SIR RODERICK MURCHISON ON NEW ZEALAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3313, 28 August 1871, Page 2

SIR RODERICK MURCHISON ON NEW ZEALAND.

We extract from the anniversary address of the late illustrious President of the Koyal Geographical Society, the following portion having reference to New Zealand Dr, Haart, the very able geological surveyor of Canterbury Province, Now Zealand, has sent us a valuable contribution on the physical geography and topography of the New Zealand Alps, in continuation of his Important memoirs published in volumes xxxiv and xxxvii. of our ‘Journal.’ The recent paper, which he modestly puts forth as notas to accompany bis Topographical Map, which itself is a magnificent addition to New Zealand geography, contains some observations of striking interest on the changes which have preceded the present physical condition of the central part of the Southern Island, It Is by such observations that the science of geology is brought into close connection with that of geography, and the conclusions are of equal interest to the students of both these great branches of human knowledge. m;, “ Dr. Elaast compares the snow-clad mountains of the Canterbury province, which, as you are aware, lie parallel and near to the western coast of the island, to the Alps of Europe; and shows the similarity between the two in their glaciers, and especially in the action of the warm winds, which, blowing from hotter regions, cause a rapid melting of the snow on the side of the mountains facing the direction of the wind. In fact,

all the principal meteorological phenomena encountered In the European Alp« occur alto in New Zealand, the '• nor-weater ” of the letter counter being the representative of the 1 fohn or Bwitzcrlsnd, The nor-wester having blown onr a wide extent of ocean, Md become charged with moisture, is the Chief coerce of the copious precipitation which, in the form of enow, caps the New Zealand peaks. and form* those large fields of n6ri whlchsuppiy the great glaciers of the country. The glaciers and snow-fields are stated by Dr. Haast to exceed in dimension those of Switzerland; and be adduces further proof of the curious fact, which had already excited much interest among physical geographers, that glaciers descend mnch lower on the western than on the eastern slopes of the mountains, and on the West Coast are in close contiguity to a luxuriant forestvegetation, consisting of pines, arborescent ferns, and flowering shrubs; such, for example, are the Francis Joseph and Prince Alfred glaciers. 'On the eastern side, although of larger dimensions, they descend in the Canterbury province no lower than 2SOO feet above the sea level. The cause of the difference is owing partly to the smaller amount of moisture on the eastern, or leeward side, and partly to the less abrupt slope. Large as the New Zealand glaciers and anow-flelds are at present, they were formerly, in post-pliocene times, much more extensive; proofs of this are seen in all directions, in vast moraines heaped around the lakes lying at the foot of the mountains, and in marks of glacier action at levels far below their present limit. Dr Haast believes that the elevated plateau districts, which support the nfev£ fields, were at that time much more extensive, and that ghuders,* reaching the sea, gave off from their extremities detached portions, which floated away to the north as icebergs, as they dp in Greenland at the present day. “ With regard to other parts of these im- < portant islands, I may mention that a lively picture of the volcanic districts of the Northern Island of New Zealand was given in Lieut, Meade’s journals, published last year; and that a valuable paper on the Province of Southland, by Mr Marten, has recently appeared in Mr S. W. Silver’s ‘ Circular and Colonial News.’ This paper is one of the results of a printed aeries of suggestions and queries regarding physical geography and statistics which Mr Silver issues to hia numerous correspondents in all parts of the world where commercial relations have been established.”