280 T7-ansacUons. 



the latter valley, and christened the place known as the Primrose Terrace. 

 At that time the Waiotapu Valley had hardly been visited by Europeans, 

 and but for our guide the visit would have been a dangerous if not a 

 foolhardy undertaking. 



One well remembers the scene of desolation that appeared after getting 

 over the hills from Whakarewarewa, near Rotorua. Looking towards the 

 Tikitapu Bush and the lake and mountain known as Tarawera, the coimtry 

 presented a dull-grey appearance, and not a truce of grass or fern or bush 

 was to be seen. A valley on the road to Tikitapu had been rent in twain 

 by an earthquake, which had produced a gulch from 30 ft. to 40 ft. in 

 width and 50 ft. or more in depth. This extended for a long distance, and 

 divided into three cracks or prongs to the eastward, where the rift shallowed. 

 It seemed as if a sudden uplift had taken place, and that a wedge-shaped 

 piece had been suddenly broken from the valley-level and had fallen and 

 wedged itself as the upward strain was lessened and the surface pressures 

 gave their usual stress upon the underlying rocks. The sides of the crack 

 were vertical, as if sheared with an instrument, although nothing but pumice 

 appeared in the sides throughout the entire length of the depression. Fur- 

 ther in the direction of Te Wairoa Settlement the site of the Tikitapu Bush 

 was reached, but everything had been destroyed by the falling debris and 

 the battering of the trees by the mud that was flung from Rotomahana. 

 The Tikitapu Lake and its adjoining one, Rotokakahi, which at present are 

 known as the Blue Lake and the Green Lake respectively, presented a 

 desolate appearance, the sides being mud-clad, and large furrows showed 

 themselves from the hillsides, where the rains had carried material into the 

 lakes during wet weather. The small stream from the Green Lake had 

 been dammed back by the mud, and the entire country presented not a 

 trace of either animal or vegetable life. 



The Te Wairoa Settlement had been the residence of a number of 

 Natives. There was a church, a Native school, and an hotel, the latter 

 being specially built for the convenience of tourists to Rotomahana. Every- 

 thing had been destroyed ; not a house was left intact, and the majority 

 had been overwhelmed. A Native whare belonging to Guide Sophia had 

 stood, being protected by its position, and this place formed a " whare 

 of refuge " for a number of persons who sought its friendly protection. 

 The church and school were destroyed, and Mr. Haszard, the schoolmaster, 

 with a number of others, lost his life. From the roof of the church one 

 could see where the services had been held, and " Church Services " were to 

 be seen here and there besprmkled with mud, but all, or nearly all, those 

 who had formerly worshipped had lost their lives. The picture remains 

 in my memory, and it is set down here twenty-three years afterwards to 

 show the impression made upon me, for I have not previously written on 

 the subject. 



We continued our journey towards Rotomahana and the great rift, 

 and from the hill named Te Hape-o-toroa, overlookhig what had once been 

 the hot lake Rotomahana, containmg an area of about 200 acres, and 

 abomiding with terraces, puias, ngawhas, and geysers, there appeared an 

 immense yawning abyss, from which steam arose as from hundreds of 

 throats that at times sent out dismal sounds and hissings as awesome as 

 from Dante's inferno. The sight cannot be described, and one could only 

 wonder as to the forces that in the course of a few hours produced such an 

 enormous crater in place of a hot lake and its inimitable terraces. Great 

 steam-clouds rose from the abyss, and from the rift in the mountain, and 



