Hill. — Taupo Plateau and Lake. 459* 



pumice, in places more than 60 ft. in thickness. The walls of the 

 island rise out of the water in perpendicular cliffs, and the pumice 

 presents the same steep face as the more solid and massive parts 

 of the island. It could hardly be supposed that the pumice was 

 deposited over the more massive rock-structures after the island 

 was separated from the mainland. In fact, rocks on the strand 

 to the eastward of the island clearly belong to the same series 

 as is on the island, so that we may suppose there has been a 

 subsidence along the eastern side of the lake since the deposit of 

 pumice took place that covers not only Motutaiko but so large 

 a portion of the North Island. Along the beach further to the 

 north-east of the island there are traces of submergence, for 

 large timber trees can be seen in the water with their roots still 

 fixed in the ground. 



The depression forming the lake-basin occupied a larger sur- 

 face-area at one period of its history. An old beach is clearly 

 traceable round the lake 100 ft. above the present level, and in 

 places there are traces of several other beaches, the highest 

 being 300 ft. or more above the lake. The pumice-deposits 

 appear as if they had been saturated with water at one period 

 of their history, and in sinkings in the vicinity of Taupo Town- 

 ship waterworn gravel is found here and there. 



The following letter, dated the 16th September, 1903, from 

 the Rev. H. J. Fletcher, of Taupo, will be found interesting : 

 " There are several wells in Taupo Township which were sunk 

 several years ago. The formation passed through is exactly 

 that which can be seen along the shores of the lake at Taupo. 

 Waterworn gravel such as I got in sinking my well is rather 

 scarce, but a considerable patch occurs in the roadside just 

 above the Huku, and, strange to say, several large masses of 

 waterworn gravel cemented by puia-deposit into a compact rock 

 are to be seen a short distance below the bridge at Taupo. The 

 earthquake you allude to took place in August, 1895. In regard 

 to the long valleys you mention, I have long thought that they 

 were caused by a sudden fall in the level of the lake, either by 

 the wearing-away of some barrier in the course of the river, or 

 by the subsidence of a large area in the lake or adjacent to it. 

 I am inclined to the latter." 



Mr. Fletcher put down a well to the depth of 65 ft. at a spot 

 145 ft. above the level of the lake, and about 50 ft. down he 

 met with a thin band of waterworn shingle. It is not difficult to 

 realise the large surface-area that must at one time have formed 

 a part of what is known as Lake Taupo. 



In 1886 Mr. Cussen, an able officer of the Survey Department, 

 made a hydrographic survey of Taupo, and gave some interesting 

 information and facts concerning it. His paper will be found in 



