Hill. — Buapehu and Ngauruhoc. 611 



by-west. Here the crater-lip has been broken away as seen in 

 Plate XLV., and it is possible to walk for a distance of 50 yards 

 or more into the major crater, along the eastern side. The 

 walls of the major crater show banded rocks, as if stratified— 

 old lava-flows — of various colours, for a depth of more than 

 200ft., and intense activity appears to be going on over the 

 greater portion of the face exposed, as the steam and sulphur- 

 fumes are seen to be issuing with much force. As already 

 explained, the western half of the crater is much lower than 

 the eastern half, and it is along the former side that two 

 distinct and clearly-defined craters are formed within the 

 major crater. Each crater is separate from the other, and the 

 phenomena in each are different. The western rim of each 

 of the minor craters is coterminous with that of the major 

 crater, and, whilst the minor crater on the south-west may be 

 said to belong to, and is possibly a remnant of, the old crater, 

 the one on the north-west is as perfect in shape as the extinct 

 crater to be seen on Mount Eden, in Auckland, and was, I 

 should imagine, formed at a very recent date. Between the 

 two minor craters, towards the west, there is a flat area on 

 which an observer may stand and look into both craters. 

 The diameter of the major crater I estimate at not more than 

 200 yards, and each of the minor ones at about 80 yards. As 

 to their depth, I should think that 250ft. would be sufficient 

 for the major crater, and from 100ft. to 130ft. for the minor 

 ones ; but this has reference to the craters only, and not to the 

 shafts which are centres of activity in each. Neither of the 

 minor craters can be entered, for not only is there great 

 activity in the several holes in the floor of each, but the sur- 

 rounding walls are steaming furiously. In the north-west 

 crater I noticed that a great change had taken place during 

 the interval between my first and my second visit. In 1887 

 the walls of the crater showed very little signs of sulphur ; but 

 last year, with the single exception of a beautiful vermilion 

 band, there was nothing to be seen except sulphur (ferric 

 chloride ?) over the cfater walls. 



At present the south-western crater is the most active 

 portion of the mountain, and dense volumes of steam and 

 sulphurous fumes are constantly being given off. From the 

 several shafts there is sound as from a thick rapidly-boiling 

 substance ; but the dense volumes of poisonous vapour which 

 are constantly issuing make it impossible to penetrate the 

 gloom ; nor, indeed, is the observer anxious to make any close 

 acquaintance with the seeming fiends whose noises and 

 screechings continually arise as from those in the direst 

 agony of despair. Extending from the lip of the crater on the 

 north side for some distance down the slope of the mountain 

 is a sulphur area — an immense solfatara which can be readily 



