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Volume 10, 1877
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Hawke Bay Philosophical Institute.

First Annual General Meeting. 4th June, 1877.
Robert Stuart in the chair.

Abstract of Annual Report.

This Society was founded in September, 1874, and within a few weeks sixty members were enrolled. Of these, one—Mr. Catchpool—had died, and three had resigned, and there were thirteen new applicants for membership.

Owing to adverse circumstances no annual general meeting could be held before this, but the Council had met frequently, and ordered some of the best modern works on various branches of science, which were expected soon to arrive.

Several members had collected specimens of various kinds which they purposed presenting to the Institute, whenever a proper place was prepared in which to deposit them.

Regret was expressed at the inability of the Right Rev. Dr. Williams, Vice-president, to attend, through infirmity.

The Secretary had several papers in preparation to read to the Society, and his report concluded by pointing out the many advantages of belonging to such an Institution.

The total receipts since the foundation of the Society were £265 2s. Od., including a grant of £100 from the late Provincial Council. The expenditure was £53 19s. 2d., leaving a balance to credit of £211 2s. 10d.

The thanks of the Society were directed to be recorded to the Honorary Secretary for his report.

A letter was read from the Rev. Dr. Williams, late Bishop of Waiapu, resigning his office of Vice-president, owing to infirmities.

Election of Officers for 1877—78:—President—The Hon. J. D. Ormond, M.H.R.; Vice-president—Robert Stuart; Council—Messrs Holder, Kinross, Miller, Newton, Smith, Spencer, Colenso; Hon. Secretary and Treasurer—W. Colenso; Auditor—T. K. Newton.

New Members.—W. J. Birch, R. L. Colenso, P. Dolbel, A. Kennedy, A. Lascelles, R. D. Douglas McLean, A. McLeod, H. Nairn, J. Nairn, G. A. Oliver, J. Rochfort, F. Sutton, and G. Willis.

First Meeting. 13th August, 1878.
W. I. Spencer, M.R.C.S., in the chair.

1. “On the Day in which Capt. Cook took formal Possession of New Zealand,” by W. Colenso, F.L.S. (Transactions, p. 99.)

2. “Notes on the Metamorphosis and Development of one of our large Butterflies (Danais berenice), or a closely-allied Species,” by W. Colenso, F.L.S. (Transactions, p. 276.)

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A short discussion took place in which Dr. W. L. Buller took part.

3. “Manibus Parkinsonibus Sacrum—A brief Memoir of the First Artist who visited New Zealand; together with several little-known Items of Interest extracted from his Journal,” by W. Colenso, F.L.S. (Transactions, p. 108.)

A cordial vote of thanks was passed and ordered to be recorded to the Hon. Secretary for his papers.

Second Meeting. 10th September, 1877.

There being only a few members present, owing to the inclemency of the weather, no papers were read.

Third Meeting. 8th October, 1877.
H. R. Holder in the chair.

The President, the Hon. J. D. Ormond, M.H.R., was chosen to vote in the election of the Board of Governors for the ensuing year, in accordance with clause 7 of the “New Zealand Institute Act.”

1. “Notes, chiefly historical, on the +ncient Dog of the New Zealanders,” by W. Colenso, F.L.S. (Transactions, p. 135.)

The thanks of the meeting were unanimously accorded to the Hon. Secretary for his paper.

2. “On two indigenous Productions—Manganese and Zostera marina—which might be made fair Articles of Export,” by J. A. Smith.

I beg to make a few remarks with regard to two exports from New Zealand which will repay the shipper.

The first is manganese, a mineral. It is found in France, Hungary, Brazil, Cornwall, and Devon, also in the North Island of New Zealand. A mine is now open at the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, with, I believe, success. The specimen produced is from that mine. It has been assayed by Mr. Tunny, and found to contain from 80 to 84 per cent of pure manganese. As to colour, it is found of a dark steel-grey, bluish, or ironblack. It is used for producing oxygen, chlorine, and chloride of lime, removing the brown and green tints in glass, in painting glass and enamel work, and for glazing and colouring pottery. In 1872, when in England, I visited the extensive Hebburn chemical works at Gateshead, on the Tyne, the property of Messrs Charles Tennant and Co. They occupy about 250 acres of land, of which about 13 acres are occupied by sulphuric acid chambers, which will give some idea of its vast extent. This is a branch establishment of the well-known St. Rollox chemical works in Glasgow belonging to the same firm. The principal reason for establishing these works on the Tyne was that they could get the chalk ballast brought by the colliers from London at 5s. per ton. Mr. Buchanan, the Manager of the Hebburn works, informed me that he would take any quantity of manganese of good quality that we could send from New Zealand at from £6 to £7 per ton. Besides sending it to London in our wool ships as ballast it might be shipped to Liverpool and Glasgow for the extensive chemical works in the vicinity of

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both ports, and there is no reason why it should not be sent home also viâ Sydney and Melbourne.

Assuming that it could be shipped in New Zealand as ballast at from £2 to £3 per ton, the only expense after that would be discharging it in London into the colliers for Newcastle as ballast, the expense of which is 5s. per ton. This would leave a very good return to the shipper.

The second export is Algæ, Zostera marina, or Sea-grass.

It is found in France, Spain, and the Morocco Coast. In New Zealand it is found in large quantities on the coasts of the North Island.

It is used in England extensively for stuffing mattrasses, carriages, furniture, etc.; the demand is unlimited; the value in London in from £7 10s. to £10 per ton, and more if clean and free from sand.

The specimen produced is from the vicinity of Auckland.

Specimens of ores of Manganese, and of the plant Zostera marina, were exhibited by the author.

A short discussion arose on both of those papers.

Fourth Meeting. 5th November, 1877.
R. Stuart, Vice-president, in the chair.

The nomination for the election of honorary members of the New Zealand Institute was made in accordance with Statute IV.

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