466 Transactions. — MisceUaneous. 



symptoms was reported by Mr. Godfrey, who resides at Tawaite, 

 a whaling-station at the entrance to Tory Channel. At that 

 place the whalers were, as early as 6 p.m. on the evening of the 

 9th, disturbed by booming noises coming through the earth. 

 They were accustomed to hear the booming of the sea outside 

 Tory Channel, but they were clear that these noises were not 

 of that description. According to their account, these noises 

 did not continue through the night. They afterwards heard 

 the noises like the firing of guns, such as were heard at Nelson, 

 Kaikoura, and even Christchurch and Auckland, at a distance 

 of not less than 200 or 300 miles from the focus at the time, 

 which agrees with what he would have to mention as the first 

 stage of the eruption. A very distinct statement of the event 

 was given to the speaker on the 13th by the Native Inter- 

 preter, Mr. Edwards, who resides on Pukeroa Hill, at Ohine- 

 mutu, and was fully confirmed by the account given on the 

 same date by Mr. Koche, the Kailway Engineer, who was 

 encamped at the edge of the bush above Kotorua, and by the 

 account of Mr. Macdonald, given on the 16th, who witnessed 

 the whole eruption from the Kaingaroa Plains. 



At 10 minutes past 2 a.m. the eruption began by the blowing 

 off of the cap of Wahanga. The top seemed to go up as a great 

 mass in fragments, and must have been illuminated, otherwise 

 the spectators could not have seen what they did see. Then 

 followed an up-throw of stones, accompanied by noises, and, 

 about five minutes later, the top blew off' Euawahia, immediately 

 followed by an out-throw of a vast column of steam, charged with 

 stones and dust. Then came an outburst, obliqiiely, from the 

 south end of Tarawera ]\Iountain proper, right over Koto- 

 mahana. Noises and eruptions continued steadily for about two 

 hours, when a most terrific earthquake was experienced. Some 

 pretty severe ones had been previously felt at Wairoa, but, 

 even at as short a distance as Eotorua, no damage was done 

 by earthquakes. But at 4 a.m., or shortly before, there was a 

 vastly heavier shock, the sensation of which was described as 

 just as if you had been running fast and come against a fence. 

 At the same moment a terrific sound rent the air, but it was not 

 of the same clear report-like character as those accompanying 

 the first eruptions, and suddenly an immense cloud, composed of 

 steam and dust, was thrown up, from which lightning issued in 

 all directions. This gigantic cloud sprang up, and then was 

 seized by a kind of gigantic pantings or throbbings, each one 

 accompanied by a fresh access to the volume of steam. The 

 steam formed a flat-topped cloud, which drove right in the 

 direction of Rotorua ; and the people of that place who saw it 

 advancing on them, and throwing out lightnings that seemed 

 to touch the water's edge, thought their destruction inevitable. 

 Just at that time a violent hurricane from the S.W. caught the 



