44 Transactions. 



In the above estimate of the depth of the South Pacific, as deduced from 

 the breadth and velocity of the earthquake waves of 15th August, it M^ill be 

 observed that while the velocity is the same as that of Bache's wave of 

 December, 1854, or six miles per hour. Captain Hutton assumes that the 

 wave had a width of 1,000 miles on the ground that they occurred at three 

 hours' interval. This is, however, hardly correct, as at the Chatham Islands 

 the great waves followed at intervals of half an hour, and at different parts 

 of the New Zealand coast at very unequal intervals, amounting generally to 

 four hours. Fi'om this I infer that we have not the data for ascertaining 

 the width of the wave in crossing the Pacific, as it appears to be modified 

 to a great extent as it approached the New Zealand and Australian coasts. 

 The deduction respecting the depth of the ocean must therefore, in this 

 case, be accepted with great caution. 



James Hectoe. 



Tidal Disturlances in Neio Zealand, \^tli August, 1868. 

 {_Ahstraets from local Neiospapers, Letters, cj'c] 



Bluff. — Tide rose higher last night (14th) than ever known before. 

 Between 8 and 9 this morning terrific rush of water, rose very high, although 

 the time of high water was not till 10.27. At 11 a.m. the tide fell nineteen 

 inches in tAventy minutes, and rose again a short time after. 



Port Chahners. — At 10 a.m. water rose one foot, and fell again in a few 

 minutes. Large ships in the harbour swung round their anchors three times 

 in one tide. Ordinary high tide at 1.40 p.m., water then rising and falling 

 continually, at the rate of two inches per minute. 



Oamarn..— At 11.50 a.m. extraordinary change in the sea level, the tide 

 rising and falling fifteen feet perpendicularly at intervals of fifteen minutes, 

 and receding eight or nine feet perpendicularly beloAV low watermark. 

 Agitation continued all day. 



TimariC: — At about 5 a.m. sudden rise of the sea of about six feet, which 

 in the course of five minutes fell to a lower level than has been ever witnessed 

 in Timaru. Sea rose and fell on the beach rapidly for the space of four- 

 hours, with a strong current, changing with the rise and fall of the tide. 

 Succession of whirlpools in the offing, very distressing to ships. 



Pigeon Say (Banks Peninsula). — At about 4 a.m. loud rumbhng noise 

 from the sea — first Avaves Avere not witnessed otherwise. At 7 a.m. Avater 

 considerably lower than ordinary Ioav Avatermark ; great rush of Avater — in 

 ten minutes it Avas a foot higher than ordinary high watermark. Pish of 

 all descriptions Avere throAvn up by the Avater. "Water kept rising and falling 

 about five feet every half hour, until ten minutes to 10 a.m., Avhen it rushed 

 in very quickly and rose four feet above highest high watermark. At 10.20 



