Volume 14 Australasia - dana ward's homepage

452 AUSTRALASIA.very remarkable collection of the remains of extinct birds. With the surroundingsuburbs Christchurcli ranks as the second city in the archipelago for population,while its port owns the largest mercantile fleet, although the general movement ofthe shipping is inferior to that of Auckland. The neighbouring Banks Peninsulawith Akaroa Ifarhniir, whore still survive some descendants of the early Frenchsettlers,are pleasant retreats, much frequented by the inhabitants of Christchurch.-CnitiSTCHUEcn and Akaroa Peninsula.Scile 1 : 700,000.A railwaj^ connecting the city with its port, passes in a tunnel through a thick bedof lava—the finest work of the kind in New Zealand.South of Christchurch follow along the east coast the seaports of Timaru, Oamnru,and the flourishing city o{ Daiicdin, metropolis of the south, which lies on the westside of Otago Harbour under shelter of an eastern volcanic headland. Since thedeepening of the channel ships of average size are able to ascend as far as thetown; but larjrer vessels are obliged to anchor in Port Clialmcm at the mouth of