Haast. — Hecenf ^Eartltqualces on Land and Sea. 153 



the mean between a qnartei' and lialf a minute, and add tlie eight seconds, 

 we shall obtain as nearly as possible the results of the clocks, namely, half a 

 minute. Dr. Hector, in his lecture upon the same subject, gives the exact time 

 when the earthquake vibrations were experienced at all the different stations, 

 and also the distance of some of them from each other. (See p. 40). To the 

 latter I have added a few more, in order to obtain more data for calculation. 



Prom the results obtained by other observers as to the velocity of the 

 usual earthquake vibrations, which in the mean may be stated to be about 

 1,800 feet per second, it will become evident, from my own calculations 

 which I am going to give, that the New Zealand earthquake has had some 

 unusual features. It will be seen that it moved, on the average, about five 

 times as quick, and therefore we can neither call it a central nor a linear 

 shock, the velocities of which we know with a moderate degree of certainty. 



It thus appears that the points most distant from each other at which 

 the earthquake was felt were, Napier (9.55 a.m.) in the jSTorthern, and 

 Hokitika (9.58 a.m.) in the Southern Island, the distance being 402 miles, 

 the difference of time three minutes, or, per second, 11,791 feet. 

 Napier to Christchurch, 1-^ minute. 



9.55 9.56i 



Distance, 367 miles, or 21,530 feet per second. 

 "Wellington to Christchurch, 30 seconds. 



9.56 9.56i 



Distance, 172 miles, or 33,455 feet per second. 

 Christchurch to Hokitika, 1| minute. 

 9,5Qi 9.58 



Distance, 102 miles, or 5,984 feet per second. 

 Wellington to Nelson, 1 minute. 

 9.56 9.57 



Distance, 76 miles, or 6,688 feet per second. 

 I think these results are sufficiently clear to show, in the first instance, 

 that these vibrations Avere not the result of a volcanic earthquake, either 

 central or linear, because, irrespective of the question of direction, they 

 travelled much quicker than the vibrations of those forms of earthquakes are 

 usually propagated. 



It will be seen that the N.E. to S.W. direction is that in which the 

 shocks were felt almost simultaneously along the whole line. Should we 

 even adopt the east and west direction as more correct, the fact will appear 

 at a glance that although more time elapsed between the shocks, also in 

 that case the velocity of the shocks was far too high for such origin. 



Another point of importance not to be lost sight of is the absence of 

 similar news from Auckland, and from Dunedin and the Bluff, so that we 

 may fairly conclude that no shocks were experienced in the northern portion 

 20 



