GooDALL. — On an ancient Cut Stump of a Tree. 145 



East, the workmen came upon the tree stump, now •before you (see PL YI.), 

 lying in the centre of a narrow channel below the road level, this channel 

 having been cut for the purpose of laying sewer pipes. Through the 

 intelligence of Mr. James Williamson, the contractors overseer, who at once 

 recognised its value, it was saved. Shortly after I was on the spot, and my 

 attention was drawn to it. 



It being important that the discovery should be verified by undoubted 

 authority, I immediately went for, and returned accompanied by Theophilus 

 Heale, Esq., Inspector of Surveys, who satisfied himself as to the genuineness 

 of the discovery, and the undisturbed stratification of the volcanic debris of 

 about 25 feet lying above. The place where the stump was found is shown on 

 plan and section (PL VI.). In the section I have shown the stump as when 

 found resting on the clay. It was in its natural position, upright, with its 

 roots penetrating the clay, of which fact I satisfied myself by digging deeply 

 below to a depth of over two feet, and found the traces of roots going down. 

 The surface of the clay has loam in it. The top of the stump was embedded in 

 volcanic mud, and above it there were 25 feet of debris in perfect stratification, 

 as shown in section. These stratified beds of ooze and debris can be traced till 

 they reach the beds of cinders, and thence to the conglomerated mass of scoria 

 and basaltic lava, which occurs adjacent to the volcanic centre. The clay in 

 which the stump once grew occurs immediately above the tertiary rocks, and 

 and is from 10 to 15 feet thick. This stump is asserted by those who have a 

 knowledge of New Zealand woods to be of tea-tree (manuka) the wood that 

 has been chiefly used by Maoris for making paddles. It has an undoubted 

 appearance of having been cut by some tool, and being so must have been by 

 the hand of man. I leave it to any one to satisfy themselves by a personal 

 examination whether it be so or not. The cut seems to be too fresh to refer 

 back to so remote a period as the volcanic era, but with the evidence we have 

 of the finest markings of ferns, shells, &c., being preserved from ages vastly 

 more remote, surely we may expect it from this, which in comparison is but 

 recent. 



Undoubted as these facts may appear it may yet be well to consider by 

 what other means they may have been produced. The stump may have been 

 lodged where found by a landslip, it may have been burnt off", or it may have 

 belonged to a rotten tree and been broken down by the wind, or by the flow 

 of the volcanic ooze in which it is embedded. That the stump was not lodged 

 there by a landslip may be seen by the section which shows the overlying 

 strata perfectly undisturbed, and it is further evident that it must have grown 

 on the spot where found as its roots were penetrating the lower clay ; every 

 where above the clay abundant remains of trees occur and roots in the clay, 

 showing that the place was wooded at the time prior to its being covered by 



V 



