164 REPORT— 1891. 



outline of the cone is smooth on the west, somewhat broken and 

 irregular towards the north, and irregular and shapeless on the 

 east. Towards the south there is a lava-flow which unites by 

 a saddle this cone with Ngauruhoe. There is no sign of 

 volcanic activity anywhere around the base or slopes of the 

 cone except at the northern end, just in the same way as the 

 northern slopes of Ngauruhoe give evidence of activity at the 

 present time. The two places where this activity is seen are 

 known as Ketetahi and Te Mari, the former being towards 

 the north-west at a height of 4,800ft., the latter towards the 

 north-east at a height of 5,600ft. Hochstetter, in his account 

 of the district, refers to Ketetahi, from which he saw "large 

 and dense volumes of steam emerging, larger than those from 

 Ngauruhoe." Vast quantities of steam arise to-day just as in 

 1859 when first viewed by Hochstetter ; but, as Professor Thomas 

 has already so well described the spot, it needs no further 

 reference from me. Te Mari, as far as I have been able to 

 discover, is of comparatively recent origin. The place was so 

 called after Te Mari, sister of the chief Matuahu, of Otukou 

 Pa, who died at the end of 1868, just about the time the 

 explosions at Te Mari took place. Te Mari's niece is still living 

 at Moawhango, in the Patea district. No mention is made of 

 Te Mari by Hochstetter, and there is every appearance that 

 the volcanic vents at this place are very recent, and that they 

 broke out at the beginning of 1869, as stated by the Natives. 

 Te Mari is about a mile from Ketetahi. The place is difficult 

 to reach, but the student of vulcanology is provided there with 

 an object-lesson seldom met with. There are three somewhat 

 small and irregular-shaped craters, and at the bottom of each 

 is a shaft of unknown depth, perfectly circular, about 12ft. in 

 diameter, and from which steam is constantly rising. No lava 

 or pumice has been thrown from these vents although smoke 

 has risen from them, and when they broke out in 1869 a bright 

 red flame was seen through the smoke, and as it reached the 

 top of the smoke-cloud it would burst and fall in little parts 

 like snow falling. Such is the account given by an intelligent 

 Native named Aruhe, who was born at Poutou, on Lake Eoto- 

 aira, and it is confirmed by two other Natives from the same 

 place. 



Within the cone itself are a number of craters, some of 

 which are extremely beautiful, but they are merely the 

 remnants of what must have been at one period a centre of 

 great volcanic activity. They, however, have been so well 

 illustrated by Professor Thomas in the paper already referred 

 to that no further reference to this portion of the chain is 

 necessary, except to say that in what is known as the Eed 

 Crater I have seen steam issuing from the walls on each occa- 

 sion that I have visited the mountain. 



