Fuly 29, 1886 } 
NATURE 
393 
its steaming shores with their countless hot springs, boiling 
geysers, steaming cauldrons, and seething mud-pools, as well 
as by the bold, rugged scenery which surrounded it on every 
side. The name Rotomahana in the native language means 
literally ‘‘hot lake.” The mean temperature of the water was 
about 80° F., while in the vicinity of the hot springs it rose 
frequently to 212° F. 
Tt was on either shore of this lake that the marvellous terraces 
now unfortunately reported to be destroyed were situated. The 
largest of these singular formations was ‘Ve Tarata, or the White 
Terrace, the outline of which assumed a semicircular form and 
spread out at its base as it sloped gently down to the margin of 
the lake ; the broad, flat, rounded steps of pure white silica rose 
tier above tier white and smooth as Parian marble and above 
them terrace after terrace mounted upwards, rounded and semi- 
circular in form. All were formed out of a delicate tracery of 
silica, which appeared like lacework congealed into alabaster of 
the purest hue; crystal pools shaped as if to resemble the 
form of shells and leaves, and filled to their brims with water 
blue and shining as liquid turquoise charmed the eye, while 
around the edges bright crystals of silica formed incrustations 
which made them appear as if set with a margin of miniature 
pearls. At the summit of the terrace was a crater of 200 feet in 
diameter filled to overflowing with brilliant transparent water in 
the form of a boiling fountain, from which clouds of steam 
floated constantly upward. This boiling spring formed an inter- 
mittent geyser, which during its active intervals threw up a 
column of water to a height of over 100 feet. The crater, how- 
ever, was always overflowing, and the water, which was highly 
charged with silica, had by a gradual process of deposition, ex- 
tending probably over a vast period, formed the present system 
of terraces. The temperature of the water varied from boiling 
point to 70° F. at the foot of the terrace, the summit of which 
was over 80 feet above the level of the lake. 
Immediately at the back of the White Terrace and bordering 
the lake was a rocky desolate gorge seamed and furrowed in 
eyery direction with streams of hot water, while jets of hissing 
steam bursting from its sides marked the sites of subterranean 
fires. The high hills on each side of the gorge rose up in quaint 
fantastic shape, and their rugged sides composed of shattered 
volcanic rock sent forth water and jets of steam from a thousand 
fissures. Here boiling geysers emitting clouds of steam lashed 
their hot waves about and foamed with a furious sound in rock- 
bound basins, while scattered over the greater portion of this 
fiery wilderness were innumerable fumaroles all hard at work 
shooting out steam and vomiting black streams of liquid mud. 
Some of these were round, some flat, and others cup-shaped, 
while not a few assumed the form of miniature volcanoes. 
It was opposite to this spot on the further shore of the lake, 
that Te Otukapurangi, or the ‘‘ Fountain of the Clouded Sky ” 
of the Maoris, or the Pink Terrace, rose from the water of the 
lake to an altitude of nearly roo feet. Here the deposits of silica 
assumed the same general formation, and each terrace of steps 
was gracefully and marvellously shaped with rounded edges 
which swept about in waving curves. The various buttress-like 
masses which supported the fringed edges of the terraces bent 
over and formed miniature grottoes resplendent with festoons of 
pink-tinted silica and rose-coloured stalactites which appeared to 
have been woven together by nature into an intricate network and 
then crystallised into their present shape. Iere the successive de- 
posits or layers of silica-rock did not assume, like those of Te 
Tarata, a wonderful combination of delicate lacework around 
the edges of the terraces, but the siliceous laminations appeared 
eyen thinner, and reminded one of the corrugated surface of 
pink satin rep. It was, however, the variegated tints of this 
wondrous structure which rendered it even more remarkable 
than the gracefully symmetrical proportions of its mcomparable 
design. As the blue-tinted water came rippling and falling from 
terrace to terrace in miniature cascades, Te Otukapurangi looked 
radiant in its sparkling mantle of delicate pink, and as the 
golden rays of the sun shot far and wide, it changed with every 
shade of light, with brilliant hues of pink, amber, carmine, 
and yellow, which shone with a dazzling and metallic lustre 
as they flashed and palpitated as it were in the warm glowing 
air. 
