Mair. — Eruption of Tamwera and Rotoviahana. 373 



gentle breeze was blowing from S.W., and in that direction the 

 sky was perfectly clear. Later on the roar became louder, with 

 crashing reports, as of heavy bodies falling ; the thunder, too, 

 increased, and the lightning was, if possible, more active. The 

 shocks, too, were renewed with great vigour. At this time a 

 dense black column rose on the right of the blaze — that 

 is, more to the South, and in the direction of Rotomahana, 

 and spread out in the sky. Soon after 3 o'clock the wind 

 shifted to the South-east, and the black cloud was driven 

 slowly in on the light, dropping over it like a veil, and by 

 degrees blotting it out. For a time the lightning flashed 

 through the murky mass, and then there came on the most 

 utter and appalling darkness. The roar of the volcano could 

 still be heard, and occasional tremendous peals of thunder ; 

 but these gradually died away. About 4 o'clock there was a 

 pattering of light cinders on the roof, and a sulphurous smell 

 was apparent. Upon going outside I found the air charged 

 with fine dust, which was painful to the eyes. The night was 

 intensely cold, and I went back to my room and slept for 

 some time. On awaking I opened my window, and found the 

 sill covered with a fine sandy mud. Some Maoris then, by the 

 aid of lanterns, found their way to the house, and reported that 

 their huts were being buried, and they feared that the roofs 

 would fall in. At 8 o'clock there was still the most intense 

 darkness, and no sound could be heard except an occasional 

 rumble like thunder. The soft ooze was falling silently as 

 snow, and covering everything up. At 9.30 there appeared a 

 faint gleam of greenish light, low down in the South, and the 

 wind having veered again to that quarter, the fall of sand 

 gradually became less, and ceased altogether at 11 o'clock. 

 By noon one could read a newspaper in the open air, but the 

 position of the sun could not be made out until 2 o'clock. 

 Throughout the day there were occasional tremors of the earth, 

 and thunder and lightning in the East. All along the ridge of 

 Tarawera immense masses of dark smoke were being belched 

 forth, while to the right a great column of steam arose, and 

 further south a smaller one. All round Eotoiti everything was 

 covered with the grey volcanic deposit. In some places it was 

 in di-ifts of 18 inches deep, and nowhere was it less than 

 3 inches. The fern and hght shrubs in the open country were 

 levelled with the ground, and in the woods every leaf and spray 

 was covered. The telegraph wires were coated, and looked like 

 ropes an inch thick. Numbers of straight dead tree-trunks were 

 burning like great torches. The lake had become a soapy-white 

 colour, and had risen 3 or 4 inches, the water bemg unfit for 

 domestic use. 



On the 11th and 12th of June there was a hard cutting 

 south wind, bitterly cold. Light shocks were felt. Great 



