420 Transactions. — Geology, 



the above cone had completely vanished, and that along the greater part of 

 the north side of the crater another cone, about 500 feet wide at the top, 

 had been violently thrown up. In the interior of this cone, at the bottom, 

 there were two openings opposite each other, out of which sulphurous 

 steam was blown in considerable quantities. The outside of the cone was 

 of loose material, as might be expected from its recent deposition, and was 

 composed of stones, pumice, cinders, and debris of the mountain. 



It is thus evident that this volcano is still active, although at uncertain 

 periods. Over the floor of the crater, and up aloft, along the sides, as well 

 as outside the mountain, sulphur-steam was issuing in all directions, 

 tinging the orifices with yellow crystals of sulphur. The whole crater of 

 Tongariro might be 1500 feet wide. The loose burnt sides, overhanging 

 the floor, are gradually falling down, altering the configuration of the 

 summit of the mountain. Upon the floor of the crater there were several 

 thick patches of hardened snow ; and at the north side, under the cliffs, a 

 large wreath of snow, melting from the heat beneath, formed a smgular- 

 looking cavern with a scalloped roof, as of white marble. The writer spent 

 a night inside the crater, and found the air intensely cold till the sun rose 

 high enough in the morning to shine into the crater. Astronomers, in 

 scanning the volcanoes of the moon, have noticed about the middle of the 

 floor of certain craters a small cone, giving rise to speculation about its 

 cause. Does not Tongariro afford explanation — that, as the volcanic forces 

 exhaust themselves, they give vent to their expiring fires by a small cone. 



White Island. — It is generally supposed that the vapours arising from 

 White Island are steam from geysers ; whereas, sulphurous steam never 

 rises to any height. The main forces of the grand display at the " Theatre 

 of Nature" upon White Island, are burning beds of sulphur, which show 

 their red fires at night across the lake, whilst the fumes rise up into the air 

 in volumes, to spread there at a great height, like a balloon, or to flow 

 away in a train over the sea before the breeze. 



