Much interest and curiosity were caused on Saturday by information that reached the city, that in various places on the coast, the sea had flowed and ebbed repeatedly at short intervals during the early part of the day.
As similar disturbances are almost invariably observed to follow earthquake shocks, intelligence that one had taken place in some part of the island was naturally expected.
The day, although somewhat cloudy, was unusually still and calm, nor had there been any wind during the previous night.
The aberrations from the usual steady flux and reflux of the tide cannot, then, be referred to any atmospheric causes.
Nor has any news reached us that will tend to explain to what they were owing.
From Wellington, our correspondent, at 1.47p.m., telegraphed that "from daylight, and perhaps before then, the sea has been flowing and ebbing, three feet every quarter of an hour. The glass has been steadily rising all the morning.
Northern telegrams report great disturbances at sea."
At 12.15p.m., a correspondent at Oamaru telegraphed that "An extraordinary rise and fall of the tide here has been repeated many times since eight o'clock this morning.
The latest rise was at 12 o'clock, the water flowing over the landing-place and two feet into the Government Shed, sweeping boats up the Creek.
The sea fell again in six minutes. The total rise was 11 feet. At one time, a surf-boat on a line 400 feet from the shore was left aground."
Fuller details have been furnished to us by an eye witness.
He states that early on Saturday morning it was known that the sea was rising and falling in an unusual manner, and during the forenoon he, with many others, visited the Creek.
In an incredibly short time the water had risen many feet, and the large boulders that line the shore, near the remains of the Oamaru jetty, were covered, a heavy surf at the time beating on the coast.
He computes that the rise took place in a few moments, and was so great as to be within a few inches of flooding the narrow strip of land which separates the lagoon from the sea.
The water fell as rapidly as it had risen, and in a very few minutes had gone down, as nearly as could be estimated, about twenty feet. Alternate risings and fallings succeeded each other so quickly, that in less than twenty minutes they were repeated five times.
It is said that once, about daybreak, the sea was lower than it had ever been known before.
A boat, to which the outer end of the line along which the surf boats are drawn, was moored, and which at ordinary low water floats in 11 feet water, was left for a few minutes so completely dry that a man was able to walk out and pick up an anchor which had been dropped alongside some time ago.
At Otago Heads, the sea was observed rising and falling as at Oamaru.
At 9a.m., about an hour after the flood tide had set in, although the water was quite smooth, it suddenly rose five feet, without breaking, and reached high water mark.
It remained stationary for two minutes, and then as suddenly fell.
Inside the Heads the water in mid-channel was quite smooth, the only perceptible rush being on the rocks and on the banks.
Throughout the day the water in Port Chalmers harbor continued to rise and fall during short periods, and the Harbor Master appointed a watchman to record the changes every five minutes.
On one occasion the water ebbed 17 inches in two minutes.
In Dunedin Bay, the disturbance was felt, though not to so great an extent.
In the Taieri River there was a great rise and reflux of the water.
One effect of it was that the boat or punt which was moored near the East Taieri Bridge was washed away from its moorings, and when the water retreated it was carried rapidly down the river.
The proprietor of the punt got a boat and gave chase, and fortunately succeeded in overtaking it before reaching the broken water at the Bar.
