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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



sand feet per minute at the periphery. The 

 form of apparatus mostly used is that of an 

 inverted frustum of a cone. The general 

 principle of its operation is that of a wood- 

 en cylinder revolving in a wooden mantle 

 or mantle of wire-work, between which the 

 rice has to circulate and be rubbed. Some- 

 times the rice, as it passes into the polisher, 

 is subjected to an infusion of indigo toned 

 down with rice -flour to a pale blue. This 

 gives the rice a bluish tint, that is liked 

 better in England than the natural creamy 

 whiteness of the grain itself; On leaving 

 the polishers, the grain is blown or aspi- 

 rated, and separated into whole rice, broken 

 rice, and rice of different sizes. A recent 

 " improvement" is to pass the grain through 

 an oiling-machine so as to give it a smoother 

 and glossier surface. 



The Volcanic Eruption in New Zealand. 



— The recent volcanic eruption which laid 

 waste a large tract of country in New Zea- 

 land was one of the most remarkable that 

 has taken place in civilized lands since 

 the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A. d. 79. 

 It also presented many features in common 

 with the Vesuvian eruption. Like that, it 

 took place from a volcano which had never 

 been known to exhibit activity since man 

 had lived in the region ; like it, it was dis- 

 tinguished by immense emissions of ashes 

 and the burial of towns ; and as the Vesu- 

 vian eruption numbered among its victims 

 the naturalist Pliny, so in this one the young 

 Englishman Brainard was overtaken while 

 interested in observing the phenomena. The 

 district afflicted by the eruption was becom- 

 ing a favorite resort for tourists from all 

 parts of the world on account of the remark- 

 able phenomena and the beautiful aspects of 

 scenery it presented, which in some respects 

 resembled those of our Yellowstone wonder- 

 land. It is called the " Ilot Lakes " district, 

 and is situated about forty miles inland 

 from the Bay of Plenty, on the east coast 

 of the island. The lakes Rotorua and Roto- 

 mahana occupied its central portion, and 

 were divided by fifteen or sixteen miles of 

 "hot-spring country," in which numerous 

 small columns of steam rise from bubbling 

 pools of hot water. The ground around 

 these springs is of the most treacherous 

 character, is frequently broken up by the 



bursting out of new springs, and has been 

 known to swallow up human beings passing 

 over it. Nine miles from Rotomahana Lake 

 rose Mount Tarawera, a curious truncated 

 mountain two thousand feet high, whose 

 summit was regarded by the natives with a 

 peculiar veneration, and two adjacent peaks. 

 On the borders of the lake were the " pink 

 and white terraces," curved formations of 

 sinter, of the color named, rising stairwise for 

 about one hundred and fifty feet in height, 

 with clear water running over them or stand- 

 ing in pools on their flats, the constant de- 

 positions from which added to their growth. 

 The volcanic disturbances began on the night 

 of the 9th of June, with a frightful earth- 

 quake-shock, followed by the burst of a glar- 

 ing, pillar-shaped light from the top of Mount 

 Tarawera, while over it hung a great black 

 cloud. The scene was accompanied, accord- 

 ing to the accounts, with loud reports, heavy 

 shocks, tongues of flame, and the shooting 

 of fire-balls. Then came a shower of ashes, 

 mud, and stones over the township which 

 buried the village of Wairoa under a depos- 

 it of from ten to twenty feet in thickness. 

 About a hundred lives were lost, among 

 them those of a part of the family of Mr. 

 Haszard, the schoolmaster. The " pink and 

 white terraces " were blown into the air, and 

 the lake on whose borders they stood was 

 ingulfed. Mud cones, vomiting forth steam 

 and stones and mud, occupy their place. The 

 aspect of the mountains was changed, and 

 a large fissure was opened east of Mount 

 Tarawera. As seen from New Plymouth, 

 one hundred and fifty miles distant, the col- 

 umn of ashes rising into the air appeared to 

 be about twenty-two thousand feet high. 

 The noise of the explosion was heard at 

 Christchurch, three hundred miles away ; 

 and vessels sailing one hundred and thirty 

 miles away found the air thick with fine 

 dust which settled on their decks. A hur- 

 ricane arose about an hour after the explo- 

 sion, blowing toward the scene of volcanic 

 activity, and then in a few hours suddenly 

 ceased, when ashes fell. The weather also 

 became very cold. It is said that, about 

 a fortnight before this disaster occurred, 

 a wave three feet high suddenly arose on 

 Lake Tarawera, at the foot of the mount- 

 ain, and washed the boats out of the boat- 

 houses. 



