Page:Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute - Volume 1 (2nd ed.).djvu/485

Rh Mr. Mantell and Mr. R. 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 Rapa," by Captain Vine Hall. (Transactions, p. 75.)

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

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 contemplation, 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.

The average meridian of these places is 173° 14′ 12-5″.