Srewart.— Water Supply for Auckland. 41 
water from the presumed basin, and, secondly, the source from whence it is 
drawn. In ordinary gathering grounds, the first of these only would be pretty 
conclusive, although the second would always be required and given as corro- 
borative evidence. There being no visible overflow which would be anything 
like an adequate supply within more than two miles, or nearer than the 
Western Springs, we must look to the source of supply, and compare it with 
that discharge. 
The Mount Eden cone has been thrown up nearly in the centre of a 
tufaceous basin, which is now incomplete, although distinctly traceable on 
several parts of its circumference. Towards the east the tuff crater has been 
washed away, or broken through by the solid lava streams on which New- 
market stands ; the clay is 12 ft. to 18 ft. below the level of that place, and it 
is important to note that it is at very nearly the level of that clay at which 
water is found in the wells at Messrs. Seccombes’ brewery and at the gaol. 
We have no means of knowing the exact area of the annular space between 
the lip of the tuff crater and the central aperture from which the lava was, 
subsequently to the elevation of the tuff basin, discharged. But from the 
enormous masses of lava ejected in many successive eruptions, and in nearly 
all directions, the annular water-holding area must be very small, and cannot 
be looked on as being more than half a square mile. It is needless to remark 
that such an area, or double that area even, is wholly inadequate to serve as a 
gathering ground. 
Thus far have we considered the supply from rainfall. It is true that, in 
dealing with these lava cones and their so-called mysterious springs, many do 
not look to local rainfall as the source, but boldly scan some distant lake, and, 
totally ignoring the laws of gravitation and those regulating the flow of water, 
as well as the seemingly insuperable difficulty of intervening seas, point to a 
probable subterranean connection and source of supply. Such a connection 
between Mount Eden and Takapuna Lake is hinted at in the paper calling 
forth these remarks, and not a few have expressed belief that the rainfall of 
Rangitoto is the source of the waterflow from that same lake. Now, it seems 
the result of an exceedingly strong imagination to conceive that water falling 
on a mountain like Rangitoto, composed of scoria extending into and below 
the level of low water, should find its way to any place but the sea; or 
why should the very limited overflow from the lake suggest any other source 
than the area of its surrounding basin ? 
But to return to the subject of enquiry, the outflow at the Western Springs 
represents with certainty that of several thousand acres, as at that locality 
only has the tertiary formation permitted the lava to reach the sea, which was 
ejected from Mounts Eden and Albert to the northward. The rainfall on 
that area, not evaporated or retained by soil and vegetation, must be that 
F 
