536 Proceedings. 
Mr. McKay pointed out that the evidence derived from the thickness of the silt 
deposit at the mouth of the Pahau River, instanced by the author, was only proof of the 
extent to which it had been dammed back by the flood in the Hurunui, and that the flood 
was not due to landslips amongst the mountains in which the larger rivers take their rise, 
- as streams such as the Pahau, which rise much nearer to the east coast, were relatively as 
much flooded as the Hurunui and the Waiau-ua. He was of the opinion that the new 
’ shingle -fans formed by some of the creeks in the Waiau-ua Gorge were not necessarily 
evidence that the flood was of a wholly unprecedented character, and endeavoured to show 
_how cireumstances irrespective of the mere amount of rainfall might have brought about 
the results mentioned by Mr. Travers. Viewed as a geological fact, he thought it likely 
that greater floods had occurred within the recent period, or since the gravel terraces were 
formed within the Waiau-ua Gorge. 
The President, before calling on Mr. Travers to reply, remarked that he thought the 
paper was one of great importance to those in charge of public works that were proposed, 
especially in this particular district. He had since last meeting looked up the meteoro- 
logical records for the period when this flood took place. These early records were not so 
_ eomplete as those now made, but he had obtained sufficient proof of the passage over the 
middle part of New Zealand of a great atmospheric depression, from the 2nd to 4th Feb- 
ruary, 1868, and that the centre passed N.E. of that part of the islands which suffered 
most, which fully accounted for the unusual direction of the wet wind, which on this oc- 
casion came from the eentwant. Bao a esgee yoverra sean a low f cece of = 6, and 
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