144 MISS HILDA BOORD^ ON 



Am I right in surmising- that the subterraneous heat must either 

 here be specially near the surface, or, if at the base of a tube, 

 the motive-heat must be extraordinarily great for it ever to 

 reach the boiling-point of that (assumed) great depth, and to be 

 capable of lifting so huge a bulk of water ? The regularity of 

 the geyser's shot, occurring, as it does, every nine minutes and 

 rising ten feet higher each time, certainly seems to point to the 

 existence of a tube of some depth. Is it possible that 

 " Waimangu " is in reality an ancient geyser which, for some 

 reason best known to Vulcan and his workmen, has been 

 re-endowed with life ? 



Discussion. 



The Chairman. — Ladies and gentlemen, I think that the new 

 departure that the Secretary has spoken of in allowing a lady to 

 read a paper here, you will, l)y the result of this afternoon, quite 

 realize is a departure in the right direction, for we have had a most 

 interesting paper, charmingly read. 



It is a great many years since I was in New Zealand, but I have 

 always had the most intense interest in the place from the 

 peculiarity of the country altogether, and the remarkable volcanic 

 conditions that exist all over it. 



Many years ago I was in Tory Channel, which has an unenviable 

 notoriety, as it was really the scene of the massacre of the crew of 

 the Tory before the last New Zealand war. We were on a boating 

 expedition, and we spent the night at the cottage of a settler there. 

 We were talking about the country and earthquakes, and they said 

 that on an average they had an earthquake once a month during 

 the year. Just outside the city of Auckland there stands Mount Eden 

 — an extinct volcano, the crater of which was almost as perfect as 

 the day the volcano left off working. From the top of this cone 

 there were to be seen, as far as I remember, thirteen not extinct 

 volcanoes, probably, but volcanic cones. The whole country is full 

 of interest from this very lively volcanic action that is going on. 



No doubt there are many here who are interested in New 

 Zealand, and I hope they will give us the benefit of their remarks. 



