II 



• As in former periods masses of molten lava were forced 

 up, and volcanic ashes covered the Yellowstone park, it has 

 last year occurred in New Zealand with destruction of human 

 lives, and devastating a once exquisite scene. 



The White Terrace, described by Mr. Froude as " a crystal 

 staircase, glittering and stainless as if it were ice/^ with its 

 stairs, about twenty in number, of from six to seven feet each 

 in height, varying in width from forty to fifty feet, or more, 

 with boiling water, saturated with silica, which it deposits 

 and forms the terraces. 



The Devil's Pool of boiling water, charged with sulphur, 

 and with numbers of geysers on the plateau above, with the 

 green hot lake below, with fountains and smooth floor of 

 silica. 



The Pink Terrace, and other terraces above with " rosy 

 icicles and crystals in festoons, like creepers, and pools of 

 ultramarine" (Froude), all resemble those features of the 

 Yellowstone region. 



This district was only recently known, the aborigines 

 jealously guarding it from visits of strangers, like the Indians 

 at Yellowstone Park. 



About midnight of June the gth, 1886, or morning of the 

 loth, there was a violent earthquake at Waira, with a terrific 

 eruption at Tarawera, the high hill overlooking lakes 

 Tarawera and Rotomahana, which suddenly became an 

 active volcano, with flames rising 1000 feet, and a shower of 

 red-hot stones, some of large size, and dust, grit, and cinders 

 projected to a distance of eight miles, followed by a black 

 cloud with suffocating smell ; the lightning was caused by it 

 to be of a blood red colour, then came a hurricane. Large 

 quantities of scalding mud were thrown up which lies three 

 or four feet in depth. All through the night the earthquakes 

 continued, at Rotorna twenty-eight shocks were counted, at 

 Opotiki, on the sea coast, seventy-three shocks. The whole 

 country was covered with ashes, and fresh boiling springs 

 threw up mud and water in countless places, for distances of 

 six or seven miles to Wairoa and towards Ohinemetu, at 



