612 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



distinguished from Tokaanu. And it would seem that the 

 mountain is giving way in this direction : in some phices a 

 hard crust has formed over the sulphur ; but the whole place 

 is in a state of intense activity, and is very dangerous. Mr. 

 Batley, of Moawhanga, Inland Patea, who is well acquainted 

 with the mountains, has told me that on the east side of 

 Ngauruhoe, about one-third of the way up, there is a vent 

 which he has seen active on sevei-al occasions. " The vent," 

 he writes, "is rarely active, but I saw it busy enough a few 

 weeks before the Tarawera eruption." There was no trace of 

 this vent in March last year, and I am inclined to think that 

 the vapour which Mr. Batley has seen on several occasions 

 comes from a decaying solfatara at the base of the saddle 

 between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, and which showed signs of 

 activity in 1887. This solfatara to an observer on the south- 

 west would appear as being on the east side of Ngauruhoe, at 

 about the height named. Mr. Batley further says that the 

 mountain was much higher in 1868, when he first saw it, • 

 the summit being sharp when viewed from the south-east. 

 Horima, an intelligent Maori residing in the district, states 

 that the top of the mountain fell at the time of the last erup- 

 tion, which is said to have taken place in 1869 ; but it is 

 certain that no lava was erupted at that date. 



Although this mountain was held to be sacred, it was 

 ascended so long back as 1839 by Mr. Bidwill, and in 1851 

 by Mr. Dyson. It is especially interesting to compare the 

 accounts which have been kept of the ascents made by those 

 gentlemen, as great changes must have taken place in the 

 crater during the past fifty years. Mr. Bidwill's account is 

 to me the more interesting for the reason that I have been 

 able to tell from his description the exact spot he reached in 

 the Mangatepopo Stream at the base of Ngauruhoe, and the 

 track he took in his ascent of the mountain. 



Bidwill's Account. Mountain ascended, 2nd and 3rd 

 March, 1839.—" When I arose in the morning I was astonished 

 to see the mountain around covered with snow except the 

 cone, which was invisible. The natives said the mountain 

 had been making a noise in the night, which at the time I 

 thought was only fancy. As I was toiling over a steep hill 

 I heard a noise which caused me to look up, and saw the 

 mountain was in a state of eruption : a thick column of black 

 smoke rose up for some distance, and then spread out like a 

 mushroom. The noise, which was very loud, and not unlike 

 that of a steam-engine, lasted for half an hour, and then ceased 

 after two or three sudden interruptions. ... I could see 

 no fire, nor do I believe that the eruption was anything more 

 than hot water and steam, although from the density of the 

 latter it looked like very black smoke. I toiled on to the top 



