822 Essays. 
30 miles from the coast. The coast now trends rapidly to the westward, 
fringed by sandhills, behind which may be seen the fertile country composed 
of upper tertiaries. Passing the low ground at Rangitikei the coast rises 
into cliffs towards Whanganui, of from 100 to 200 feet high. The bold out- 
line of Ruapehu may now be seen overlooking the great tertiary basin, and 
covered with snow, to the north of Whanganui. The ridges of Ruahine 
stretching to the N.N.E. are far in the distance, while to the westward the 
graceful cone of Mount Egmont also comes into the general view. Between 
Whanganui and Kai-iwi an “old forest” is found in the cliffs, and numerous 
remains of the moa in the sandhills above. Between this and Taranaki the 
grand curve of the coast shows tertiary cliffs to the sea, the upper beds of 
which appear to be very recent. This part of the coast has not yet been 
examined, and it is more than probable that the basalts or other igneous 
rocks may be exposed at different points on the coast and to the inland of 
the mountain. With this exception, the interior country here appears to be 
entirely composed of sedimentary tertiaries, with the grand cone of Mount 
Egmont rising like an island from their midst. 
VOLCANIC. 
The volcanic system of the North Island is comprised within certain 
limits, as follows :—If we draw a line from the southern base of Mount 
Egmont and continue it past the southern base of Ruapehu until it 
approaches the Kaimanawa range—then, by striking a line nearly at right 
angles from this point to the mouth of the Whakatane River, in the Bay of 
Plenty, we shall find the whole country to the north and north-west, as far 
as the North Cape, more or less dotted over with voleanie cones. Certain 
trappean dykes are found in districts to the southward and eastward of these 
lines, but no true volcanic craters, unless possibly Mount Hikurangi, previ- 
ously mentioned, may prove to be one. 
With regard to the voleanic part of the island, Hochstetter states as 
follows:—* Lofty trachytie peaks covered with perpetual snow, a vast 
number of smaller volcanic cones, presenting all the varied characteristics of 
volcanic systems, and a long line of boiling springs, fumaroles and solfataras, 
present an almost unbounded field of interest, and at the same time a 
succession of magnificent scenery. 
“The first voleanie eruptions were submarine, consisting of vast quanti- 
ties of trachytic lava, breccia, tuff, obsidian and pumice stone, which, flowing ` 
over the bottom of the sea, formed an extensive submarine volcanic plateau. 
The volcanic action continuing, the whole mass was upheaved above the level 
of the sea, and new phenomena were developed. The eruptions going on in 
| the air instead of under the sea, lofty cones of trachytic and phonolitie laya, 
