april— sept. 1859.] tht Provinc* of Auckland. 



139 



pected to behold a magnificent prospect, but the day was now 

 cloudy and I could see no distance. The crater is nearly circular, 

 and from afterwards measuring with the eye a piece of ground 

 about the same size, I should think it was six hundred yards in 

 diameter. The lip of the crater was sharp : outside there was 

 almost nothing but loose cinders and ashes ; inside of the crater 

 there were large overhanging rocks of a pale yellow colour, evi- 

 dently produced by the sublimation of sulphur. The lip of the 

 crater is not of equal height all round, but I think I could have 

 walked round it. The southern side is the highest, and the north- 

 ern, where I stood, the lowest. There was no possible way of 

 descending the crater. I stretched out my neck and looked down 

 the fearful abyss which lay gaping before me, but my sight was 

 obstructed by large clouds of steam or vapour, and I don't think I 

 saw thirty feet down. I dropped into the crater several large 

 stones, and it made me shudder to hear some of them rebounding 

 as I supposed from rock to rock, — of some of the stones thrown in 

 I heard nothing. There was a low murmuring sound during the 

 whole time I was at the top, such as you hear at the boiling 

 springs at Rotomahana and Taupo, and which is not unlike the 

 noise heard in a steam engine room when the engine is at work. 

 There was no eruption of water or ashes during the time I was 

 there, nor was there any appearance that there had been one late- 

 ly. I saw no lava which had a recent appearance ; notwithstand- 

 ing all this, I did not feel comfortable where I stood in case of an 

 eruption. The air was not cold — the ascent had made me hot — 

 but I had time to cool, for I remained at the crater nearly an hour. 

 At about 2 p. m., I commenced my descent by the same way that 

 I ascended. A fog or cloud passed over where I was, and caused 

 me to lose my way for a short time. When descending I saw be- 

 tween Tongariro and Ruapahu a lake about a mile in diameter. I 

 could see no stream flowing out of it on its western side. An ex- 

 tinct crater may also be seen near the base of Tongariro. It was 

 almost dark before I reached the Whanganui river, and, although 

 in strong condition and a good walker, I felt completely done up, 

 and I fell asleep in a dry water-course. The night was cold, but 

 1 slept soundly until daylight, when I immediately rose and con- 



