Cbawford. — Geology of tlie N'orth Island of New Zealand. 319 



Cevtaiuly the apjDroaeli to the Waitemata Harbour is very beautiful. 

 The Hauraki Gulf is dotted over with islands of all sizes ; and being of 

 various geological formations, they are, in consequence, of varied and 

 picturesque outline. Those of tertiary formation, or of older rocks capped 

 by tertiaries, are of a low, horizontal character. Those composed of 

 palaeozoic rocks are bold and angular in outline, while the regular cone of 

 Eangitoto guards with its hard volcanic rocks the entrance to the Auckland 

 port. 



There we find a great extent of the later tertiaries forming low cliffs 

 along the coast, while the Isthmus of Auckland is found to be a crowded 

 group of small volcanic cones. The decomposing rocks of this volcanic 

 series form the richest soils of the north, and the slopes of these volcanoes 

 are covered by fertile fields. 



Passing round the Erith of the Thames we find palseozoic rocks on both 

 sides, with low lands of alluvium and swamp in the interval. Thence 

 passing between the mountainous country at Cape Colville and the G-reat 

 Barrier Island, is found a tract of country of palaeozoic, flanked by basaltic 

 rocks ; and turning to the southward we pass along by the high Coromandel 

 ranges, which attain a niaximum elevation of 2,700 feet, until we find our- 

 selves trending to the eastward along the low shores of the Bay of Plenty, a 

 large part of which presents to the sea a low swampy shore,* with basaltic 

 or trachytic rocks at various points, as at Okura and Matata. Approaching 

 "Whakatane, the long and lofty ridges of the palseozoic rocks of the main 

 ranges may be perceived coming up from the S.S.W., possibly invaded by 

 some eruptive rocks, and amongst them, as Hicks Bay is approached, the 

 high peaks of Mount Hikurangi, 5,533 feet above the sea, show well out in 

 the interior, and indicate an apparent volcanic or, to say the least, a trappean 

 appearance for -that mountain. About eight miles from the East Cape, at a 

 place called Kawakawa, rocks, evidently of tertiary age and with cliffs much 

 resembling those of the Whanganui Hiver, appear abutting on the palaeozoic 

 rocks. Their highest elevation is about 400 feet. Passing the East Cape, 

 we find apparently the same tertiaries, with possible secondaries, all the way 

 to Table Cape and Portland Island ; but -this country has never been 

 geologically examined. The interior, as seen from the sea, is much broken, 

 and the long ridges of the palaeozoic ranges may generally be seen some 

 tAventy or thirty miles inland. Between the Terakaka Peninsula and 

 IN'apier, besides the marine tertiaries, there is also said to be a good deal of 

 drift pumice in places. Arriving at Napier, we find a peninsula of new 

 tertiary limestone rising to a height of several hundred feet, and forming a 



* Hoclistetter's Map. 



