Hill. — Buapehu and Ngauruhoe. 613 



of the hill, and was much disappointed at the other side of it : 

 instead of being like what I had ascended, there was a precipice 

 with a large stream of water at the bottom (Mangatepopo). 

 . As I progressed toward the cone I arrived at 

 another stream of lava so fresh that .... it looked as 

 if it had been ejected but yesterday. ... I had no idea of 

 the meaning of a sea of rocks until I crossed them : the edges of 

 the stony billows were so sharp that it was difficult to cross 

 them without cutting one's clothes into shreds. ... I at 

 last arrived at the cone. Ther., 65° in sun ; bar., 25iAin. The 

 cone is entirely composed of loose cinders. . . . After I 

 had ascended *about two-thirds of the way I got into what ap- 

 peared a watercourse. It was lucky for me another eruption 

 did not take place while I was in it, or I should have infallibly 

 been boiled to death, as I afterwards found out it led to the 

 lowest part of the crater, and, from indubitable proofs, that a 

 stream of hot mud and water had been running there during 

 the time I saw^ the smoke from the top. The crater was the 

 most terrible abyss I ever looked into or imagined. The rocks 

 overhung it on all sides, and it was not possible to see above 

 10 yards into it from the quantity of steam which it was 

 constantly discharging. From the distance I measured along 

 its edge I imagine it is at least a quarter of a mile in diameter, 

 and is very deep. The stones I threw in which I could hear 

 strike the bottom did not do so in less than seven or eight 

 seconds ; but the greater part I could not hear. It was im- 

 possible to get to the inside of the crater, as all the sides I 

 saw were, if not quite precipitous, actually overhanging, so as 

 to make it very disagreeable to look over them. ... I 

 did not stay at the top so long as I could have wished, because 

 I heard a strange noise coming out of the crater, which I 

 thought betokened another eruption." 



The following is Mr. Dyson's account as taken from 

 Hochstetter, p. 372, et seq. (ascent made March, 1851) : 

 " The crater is nearly circular, . . . and I should think it 

 was 600 yards in diameter. The lip of the crater was sharp. 

 Outside there was almost nothing but loose cinders and ashes ; 

 inside the crater there were large overhanging rocks of a 

 pale-yellow colour, evidently produced by the sublimation of 

 sulphur. The lip of the crater is not of equal height all round 

 — the south is the highest, and the north, where I stood, the 

 lowest. There was no possible way of descending the crater. 

 I stretched out my neck and looked down the fearful abyss 

 which lay gaping before me ; but my sight was obstructed by 

 large clouds of steam or vapour, and I do not think I saw 

 30ft. down. I dropped into the crater several large stones, 

 and it made me shudder to hear some of them rebounding 

 from rock to rock." 



