﻿616 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Geology. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  low 
  sandy 
  country 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  full 
  force 
  of 
  the 
  westerly 
  winds, 
  

   the 
  light 
  materials 
  would 
  continually 
  be 
  driven 
  easterly 
  until 
  brought 
  up 
  

   by 
  the 
  cliffs, 
  against 
  which 
  they 
  would 
  be 
  piled 
  until 
  a 
  sufficient 
  slope 
  was 
  

   formed 
  to 
  allow 
  of 
  their 
  finally 
  mounting 
  the 
  top, 
  and 
  then 
  forming 
  the 
  

   sand-dunes 
  we 
  now 
  see. 
  Those 
  who 
  are 
  acquainted 
  with 
  the 
  strip 
  of 
  

   country 
  lying 
  on 
  the 
  South 
  Kaipara 
  head, 
  and 
  extending 
  thence 
  to 
  Muriwai, 
  

   will 
  at 
  once 
  recognize 
  that 
  the 
  above 
  supposition 
  is 
  applicable 
  as 
  a 
  descrip- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  Here 
  the 
  cliffs 
  are 
  present 
  at 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  

   three 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  beach, 
  but 
  generally 
  hidden 
  by 
  a 
  sloping 
  bank 
  of 
  sand, 
  

   partially 
  covered 
  with 
  vegetation, 
  with 
  a 
  line 
  of 
  sand-dunes 
  forming 
  the 
  

   highest 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  range. 
  Even 
  the 
  traditional 
  lagoons, 
  forming 
  a 
  long 
  

   interrupted 
  line 
  of 
  fresh 
  water, 
  and 
  celebrated 
  for 
  their 
  eels, 
  are 
  also 
  there, 
  

   completing 
  the 
  similarity 
  between 
  this 
  country 
  and 
  that 
  described 
  by 
  

   Aihepene. 
  The 
  north 
  head 
  of 
  Kaipara 
  furnishes 
  perhaps 
  a 
  better 
  illustra- 
  

   tion 
  than 
  even 
  the 
  south 
  head, 
  for 
  here 
  we 
  have 
  in 
  close 
  conjunction 
  the 
  low 
  

   sandy 
  tract 
  with 
  its 
  moving 
  sand-dunes, 
  lagoons, 
  and 
  scattered 
  thickets 
  of 
  

   manuka, 
  with 
  the 
  inland 
  hue 
  of 
  hills, 
  covered 
  by 
  sand 
  ; 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  north, 
  a 
  

   few 
  miles, 
  the 
  same 
  line 
  of 
  hills 
  rising 
  perpendicularly 
  from 
  the 
  beach 
  with 
  

   the 
  long 
  and 
  broken 
  range 
  of 
  sand-hills 
  capping 
  the 
  cliffs. 
  

  

  The 
  natives 
  of 
  Kaipara 
  have 
  a 
  tradition 
  that 
  the 
  banks 
  at 
  the 
  bar 
  of 
  

   that 
  harbour 
  were 
  once 
  dry 
  land 
  upon 
  which 
  their 
  forefathers 
  lived 
  and 
  

   cultivated 
  ; 
  but 
  this 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  at 
  a 
  much 
  earlier 
  age 
  than 
  that 
  in 
  

   which 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Manukau 
  Bar 
  was 
  dry, 
  for 
  here 
  we 
  find 
  that 
  this 
  tradition 
  

   is 
  mixed 
  up 
  with 
  one 
  of 
  their 
  old 
  myths, 
  inasmuch 
  as 
  this 
  is 
  given 
  as 
  the 
  

   locality 
  in 
  which 
  Tinirau's 
  pet 
  whale, 
  Tutunui, 
  was 
  killed 
  by 
  Kae 
  as 
  related 
  

   in 
  Sh^ 
  George 
  Grey's 
  " 
  Mythology 
  and 
  Traditions 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  Zealanders." 
  

  

  We 
  need 
  not 
  seek 
  far 
  for 
  sufficient 
  causes 
  for 
  these 
  alterations 
  in 
  the 
  

   coast-line. 
  The 
  known 
  alternations 
  in 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  sea-line, 
  caused 
  by 
  

   elevation 
  or 
  depression 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  giving 
  rise 
  to 
  and 
  altering 
  the 
  

   directions 
  of 
  currents, 
  is 
  ample 
  to 
  account 
  for 
  the 
  disappearance 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  

   strip 
  of 
  land 
  as 
  is 
  described 
  in 
  Aihepene 
  Eaihau's 
  tradition 
  as 
  above. 
  

  

  