Wellington FhilosopJiical Society. 



451 



Mr. Mantell and Mr. E. Pliarazyn both remembered the occurrence, and 

 spoke of the wave being about the height represented, and as having done 

 much injury along the east coast. 



2. " On the Island of Eapa," by Captain Yine Hall. (Transactions, 

 p. 75.) 



3. " On New Zealand Mean Time," by James Hector, M.D., F.E.S. 

 The author explained that it had been decided by the Legislature to 



establish by statute a mean time for the whole colony. This resolution had 

 so many advantages that it was needless to discuss them ; the only question 

 to be decided was, what time should be used. The time for the colony at 

 large may be calculated from any of the following meridians : — 



Firstly, New Zealand, including the small islands which form its 

 dependencies, lies between the meridians 



178° 36' 5" east of Greenwich, 

 166° 26' 30" 

 The average meridian is therefore 



172° 31' 17-5" east. 

 Secondly, the meridian which has an equal area of land lying to the 

 east and west of it, within New Zealand, is 



172° 48' 57" east. 

 Thirdly, the following is the approximate longitude of the various ports 

 in the colony to which telegraphic communication exists or is in contempla- 

 tion, and which at the same time form centres of districts, throughout 

 which uniform time might be enforced without practical inconvenience. 



It is preferable that the ports should be taken instead of the inland 

 towns, when they do not happen to be in the same longitude, as in the case 

 of Lyttelton and Christchurch, as minute accuracy of time is only of 

 practical importance to mariners ; and as, moreover, we have in New Zealand 

 only chronometric differences of longitude as yet determined, and these only 

 for the seaports. 



Auckland ... 

 Napier 



New Plymouth 

 "Wellington 

 Nelson 

 Picton 

 "Westport ... 

 Lyttelton ... 

 Port Chalmers 

 Bluff 

 The average meridian of these places is 



173° 14' 12-5". 



174° 49' 10" 

 176° 55' 10" 



174° 4' 58" 

 174° 47' 53" 

 173° 16' 58" 

 174° 17' 30" 

 171° 45' 00" 

 172° 44' 17" 

 170° 39' 10" 

 168° 21' 55" 



