126 The Tarawera Outhreah. 



The Argus reporter has described how a spectator at Roto- 

 rua saw a black dustcloud driving, apparently, dead to wind- 

 ward, and in the teeth of a south-west gale which was then 

 raging at that place. This appearance is what would be 

 expected if the lower winds over a limited area were 

 approaching an inverted vortex, and the upper winds, laden 

 with ash, were sliding outwards and downwards, and distri- 

 buting their loading all around, after the manner of a 

 gigantic Jupiter. 



The last point to which I desire to allude briefly is the 

 relation of the time of the occurrence of this eruption ta 

 those periods of maximum frequency of earth disturbances 

 which some physicists have deduced. 



It has been noted that in this hemisphere the several 

 periods of earthquake maxima occur in the winter season, 

 in the month of June, during the night time, and between 

 midnight and half -past two a.m. 



It is not necessary for me to do more than point out that 

 the Tarawera eruption occurred at ten minutes past two in 

 the night time, during the month of June, and in the winter 

 season. 



G. S. GRIFFITHS. 



