ANCIENT FORESTS OF THE NORTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 49, 28 February 1927, Page 6

ANCIENT FORESTS OF THE NORTH.

The few remaining kauri forests to be found in New Zealand to-day ar« certainly magnificent, but they sink into insignificance in comparison to the huge forests which, in years gone by. covered great tracts of the Far North. A visit to the guiulands would be an education to the uninitiated. Thousands of trees, once proud monarchs of the bush, now lie strewn about everywhere in confusion and chaos, resembling a battlefield after furious conflict. These huge corpses in the swamps lie piled one across the other, just as they fell, each intact as though its downfall were but yesterday. Indeed, in some places, even the foliage remains in a perfect state of preservation.

The cause of the annihilation of these forest monsters fs, as yet, a mystery unsolved, though several theories have been propounded. Perhaps the most feasible idea is that the northern part of the peninsula was subject periodically to great tidal waves which swept the breadth of the island from one coast to another, carrying all before them. The contour of the country certainly points to this conclusion, since the land runs ill ridges lying north and south, with wide swampy areas in between. Moreover, the beds of the swamps, as well as the ridges, consist almost wholly of beach sand containing shells and other fossilised marine animals. The trees, devastated by the attacks of these great waves, were partially buried by the accompanying sand and other debris, while the foliage and smaller branches fell and rotted, doing their share in entombing the giant trunks. Possibly these huge tidal waves were the outcome of some enormous volcanic disturbance, for the country, especially on the East Coast, shows evidence of such visitations, including the presence of charcoal beds at all depths—clearly tire played a considerable part in the work of destruction. But most of the trees were torn up by the roots, and may be found lying in that state throughout the North to-day. The number of trees in these ancient forests must have been enormous. It is well-nigh impossible to thrust a gum spear into the ground without encountering timber at some "depth. Seldom, indeed, is the .gumdigger lucky enough to sink a hole without having to chop his "way through one or perhaps several logs ere his quest ends. Some conception of the magnitude of these trees may be gained by studying the deposits of kauri gum found in the swamps. In the earlier days it was a common thing for men to remove tons of gum from a single hole. The quantity of pear, also is being in some place quite thirty feet deep, with an abundance of vegetable oil, requiring but the advent of an energetic and resourceful comparer to commence an industry of considerable commercial value.

To state, with, any degree ot certainty, just' how many separate forests have, from time to j time, graced this now dssolate area, would be I a task indeed, but at intervals there have been, many successive growths, each as mighty as its predecessors. A striking fact about the gum and timber is that they occur in layers. In some places they may be found at or near the surface while in others at a depth of twenty feet. Recently, in the course of putting down" an artesian bore, a huge kauri log was encountered a: a depth of seventy feet. vv hat a monster must this have been, whose heart, the sap-wood having decayed, measured eleven feet in diameter! Is would appear that, at various times tietween the growth of the various forests, this cart of the island was the scene erf great volcanic activity, for separating the different layers of logs and .gum, are alternate layers of sandstone, containing iron and manganese, the products of great heat. The iron found in some places is almost pure metal, Unquestionably also, the land waa at some time submerged, as in manv of the swamps is to be found at considerable depth, bluish beach mud, containing shells and pieces of seaweed quite well preserved. From the distance between the various lavers of timber one would surmise that each forest succeeded the other at fairly long intervals. It is not unlikely that the giant kauri held swav over the Northland quite half a million -ears ago. , _/ W.G.L.