HiLD. — Btiapehu and Ngaiiruhoe. 619 



terminal face of the glacial icefield extending from Euapehu 

 Peak to Paraetetaitonga. In one place only in this portion of 

 the crater- wall was there a rock visible, and this was imme- 

 diately in front of the last-named peak. The east and north 

 portions of the crater- walls are composed of cinders, ash, and 

 lava of varying colours, and banded with as much regularity as 

 if the rocks were sedimentary deposits. The dip is east-north- 

 east, at about 5°. The outside of this part of the crater has a 

 steep cone-hke slope, the base of which forms an almost per- 

 pendicular face towards the eastern side of the mountain 

 already described, and it is still too warm for the snow to 

 remain upon it. Steam was seen to be issuing from the red 

 bands in tlie cinder- walls 100ft. or so above the surface of the 

 lake, although the whole of the eastern half of the crater 

 appears to be intensely hot. At the point of junction between 

 the ash-beds and the ice on the south side is a waterfall ; and 

 the only sound to be heard as we sat on the rim of the crater, 

 viewing a scene magnificently grand and awe-inspiring, was 

 that produced by falling water, save that now and then a mass 

 of ice gave wa5% and, with a fearsome crash, fell into the boiling 

 lake. The colour of the water was soapy, or greyish-yellow, 

 covered over in parts with a kind of scum, which now and 

 again showed an iridescence similar to that of oil on the surface 

 of water, and peculiar ripple-lines and scum-like bands could 

 be seen spreading themselves over the entire surface of 

 the lake. The water is in constant motion, the general direc- 

 tion of movement being apparently from west to east, the 

 motion being not unlike that to be seen in a kettle of water 

 wdien near boiling-point. There appear to be regular pulsa- 

 tions in the lake, and at intervals of from two to three minutes 

 steam is suddenly given off, so that the surface of the water is 

 hidden for a few seconds. After every pulsation, and explosion 

 — no other word will explain the phenomenon — of steam, I 

 noticed large cavern-like recesses below the ice-wall on the 

 west side of the lake, as if the waters had subsided somewhat ; 

 but these slowly disappeared as the maximum of activity in 

 the movement of the water approached, the hot water seeming 

 to reach the ice-wall about tlie moment when the steam was 

 thrown off the surface of the lake. I remained alone on the 

 lip of the crater for more than an hour — the other members of 

 the party having gone — Mr. Caccia to Paraetetaitonga, the 

 others to Euapehu — watching every movement of what appears 

 to me as the most interesting and remarkable phenomenon in 

 the whole range of the volcanic district. Thei'e can be but 

 little doubt that this lake undergoes great changes, and it 

 would seem that explosions somewhat like the one described 

 by Bidwill as having taken place in Ngauruhoe take place from 

 time to thne on Euapehu. " On the 1st May, 1889, the resi- 



