54 Shingle on the East Coasts of New Zealand. 



existing at this point, and for the cliff, which is composed 

 simply of earth, not being cut away ; but there is a sunken 

 reef running some distance out to sea in front, which 

 evidently protects the cliff in bad weather. The beach can 

 take care of itself, and can also protect the cliff at ordinary 

 times. North of this is another reef, but of less extent ; it 

 shelters the harbour somewhat from heavy south-east seas. 



7. At Timaru a breakwater is being constructed with a 

 view of making the harbour more safe than hitherto. This 

 work has given rise to much controversy from the fact of its 

 being in the middle of a beach of travelling shingle. Sir J. 

 Coode gave a design for a breakwater and harbour detached 

 from the shore to allow of the shingle travel going on unin- 

 terruptedly. The plan was not locally considered satisfac- 

 tory, and a solid breakwater running out from the shore was 

 resolved upon instead. This work is now going on. At 

 first it was proposed to construct a length of some 400 or 

 500 feet only ; but it being found that the shingle was likely 

 to get round the end of the work, its length was increased, 

 first to something less than 1000 feet, the author believes, 

 and then to 1400 feet. The latter length has now been 

 constructed, and the result is, in Timaru itself, generally 

 considered very satisfactory, the shingle having been driven 

 back by the waves reflected from the breakwater.. After the 

 work had been carried out to a length of something over 

 700 feet, the shore line at high-water level began to recede, 

 and continued to do so for a year or more. It has since 

 advanced a little, but this is probably of no great importance, 

 as changes must be expected, according to the weather. 

 Occasionally, during a gale, the shingle is thrown up on to 

 the top of the breakwater, which is 6 feet above high- water 

 level. The shingle would be carried over the work were it not 

 cleared away by manual labour. 



8. A far more serious point is that an accumulation is 

 taking place a few hundred yards away from the breakwater, 

 where the reflected waves cease to have any effect. The 

 Government engineers and others who were opposed to the 

 work from the first, expressed the opinion that in time shingle 

 would swamp the work, and render the harbour useless. 

 Various periods of time, some extending as far ahead as 

 twenty years, were allowed before this should take place. 

 The people of Timaru, however, laugh at these opinions, and 

 consider the work will be a success. It is not denied that 

 shingle continues to come up the coast, but the breakwater 



