CHAP. XXIV.] OF TONGARIRO. 351 



afraid to go any nearer to the much-dreaded place ; 

 nor could I persuade the two who did set off with 

 with me to go within a mile of the base of the cone. 

 They, however, made a fire of such small bushes as 

 they could collect, and waited for me till I got back. 

 As there was no road, I went as straight towards 

 the peak as I found possible, going over hills and 

 through valleys without swerving to the right or 

 left. As I was toiling over a very steep hill I heard 

 a noise which caused me to look up, and saw that 

 the mountain was in a state of eruption : a thick 

 column of black smoke rose up for some distance, 

 and then spread out like a mushroom. As I was 

 directly to windward, I could see nothing more, and 

 could not tell whether anything dropped from the 

 cloud as it passed away : the noise, which was very 

 loud, and not unlike that of the safety-valve of a 

 steam-engine, lasted about half an hour, and then 

 ceased after two or three sudden interruptions ; the 

 smoke continued to ascend for some time afterwards, 

 but was less dense. I could see no fire, nor do I 

 believe that there was any, or that the eruption was 

 anything more than hot water and steam, although, 

 from the great density of the latter, it looked like 

 very black smoke. I toiled on to the topt)f a hill, and 

 was then much disappointed that the other side of 

 it, instead of being like what I had ascended, was a 

 precipice, or very deep ravine, with a large stream 

 of water at the bottom. With some difficulty I 

 managed to get down ; and, on ascending the other 



