187

C—l

Record of Milne Seismograph No. 16, at Christchurch— continued.

APPENDIX VIII.

MAORI CANALS IN MARLBOROUGH. By C. W. Adams, Chief Surveyor. These canals or channels are a unique feature in the topography of the " Mud Flats " near the mouth of the Wairau River, and are about six miles from Blenheim, and average about two miles from the sea-shore. The canals are evidently the work of numerous bands of Maoris, who must have toiled for years in the excavation of the various waterways, as they are of an aggregate length exceeding twelve miles. From inquiries I have made among the older Maoris at the Wairau Pa I learn that these channels were made with a double object—namely, to facilitate the catching of birds and also of fish. Of the former, ducks formed the chief part, and I believe that eels formed the bulk of the fish caught. Great " drives " were made of ducks and other birds about March in every year, which is the moulting-season, when they are unable to fly. The Maoris informed me that they used to catch immense quantities of birds in this way, as the birds of all kinds were not nearly so shy in the old times as they have become since the introduction of firearms. The chief water-areas (as may be seen by inspection of the accompanying map of the Clifford Bay Survey District) consist of the " Big Lagoon," of about 2,000 acres ; the Upper and Chandler's Lagoons, about 700 acres; and the Main Channel leading from the "Big Lagoon "to the mouth of 21—C. 1 App.

XV P.T. from Ma From Maxima. axim la. To _ I Amp. E. A.T. till B.P. Kemarks. September, 1902. 0 .1 !2 13 14 14 !4 LO 12 07-9 .. .. .. .. ; .. i 12 12-0 .. I Origin Cheviot. LI 03 00-6 .. .. .. .. .. I 3 20-4 j .. ; Elongated swelling. !2 01 57-3 02 02-0 02 0G-4 02 33-7 . 14 3 j 02 52-3 j 06 00-3 !3 Indefinite 20 44-7 21 07-6 21 28-3 18-0 | 21 51-6 I 25 03-4 !4 05 31-5 ! .. .. .. 0-5 .. 05 57-0 .' .. \ T .... „.. „. . !4 08 25-2 .. .. .. 0-8 .. 08 50-7 .. Look like repetitions S.mr !4 10 50-7 .. .. .. 0-2 .. ; 11 02-7 j lar elon g ated swellings. October, 1902. .2 08 33-9 l .. | 0-4 .. 08 53-0 I .. I Elongated swelling. 18 09 54-2 ! .. ; 10 16-0 i .. Ml .. Indefinitel November, 1902. .3 ! 10 31-6 .. (10 32-5 | 0-2 .. Indefinite !0 20 31-8 20 35-4 20 42-0 .. 6-5 20 49-3 22 33'7 II l 07 23-6 .. .. .. .. .. 08 49-3 .. ' Prolonged but slight. December, 1902. Not in operation from 1st December to 25th December. 15 | 05 32-7 | 05 36-8 | 05 39-3 | .. | 1-7 | 5 41-9 | 6 33-0 | | January, 1903. 4 5 12-1 [5 15-2 i 5 18-8 .. j 1-8 5 22-8 .. 3-3 5 23-7 .. 3-2 5 31*2 2-6 5 35-6 !. 2-5 5 36-7 7 20-6 9 1 46-9 2 01-9 I 2 02-9 .. 1-5 2 04-9 : 2 28-3 L4 2 06-4 2 36-4 ! 2 44-8 .. 9-5 3 12-5 ! 5 17-3 .. Origin probably north-east .7 12 53-0 16 58-1 i 17 02-1 .. 5-0 17 07-7 19 430 of Marquesas Islands. !6 2 20-8 .. 2 21-0 .. 0-6 .. 2 28-0 February, 1903. 0 !1 L0 3 11-4 3 24-6 3 26-5 .. 1-5 3 28-5 j !1 .. .. 8 09-3 .. 0-1 .. .. ... Tremors lasting two to three 8 10-7 .. 0-1 minutes each. 8 18-1 .. 0-1 8 26-0 .. 0-1 8 29-3 .. 0-2 . 8 33-4 .. 0-1 8 36-3 .. 0-1 !6 5 57-9 .. 6 04-0 i .. 0-3 .. 6 24-2 !7 0 54-6 Indefinite 1 26-7 .. 4-8 1 31-4 j .. 7-5 I 1 37-4 6-0 2 10-9 | 5 05-0 16 17 10 March, 1903. 16 I 8 54-7 .. 19 06-2 .. 2-0 I .. 9 37-0 10 3 38-6 3 53-8 | 4 01-1 .. 1-5 4 10-0 5 43-6