166 EEPOiiT— 1891. 



almost perpendicular walls forming its north-eastern and eastern 

 sides. The south-western portion of the major crater is in a 

 very active state, and immense clouds of steam are constantly 

 rising from this place. From the spot where the lip is lowest 

 another crater has been formed towards the north-west. It is 

 perfect in shape, and I suppose about 130ft. in depth. Its 

 diameter would be about 130 yards, whilst the diameter of the 

 major crater I estimate to be 250 j-ards. Towards the centre 

 there is a circular hole 9ft. or 10ft. in diameter, w^hich is the 

 mouth of the shaft from which steam is constantly rising. The 

 walls of this crater when visited by me in 1887 were of a dark 

 colour, wuth here and there a patch of almost vermilion-red ; 

 but in March last year, when I again saw it, the walls were of 

 a primrose-yellow, being covered with sulphur crystals, with 

 here and there a band of red, giving this crater a very bea,uti- 

 ful appearance. Steam was rising from the sides at a furious 

 rate, and the crater was much more active than at the date of 

 my first visit. The portion of the major crater which is now 

 the most active part of the mountain is to the south. It is 

 much deeper than the other crater, and is of irregular shape. 

 It seems to have several circular shafts ; but the vapour and 

 sulphur-fumes that are constantly rising from the several vents 

 make observation difQcult and dangerous. The wall of the 

 crater on the east and south rises in places to 250ft. -in height 

 above the floor of the crater on these sides. It is much broken 

 and jagged in appearance, and steam is seen to be issuing from 

 it in many places. The old lava-iiows can be clearly seen, and 

 they give a stratified appearance to the walls of the major 

 , crater where the fractures have not been extensive. On the 

 north side of the cone, below where the lip is lowest, there is 

 an area several acres in extent which is in a state of activity, as 

 shown by the numerous steam-jets, from which a large deposi- 

 tion of sulphur has taken place. This area showed important 

 changes during the three years that elapsed between my visits 

 to the place. In 1887 there was a slight crater-hole, from 

 which steam issued at a furious rate ; but last year the whole 

 area had been covered over apparently with a thin crust, over 

 which it was possible to walk with care. When the crust was 

 broken steam issued, and v»dien a stick was pushed down it 

 was found to be very hoc, and to pass through sulphur only. 

 Just before the Tarawera eruption columns of steam were seen 

 to issue from this place ; and a shnilar occurrence took place in 

 1868, just before Te Mari broke out, as seen by Mr. Batley, of 

 Moawliango, who resided in the vicinity of the mountain at the 

 time. Dieffenbach (vol. i., p. 352) gives Mr. Bidwill's account 

 of his ascent of Ngauruhoe on the 3rd March, 1839. From the 

 description it is evident that Mr. Bidwill ascended the moun- 

 tain from the Manga-te-popo, as he refers to the lava-flows to 



