND. IGl 



would long ago have worn back even these hard rocks to 

 form a line of beetling cliffs. 



[The author then exhibited a set of lantern slides to illus- 

 trate his subject.] 



Discussion. 



The Chaiejiax. — I thiuk we are greatly indebted to Mr. ]\Iac- 

 laren for these exquisite views of the New Zealand fjords. If 

 we had only come to see those we should have been delighted ; 

 but we have, besides, had the scientific interest that attaches to 

 the paper itself put so ably before us. 



If any gentlemen wish to join in the discussion we shall be very 

 glad to listen to them. 



Dr. Jack, F.G.S. — I have listened with very great pleasure to 

 the lecture which has been delivered on this interesting subject. 

 It is true that neither the description nor even the photographic 

 slides give one any adequate idea of the marvellous beauty of 

 these sounds ; but that is no discredit to my friend, the author of 

 the paper, for I do not think that the human language can 

 adequately describe the beauty of those sounds. I thank God 

 that I have seen them, but I am quite unable to describe them. 



I observe that Mr. Maclaren is sceptical about these sounds 

 themselves being rock-basins — that is, having a rock-bound out- 

 let ; but I must say that I lean very much towards the theory 

 that they are rock-basins, and evidence against it can, it seems to 

 me, be only of a negative character. It is true that at the mouths 

 of these outlets there are found accumulations, which in all 

 probability are due to the heaping up of matter by the currents. 

 They were possibly moraine deposits in the first instance ; but 

 even if there were no moraine deposits there would be quite 

 enough material along the coast to form bars in such localities. 

 But, at the same time, the evidence that there is no barrier of 

 rock beneath those accumulations of drift is not clear. The fact 

 is that nothing but borings could actually prove whether or not 

 there is a rock barrier. I believe in all probability such 

 barriers do exist as are found at the months of the rock-basins at 

 the foot of the Alps. Mr. Maclaren justly pointed out that ice 

 accumulations Avould imply, as a general rule, sloping vallevs 



M 



