George Leslie Adkin diary entry Thursday 6 February 1919

Thurs. Feb. 6

Attended meeting of the geol.[ogy] sect.[ion] at 9am, Mr[Mister] P.G. Morgan presiding. Interesting paper by Prof.[essor] W.N. Benson of Otago Univ.[ersity] Dunedin, on "The Significant Features of Reef-bordered Coasts as reviewed by Prof W.M. Davis." This was illustrated by slides showing coral reef + block diagrams + also by models. Dr.[Doctor] Cotton then read a paper on "Rugged Ridge, Otago, + it's Splintered Fault-scarp." Then followed an inspiring + idea-provoking paper by Mr. E.K. Lomas on "Some ^'Educational' Aspects of Geography." Then Dr. Helgendorff read a report on scientific observations in the Otira Tunnel - he mentioned that the streams of water that poured in to the

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tunnel as it was bored had no connection with the streams that flow upon the mountain slopes above. Dr. Thomson read two papers the first entitled "The Range of Tertiary Mollusca in the Oamaruian"[sic?] + the other the "Geology of the Middle Clarence Valley". The latter very interesting indeed, some facts connected with the trapping of the younger rocks in the Kaikoura overthrust being very remarkable. The meeting adjourned at 1pm. Instead of going to the garden party at "Ilam", I trammed to Lyttelton by the 2.45pm to take some photos. Walked along the wharves, taking photo (22) 1/2pl.[ate] Basalts of Mt Herbert series from Lyttelton wharves showing west breakwater, Quail Is[land] on the right flat-topped spur + rock-bench in valley of Charteris Bay, + on right the long even slopes down to Diamond Harbour; thence past the dry dock, on to the west breakwater. Photo (23) 1/2pl Lyttelton Port + Mt. Pleasant showing edges of the lava-flows forming the caldera wall. On the south side of this breakwater a considerable area is in the process of reclamation - the sea had been shut out by a long retaining wall of rock

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+ rubble, + the enclosed area is being raised + converted into dry land by the deposition of harbour mud being dredged from the floor of the harbour. The drying surface of this area of mud exhibits a remarkable series of mud-cracks as shown in photo (24) 1/4pl. in which the pattern is very large, the width of the cracks themselves being 3" + 4" + about one foot in depth. Proceeded along the breakwater + then along the retaining wall which forms the seaward side of the reclaimed ground. In some places the sun-crack pattern is on a smaller scale + the cracks vary in these places from very narrow to fairly wide - no cause of this variation was apparent. Where ^'quite' dry the silt or mud is found to be beautifully laminated - the thin layers being easily lifted disclosing the 'fossil' foot prints of sea-birds. The upper surface of the mud also showed the impressions of rain-drops. Collected one interesting specimen of a volcanic breccia from a block in the retaining wall, also some specimens of Chyton [chiton?] for Miss Mestayer At Baker's Point at the extreme western end of the area being reclaimed there is in the cliffs

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there is what appears to be a huge dyke seemingly a full two chains in width. Walked back under the cliffs which are being quarried to supply material for the building up of the retaining wall - noted 3 other dykes in these cliffs with widths of from 4ft[foot] to 6ft. - two are nearly vertical, + the other is rather inclined dipping east. Returned to Ch.ch.[Christchurch] by the 5.10 train. In evening met Wright in Square + after a stroll round to watch crowds, walked to Canterbury College. Lectures (1) By Dr. W.N. Benson on "Mountain Structure" + (2) by Dr. C.A. Cotton on "Mountain Sculpture." Both were illustrated by lantern slides of photos, sections + block diagrams. Supper at the "Rendezvous."