402 Rev. A. Irving — The Bagshot Beds and London Clay. 



sible for words to describe A few pools of dirty boiling 



water still existed at the western end, and a rather large one at the 

 eastern end. Hundreds of volcanic cones were throwing out steam, 

 and what appeared to be black smoke. Scores of geysers were 

 playing away merrily, throwing water many feet into the air. In 

 one place a small plateau of mud had been thrown up, and on it 

 was a pool of yellow boiling water, from one end of which a jet of 

 dirty smoke or steam as thick as a man's body was issuing. About 

 one hundred yards from the western end a large volcano, in very 

 violent action, kept up a continual discharge of mud and steam, 

 accompanied by a heavy rumbling, roaring sound. It would be 

 impossible to describe the wonders of the scene in their infinite 

 variety of volcanic grandeur. We were then standing on the bank 

 above where the Pink Terraces formerly existed. The whole southern 

 bank of the lake has been blown completely away, and the spot 

 where the Terraces once stood is now an open gap. We next walked 

 round the crater to the western end of the lake, to try to obtain a view 

 of the White Terraces. Having waited till the steam lifted, we 

 then saw that the White Terraces were also gone. The appearance 

 of the place where they had stood was entirely changed, but a very 

 active geyser was still playing. Eeturning back to where Ave 

 first came down to the crater's edge, Mr. Blomfield took a sketch 

 of the scene before us. We then started on the return climb — a very 

 different thing from the descent. After a long pull, we got on to the 

 first terrace, and then began the ascent of the big hill. We slowly 

 crawled up its steep face, digging our hands and knees into the soft 



mud of which it was composed We stopped to rest every few 



minutes, preventing ourselves from slipping back by thrusting our 

 arms straight into the face of the hill, but when we got within 

 thirty feet of the top, a slight earthquake shock, which shook the 

 hill and sent the sand down round us, acted like a refresher, and we 

 made good time to the top. where we found the rest of the party." 



It is also reported that Tarawera had developed seven craters on 

 the Tarawera Peak proper, and three on Euawahie. It is further 

 believed that those on the immediate site of Eotomahana will remain 

 permanent. 



III. — The Unconformity between the Bagshot Beds and the 



London Clay. 

 By the Eev. A. Irving, B.Sc, B.A., F.G.S., of Wellington College. 



IN the paper on the well-section at Brookwood in the August 

 Number of the Geological Magazine, 1 the author pointed out 

 that a comparison of the lithological facts brought to light in that 

 section with those furnished by two other deep-well sections (at 

 Wokingham and Aldershot respectively) lead to an inference in favour 

 of a considerable amount of denudation of the London Clay having 

 taken place during the deposition of the Bagshot Beds ; that is to 



1 "While that paper was passing through the press, the author was informed by the 

 contractor, Mr. S. P. Coalcer, that " a very perfect shark's tooth was found at the 

 depth of about sixty feet." May not this have heen derived from the London Clay ? 





