Wellington Philosophical Society. BBS 
Fourta Mrerine. 17th September, 1881. 
Dr. Hector, President, in the Chair. 
1. Discussion on Mr. Travers’s paper ‘On the Great Flood of February, 
1868,” read at the previous meeting. 
The President explained, for the information of those who had not been present when 
the paper was read, that the chief points brought forward by the author were, that the 
flood referred to was of such magnitude as had probably never occurred previously in the 
particular locality, and had been so destructive as to alter the surface features of the 
country, thereby leaving a permanent record of its severity. 
Mr. Chapman agreed that the flood in question was exceptional, but there was not 
sufficient evidence brought forward to prove that such had not previously occurred—in- 
deed, he believed there had been quite as severe floods in the south and west, but not doing 
such damage, probably because the rivers in those localities were better adapted to carry 
off such heavy rains. Such a flood as the author described would on the West Coast have 
been unimportant. 
Mr. Maxwell gave instances of exceptional floods, which had been due to the oceur- 
rence of great land-slips, and, from his knowledge of the locality and the enormous masses 
of driftwood reported, he thought that the extraordinary effects produced by this flood 
had been produced by heavy land-slips, blocking up the rivers temporarily, rather than 
the exceptional amount of rainfall. In the construction of public works, it would never 
do to provide against exceptional extremes, but only average extremes ; such a rainfall as 
13in. in twenty-four hours could only be local, and it would not pay to construct works to 
provide in all parts of the country against the effects of such rainfall. 
Mr. Marchant had surveyed that block of country, and believed that the destruction - 
of the timber had a baneful effect in increasing the rapidity with which the storm water 
ran off the mountatns. He instanced the case of the Rimutaka and Tararua ranges, and 
stated that if the clearing of the forests was continued, the result would be the scouring 
out of all the valuable lands in the Hutt and Wairarapa valleys. Bush reserves were now 
being made to avert this disastrous result. 
Mr. Cox took exception to the geologieal ing in the paper, and thought that the 
proofs of this flood being of an unexampled character were not sufficient. He argued 
that the formation of secondary cones in lateral streams, on which Mr. Travers chiefly 
relied for support of his argument, was in reality no proof, as it was only when these 
lateral streams had cut sufficiently deep through the main terrace to be dammed back by 
the floods in the main river, that they would have any tendency to cut fresh outlets for 
themselves, and thus form fresh cones. It thus came to bea question of years, and not. 
Le Been 
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