610 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



the direction he took in making his remarkable ascent in 1839 

 But reference will be made to this subject further on in the 

 paper. Directly at the base of Ngauruhoe the Mangatepopo 

 Stream takes its rise in a number of fine springs, some of 

 ■which possess medicinal properties. The largest spring, how- 

 ever, is a soda-water one, with a flow large enough to supply 

 the wants of Australia. I have kept a bottle of the water 

 from this spring for four years, and it is still fit for drinking 

 purposes. 



The base of the cone on the Mangatepopo side is 5,560ft. 

 above sea-level (bar., 25-2in.). Except in a single place, the 

 foot of the cone presents a steep face of lava to the valley, re- 

 sembling a dark black wall with pillars. It is from here that 

 the lava-stream passed into the valley, and traces of the same 

 stream can be distinguished here and there up the side of 

 the mountain till the crater is reached. Judging by the 

 appearance of the wall referred to, the lava appears to have 

 been exceedingly plastic, and of the consistency of treacle. 

 The cone is very steep, being at least 40° on the north-west, 

 and even more towards the south. The slopes are made up 

 principally of ashes, cinders, and lava ; but traces of sulphur 

 are met with here and there. For 1,300ft. there is no trace 

 whatever of vegetation, the last trace of a flowering-plant 

 (Gentiana saxosa) being at a height of 6,100ft. In 1887 the 

 ascent was made in two hours twenty-five minutes ffom the 

 soda-water springs ; but it took me twenty-five minutes longer 

 in 1890, although three members of our party reached the 

 summit in one hour fifty-five minutes, much to the incon- 

 venience and danger of the others. In the first ascent our 

 party kept together, and we rested six times — viz., at 5,900ffc., 

 bar. 24-9in. ; 6,150ft., bar. 24-7in. ; 6,550ft., bar. 24-3in.; 

 6,850ft., bar. 24-lin. ; 7,200ft., bar. 23-7in. ; and 7,500ft., 

 bar. 23*5in. At the top the aneroid marked 7,655ft., and the 

 barometer 23-4in. Thus the height of the cone by aneroid 

 measurement is 2,095ft., with a barometric variation of l-8in. 

 Hochstetter, from a distance of twenty miles, estimated the 

 height of the cone at 1,600ft., and its slope at from 30° to 35° ; 

 but he was not able to see any portion of the cone below the 

 ridge which joins Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. 



The top of the mountain I estimate to be not more than 

 150 yards across, being nearly circular, but very uneven as 

 to height, and much shattered and broken between north- 

 east and south. The crater itself consists of a primary or 

 major one, within which are two minor or supplementary 

 craters. The north-east and south-east walls of the major 

 crater are much higher — perhaps 120ft. — than those towards 

 the north-west and south-west. The lowest part of the crater- 

 rim, which is the true lip of the crater, is towards the north- 



