410 Transactions. — Geology. 



at the rate of only 4 feet in the century. To show, however, that the 

 question has engaged the attention of the colonists before, I will quote 

 from a paper read before this Institute by our worthy President in 1868, 

 entitled " Is the Land about Auckland Eising."* Dr. Purchas said : — " He 

 might mention a very curious circumstance in reference to the rise that 

 occurred in the land about Auckland. He thought it afforded positive proof 

 that the land about Auckland was rising sufficiently to be quite measureable. 

 Messrs. Thornton and Co. got a supply of water from the harbour. They 

 had a pipe fixed at some distance down the wharf with a rose at the bottom. 

 They have had to alter that rose three times at intervals of three years. 

 Mr. Firth had told him of the circumstance, and he believed that special 

 pains had been taken with the fixing of the pipe the last time, in order that 

 the matter might be settled. He had been assured by a settler that the 

 harbour of Mahurangi was 2^ feet less in depth than it was two years ago. 

 If the bottom of the harbour was rising, it was a matter of vital importance 

 to the people in the neighbourhood of the city. He had no doubt about the 

 accuracy of the information, as was shown by the fact that the rose had to 

 be altered three times in order to get a supply at low-water. A discussion 

 ensued, in which Mr. Weymouth, Captain Hutton, Mr. "Wark, Mr. Buckland, 

 and Mr. Stewart, took part. Most of the speakers seemed to be of the 

 opinion that there was not sufficient evidence to show that the land was 

 absolutely rising." 



I also quote fi'om the "New Zealand Herald" part of a report by 

 Captain Burgess, dated 3rd January, 1878. After referring to the changes 

 in the character of the weather and the alterations in the harbour due to 

 the siiting-up for the last thirty years, he says, — " With reference to the 

 above remarks, I may mention that there is but 3 feet of water at the end 

 of the Breakwater instead of 7 feet, as reported in 1868 ; also, that the rocks 

 off St. George's Bay are evidently rising." I think we may infer from the 

 last remark, that Captain Burgess believes that the laud is rising in addi- 

 tion to the harbour silting-up. If it is so, and that at anything like the 

 rate that Norway is rising, the day is not so far distant when the com- 

 mercial part of the city of Auckland will have to shift its quarters consider- 

 ably to find depth of water for its shipping. 



Art. LIX. — Description of an Artesian Well sunk at Avonside. 



By T. A. MoLLET. 

 [Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, BOth December, 1880.] 

 The information contained in this short paper, though of little or no impor- 

 tance to the ordinary observer, is of interest to the geologist, as helping 



* " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," Vol. L, p. 38. 



