686 Transactions. — Geology. 



reach the lake. I am pleased to find that this has now been 

 accomplished by Mr. Walter H. Dunnage, of the Survey De- 

 partment, Vv'ith two of his men. Mr. Dunnage has made the 

 ascent of the mountain on several former occasions, and when 

 visited by him at Easter last year (1894) the " lake was of a 

 beautiful green colour, apparently cold, with a sulphurous 

 deposit on the surface here and there." This had all changed 

 on the 5th of April of the present year, when " the lake was 

 of a milky colour, with steam rising from its surface, and sur- 

 rounded on all sides but the east by a beach from half a chain 

 to a chain in width." The lake was 10ft. or 12ft. lower than 

 he had seen it before, and, what was the most fortunate thing 

 of all, the party of three were able, with due precaution, to 

 reach the margin of the lake — the first human beings who had 

 ever done so. The temperature of the lake was found to be 

 128°. "The margin of the water was covered with blocks of 

 very friable scoria, among which were innumerable small 

 boiling springs causing a dull, weird sound." This visit was 

 made about a month after the explosion which took place on 

 the 10th of March, when a column of steam was thrown 

 up at least 1,000ft. above the crater ; and the same thing was 

 observed on several succeeding days. 



It does not appear from Mr. Dunnage's account that there 

 was any trace on the mountain of material, such as mud and 

 boulders, having been ejected from the crater and deposited 

 on the snowfields, but it would seem from the lowness of the 

 water that most of it must have been sent out by the several 

 explosions. Mr. Dunnage suggests that the Kiver Wangaehu 

 issues from the crater, but in this he is mistaken, as I have 

 followed this river to its source, the discoloured stream coming 

 from the ice immediately below the rocks known as " The Pin- 

 nacles" to the north of the crater. 



The discovery of other warm springs, seemingly large jwms, 

 on the western side of the mountain is an event which adds 

 interest to the mountain, and points to " sores," similar to 

 those found at Ketetahi and other places along the slopes of 

 Tongariro. But both mountains have had their day. They 

 present phenomena which may be termed the condition inter- 

 mediate between activity and repose. It is a warring be- 

 tween heat and cold ; and those who have ever sat down 

 within a volcanic area capped with glacial ice and snow can 

 have no doubt as to the victor. Euapehu has had, and will 

 have for some time to come, periods of activity due to hydro- 

 thermal causes ; but everything testifies that its end, from a 

 geological point of view, is near. Still, it is well to keep 

 records of the changes taking place, for the gathering together 

 of facts connected with volcanic phenomena will enable us to 

 arrive at those generalisations by which volcanic phenomena 



