Correspondence — Captain F. W. Hutton, F.R.S. 527 

 coiaiaEsiPOiTnDEisrcJE. 



GEOLOGICAL HYPOTHESIS. 



Sir, — In the July number of your Magazine, just received, there 

 is an article called "A Word on Geological Hypothesis," by 

 Professor H. Macaulay Posnett.^ After some admirable platitudes 

 on the subject of scientific dogmatism, he proceeds to explain why 

 he has been forced to tender this kindly advice by the follov?ing 

 illustrations. 



" Shortly after the Tarawera eruption of June, 1886, some 

 professors of science proceeded to the Eotorua district and there 

 held a Maori meeting. The Maoris were told that, the lines of 

 volcanic energy having such and such directions, they need 

 entertain no fears of the recurrence of the late disaster — ' they 

 might plant their kumeras in peace.' Hereupon an old Maori chief, 

 with the usual sagacity of his race, rose and remarked, ' If the 

 volcano-doctors know so much about what is to be, what a pity it 

 was they did not come and forewarn us of the eruption.' Needless 

 to say, the ' volcano-doctors ' had no reply ; and in our civilized 

 views of volcanic forces it would be far better to own ignorance 

 than to even hint a claim to foresight where it does not as yet exist." 



Now as I am one of the ' volcano-doctors ' referred to, and 

 Professor Posnett was at the time in Auckland, 170 miles away, 

 I suppose I know more about what took place than he does. The 

 following is a plain statement of the facts. Professors Thomas and 

 Douglas-Brown, of the Auckland University College, and myself 

 were commissioned by the N.Z. Government to report upon the 

 eruption. The Maoris, naturally, were in a great state of alarm. 

 Many had left and quartered themselves on neighbouring tribes ; 

 and the remainder wanted to leave, but had no land to go to. Under 

 these circumstances the Resident Magistrate at Eotorua asked us 

 whether we could help in dissipating these fears. We consented to 

 try. He called a meeting, and I, as senior, was deputed to make the 

 speech. I pointed out that as the eruption had only lasted for a few 

 hours and had been over for more than a week, it was not likely that 

 it would recur in the near future, as time must be allowed for the 

 subterranean forces to again accumulate. Even, I said, if a second 

 eruption should take place it would probably not be a severe one, 

 like the first, for an opening had been made through which the steam 

 could now escape. I said nothing about lines of volcanic energy. 

 The Maoris saw the common-sense of these reasons ; their fears 

 ceased, the runaways returned, and crops for the coming season 

 were planted. I do not remember being asked why we had not 

 forewarned the Maoris of the eruption — it sounds like a newspaper 

 yarn — but if I was so asked, no doubt I made it clear to my audience 

 that the two things were very different ; a point which Professor 

 Posnett appears not to see. 



1 Geol. Mag., 1900, ]>]>. 298-302. 



