Walsh. — A Flash of Lightning. 581 



water appeared to bubble on the ground, and that steam kept 

 rising for half an hour from the spot that had been struck. 



The phenomenon was plainly visible from the Township of 

 Ohaeawai, and an animated discussion arose among some of 

 the inhabitants as to its origin and results. By a too hasty 

 generalisation the "thunderbolt" — as they agreed to call the 

 electric discharge — was confused with the fall of a meteorite, 

 and an individual who claimed to have some knowledge of the 

 subject informed them that if the celestial visitor could be 

 secured it would prove of considerable commercial value. He 

 estimated that it would be worth at least £20, whether re- 

 garded merely as a curio or as a mass of marketable metal. 



Their scientific curiosity whetted by the hope of a financial 

 return, a party of young men set out on a search expedition. 

 They had no difficulty in finding the spot, and on arrival dis- 

 covered a circular hole in the ground about 4 in. in diameter, 

 surrounded by a number of similar perforations on a smaller- 

 scale, the whole set occupying a space of perhaps 2 or 3 yards 

 square. It was evident that the discharge had split off into 

 several branches on approaching the ground. It was not 

 explained how twenty pounds' worth of meteoric iron could 

 have forced its way through so narrow a passage ; but, never- 

 theless, they started to dig. Failing, however, to bottom the 

 hole at the depth of 6ft., they sounded with a piece of fencing- 

 wire, and as this went down for another 14 ft. the sinking was 

 regretfully abandoned. 



Taking an early opportunity to visit the scene of opera- 

 tions, I found that the excavation had been filled up, and as 

 the ground had been so trampled by the explorers all trace of 

 the smaller holes had disappeared. I should like to have been 

 able to examine the hole. There is no doubt that it was 

 caused by the lateral expansion of the steam generated in the 

 wet ground by the intense heat of the electric discharge. It 

 is well known that on the passage of a lightning-spark through 

 a bed of sand a tube of vitreous matter called a " fulgurite " is 

 sometimes formed by the fusion of the particles of silica. 

 Possibly some similar formation would take place in a stratum 

 of clay ; but in the volcanic ground of Taiamai, already sub- 

 ject to the extreme action of fire, it is unlikely that further 

 metamorphosis could take place, and any change in the struc- 

 ture would be only due to compression. It would have been 

 interesting, however, to see whether the compression had been 

 sufficient to form a definite tube. 



