HiLii. — BiiapeMc and Ngauruhoe. 623 



basalts and rust-red lavas. Pieces of tachylite were also found 

 scattered over the slopes, but no large rock-masses of this were 

 seen by me in any of the places visited. The highest point of 

 the mountain on the west is made rnp of heavy black lavas, 

 but lower down the lavas are of a dull-red colour, and they 

 present the appearance underneath Te Heulieu Peak of having 

 but recently cooled. 



The curious thing about Euapehu is the distribution of 

 acidic rocks over basic ones. Professor Thomas points out, in 

 his "Notes on the Volcanic Eocks of the Taupo District, "=" 

 that "The order of succession of the rocks at any given 

 vent or in a given volcanic district is such that the more 

 basic follow the acidic lavas." As basic rocks are mamly 

 found on Euapehu, it may be assumed that the volcano is in 

 its final or later stage of progress. There is plenty of pumice 

 everywhere surrounding the mountain — in fact, the whole 

 plateau appears to be composed of pumice and tufas. But by 

 what process a pumice-trachyte came to be scattered atop of 

 heavy lavas I make no pretension to explain. It may be that 

 the crater-lake is the beginning of a new period of activity in 

 the history of Euapehu ; but this would be contrary to the 

 prevailing theory as to the sequence of flows from a volcano 

 during its periods of activity. After all, the world knows 

 comparatively little as to the changes which volcanoes undergo 

 from time to time, and the periods of activity and their causes 

 are still unknown or are imperfectly understood. By obser- 

 vation and the collection of facts it may be possible to gene- 

 ralise with regard to volcanic phenomena ; but facts must be 

 the basis of all generalisation, and it seems that the facts 

 regarding the products of Euapehu point to the possibility of 

 acidic rocks succeeding as well as preceding basic ones in the 

 history of a volcano. 



Teaditions concekning the Mountains. 

 When at Tokaanu three years ago I endeavoured to obtain 

 all the information available, traditional or otherwise, bearing 

 upon the mountains. Of Euapehu there is a legend that it is 

 haunted by a spirit called Te Eirio, who entices men from 

 their homes and causes them to wander hither and thither 

 over the mountains until they become insane, when he leads 

 them into one of the mountain caves to die, or until rescued 

 by their relations. This is very meagre concerning such an 

 important mountain ; but it rather shows what a dread the 

 natives had of the Eangipo desert and its trackless and ever- 

 moving sands, towards which many of their people passed 

 never to return. As far as I can learn, these Maoris possess 



* Trans. N.Z, Inst., vol. xx., p. 307. 