At the summit of the terrace was a circular platform, in the 
centre of which was a steaming cauldron formed by an alabaster- 
like basin about 100 feet in diameter. Here the deep dark-blue 
water within a few degrees of boiling-point lay without a ripple 
upon its surface, and shone with the brilliancy of transparent 
crystal, while beneath the siliceous deposits, which encrusted the 
sides of the crater, assumed all the varied designs of a coral 
grove tinted in glowing colours of yellow, blue, and pink. 
From Lake Rotomahana the recent volcanic eruption extended 
to the Pairoa Mountains, which attain to an altitude of 1coo feet, 
and which, when visited by Mr. Kerry-Nicholls, were hot, and 
quaking with internal fires, boiling mud pools, and coiling jets 
of steam that burst with a hissing sound from the deeply-scarred 
hills. The base of this range, where the volcanic action was 
greatest, was formed of a burnt fiery-looking earth, broken here 
and there into enormous fissures, and dotted about with boiling 
pools and deep holes of hot seething mud, while clouds of 
yapoury steam burst forth from the highest peaks. 
Following up the line of thermal activity across the island, as 
yet not known to be affected by the. recent outbreak, hot 
springs and geysers are found at Orakeikorako on the banks of 
the Waikato and in various places along the whole valley of the 
rivers, and notably at Wairakei, where the thermal activity is 
both widespread and extraordinary in its variety. At Taupo, 
the great central lake of the island, geysers and other phenomena 
of the kind exist on its northern shores. From this point further 
across the lake the hot springs and geysers of Tokanu occur, 
while a short distance beyond rises the cone-shaped form of 
Tongariro, at an altitude of 7000 feet, the two craters which 
are ina stale of very active so//a¢ava constantly emt vast volumes 
of steam. Five miles to the south of the latter mountain rises 
the colossal form of Mount Ruapehu, which, with a base of 
over sixty miles, rises to an altitude of 6000 feet to the region 
of perpetual snow. This mountain, which was at one time the 
chief centre of volcanic activity of the north island, has been 
extinct from time immemorial, but it is reported that during the 
recent eruption steam was seen to issue from the crater. It is 
the highest point of the north island, and was ascended by 
Mr. Kerry-Nicholls and his interpreter, Mr. Turner, in 1883. 
SCIENCE IN NEW SOUTH WALES 
N his Annual Address (on May 5) to the Royal Society of 
New South Wales, the President, Prof. Liversidge, re- 
ferred to the death of Prof. Smith, the former President of the 
Society, and to the eminent services which he had rendered to 
the cause of science and of education in New South Wales, and 
also to other members of the Society who died during the past 
year. The President then expressed regret that the number of 
original papers contributed to the Society isso small. ‘‘It is 
not,” he said, ‘‘from lack of subjects, for there are many ques- 
tions which require investigation, but rather from the lack of 
competent investigators who can spare the necessary time. Up 
to the present but little original work has been done in working 
out the chemistry of the mineral and vegetable products, and 
but very little in many branches of biology. The descriptions, 
catalogues, lists, &c., of the flora and fauna, are making fair 
progress, but still very little has been published relating to the 
development and life-history of the fauna of Australia, even of 
forms of life peculiar to that part of the worla. In matters of 
natural history, geology, and allied subjects it ‘is apparent to 
every one that the materials for original work are in New South 
Wales abundant, and a considerable amount of very valuable work 
is being done in this direction by the Linnean Society of New South 
Wales, but the amount waiting to be done is far more than they 
can cope with at present. The Society, by offering a medal 
and a money prize, has done what it can to stimulate research ; 
but the amount at its di-posal is small. So many subjects if 
thoroughly worked out would be of economic value to the 
colony—such as the chemistry of Australian gums and resins, 
the tin deposits, iron ores, and silver ores of New South Wales 
—that the Government might with propriety assist the Society 
in undertaking these researches. Wealthy colonists might also, 
with advantage to the State and credit to themselves, encourage 
such original investigation.” Speaking of biological work, the 
President said that one of the few facilities for scientific work 
possessed in Sydney, and which the Society assisted in founding, 
viz. the biological laboratory at Watson’s Bay, has been closed, 
the Government having taken the house and grounds for defence 
purposes. The trustees will doubtless receive the cost of the 
buildings, and with this as a nucleus a fresh start can be made. 
Tt would be a great pity to allow such an undertaking to drop, 
especially as there is such an unlimited field for marine bio 
logical work in Australia. In regard to scientific education. 
