400 The Recent Volcanic Eruption in Ncio Zealand. 



dition of the world-reputed Lake Rotomahana, and the fate of the 

 Maori settlements on the southern arm of Lake Tarawera. The ex- 

 peditions in question were conducted by Mr. James Stewart, Major 

 Mair, Mr. G. M. Reed, Mr. McRae, the Warbrick Brothers, and Mr. 

 H. Steele, with Dr. Hector, the Government Geologist, at great 

 personal risk and after much acute suffering. The sum of their 

 reports was, that Lake Okaro and Mount Kakarema, to the south of 

 Kotomahana, were in their normal condition, but along the creek 

 connecting the former with Lake Kotomahana four craters had 

 broken out, as well as a large one, 400 yards long, on the flank 

 of Mount Tarawera, overlooking Rotomahana, where all had before 

 been fern and tussock grass, throwing up showers of stones, dust, and 

 volcanic mud. Rotomahana itself appeared to be one immense 

 cauldron, composed of a series of smaller craters in full action, of 

 which eleven to fifteen were counted, belching out clouds of steam, 

 stones and mud. The site of the Pink Terrace was occupied by one 

 of the largest of these, but that of the White Terrace was " clean 

 blown out of existence," and occupied by immense fumaroles. The 

 dividing line hetween the mud eruption and the showers of dry dust 

 over the surrounding country was remarkably well shown. From 

 Rotomahana towards the south-west, the latter extended around 

 Lake Okaro, and back to Lake Rerewhakaitu, covering an area 

 of not less than seven square miles. Away to the northward, the 

 whole of the north shore of Lake Rotorua " wore the grey drab tint 

 of the volcanic debris." It now appears tolerably well proved that 

 it was the mud from the volcanoes developed on the site of Lake 

 Rotomahana that destroyed the ill-fated Wairoa township ; as well 

 as the Maori settlements of Te Ariki and Moura on Lake Tarawera, 

 with all their inhabitants. This volcanic mud has covered a very 

 large area, from fifteen to twenty miles in length, by an average 

 breadth of ten or twelve miles. It extended from Rotomahana on 

 the south to near Ohinemutu on the north, and along the shores 

 of Lake Rotorua to Ta Heke. The depth varied from a few inches 

 to ten feet, but at Te Ariki, near the point of ejection, it was esti- 

 mated to be at least thirty feet in depth, and it was very heavy, 

 which will account for the manner in which the houses at Wairoa 

 were crushed down. 



Dr. Hector, C.M.G., F.R.S., is stated to have expressed the opinion 

 that the earthquake shocks caused by the outbreak of Mount Tara- 

 wera ruptured the steam pipes in the Rotomahana geysers, and let 

 in the water of the lake upon the subterranean heat, resulting in the 

 generation of enormous quantities of steam, and the ejectment of the 

 mud at the bottom of the lake. The material thrown out by Mount 

 Tarawera appears to have been more of the nature of a white earthy 

 pumiceous dust, but so far as yet known lava has not been observed. 

 The pumiceous dust was examined by Profs. Brown and Thomas, 

 of Auckland University College, who report on a sample obtained 

 at Tauranga, that it consisted of angular grains of quartz, volcanic 

 glass and finely divided pumice, fragments of felspar, hornblende, 

 and other volcanic minerals. 



