290 VOLCANIC CONES [PART II. 



natives on the road or in one of the next settle- 

 ments. 



The country between Waitemata and Manukao 

 is not only highly interesting to the geologist, but 

 also very promising to the agriculturist. A number 

 of cones rise above the even table-land, which is in- 

 tersected by moderate valleys. All these cones are 

 extinct volcanoes. The most interesting of them 

 is Maunga-wao, which, according to barometrical 

 and thermometrical measurement, has an elevation 

 of 500 feet. Its base, which is lengthened towards 

 the north-west, is strewed over with large masses 

 of hard and black cellular scoriae, often forming 

 ridges, or heaped up by the former inhabitants into 

 mounds, to enable them to cultivate the light black 

 soil between. Near the summit, which is on the 

 southern extremity of the hill, these scoriae are 

 more friable and of a reddish colour. Here is a 

 funnel-shaped crater beautifully perfect and re- 

 gular. The margin is a little lower towards 

 the north, in the direction of the longer axis 

 of the hill. The interior of this funnel, which is 

 about 150 feet deep, contains small gravel of red 

 scoriae, and is overgrown with short fern. On the 

 outer surface of fche Jirll about twelve terraces rise 

 throughout its extent, at regular intervals of about 

 twelve feet. All the cones in the neighbourhood 

 of Maunga-wao have this terraced appearance ; and 

 although the natives, who formerly had settlements 

 on almost all these hills, have contributed much to 



