Matr.—On Rurima Rocks. 151 
Art, XVIII.—WNotes on Rurima Rocks. By Major W. G. Marr. 
[Read before the Auckland Institute, 23rd December, 1872.] 
THis group of islets, situated about four miles from the main land and five or 
six miles north-east from the entrance to the Awaateatua river in the Bay of 
Plenty, presents many interesting features, and would, I believe, well repay a 
careful examination. In the early part of 1871 I visited them during a 
fishing excursion, and as nothing, I believe, has ever been written about 
them, it has occurred to me to jot down, as well as my memory serves, these 
few notes. 
Unlike most islands or rocks on the New Zealand coast this group stands 
on a shallow patch, and the shores, instead of being steep-to, present a margin 
of rock or sand extending in some parts to a breadth of 150 yards between 
high and low water-mark. This formation breaks the sea, and prevents that 
weather-beaten appearance so characteristic of sea-girt islets. The most 
western islet (Rurima proper) is about 100 feet in height ; it covers an area of 
perhaps four acres, and consists of three hummocks placed in the form of a 
triangle, with one of its points presented to the north and another to the west. 
The western hummock is insulated at high water, the other two are connected 
by a belt of light sandy soil about seventy yards broad, and not more than ten 
feet above high water. On either side of this belt is a sand beach, the 
western one forming a landing in southerly and easterly winds, if the sea is 
not heavy ; while that on the eastern side, protected as it is by rocks on 
either hand, forms a bay, with good landing in almost any weather with wind 
from north nearly round to south. There is hardly water enough for anything 
larger than ten or fifteen tons to use this bay as an anchorage in heavy 
weather. The first mentioned hummock is the smallest, it is precipitous and 
densely covered with the ordinary littoral plants. The one forming the 
southern corner of the angle is lower, and flat-topped, with a growth of short 
fern. The heat imparted to the soil oy an old fumarole has made this mound 
a favourite breeding place for many ies of gulls. 
Under favourable conditions of the atmosphere steam may be seen issuing 
from the ground in several places, but it is evident that the igneous action is 
all but extinct. : 
The northern hummock is the largest and highest in the group; it is 
thickly wooded, and possesses some fine specimens of pohutukawa (Metrosi- 
deros tomentosa), in some of which I observed nests of the common pied shag 
(Graculus varius). The only fresh water in the group is on the north-west 
face of this hummock. It is a dripping spring not many yards above high 
water-mark, nearly hidden by the arching roots of a huge, half prostrate 
