THE TARAWERA ERUPTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 190, 14 August 1886, Page 6

THE TARAWERA ERUPTION.

OS July 59 two bodies—those of a native Woman and girl—«were recovered from the volcanic mud at Wairoa.HAttention was first drawn to tho Bpot by the action of a dog, and on digging, the bodies woro found. They were identified uu those of Mlrata and Uriti, mother and daughter, tho bodies being pretty well preserved. It appears that the girl had been ill for gome time before tho eruption, and when escaping with hor mother got tired, and had to rest on the way. Though Mirata might have Bayed herself by caving hnr daughter, she did not do so, but stayed by her. Tho ecquel is eloquently told by the attitude in which the bodies were found—tho mother sitting clasping the girl in her anna for mpport, while tho girl held closo to her breast a copy of tl.e Bible. Mr Percy Smith's Burvey party reached the top of Tarawera about midday on the 2Sth inst. Mr C. Spencer, photographer, Tanranga, accompanied the party and took a dozen photographs from the top of the mountain. The party, consisting of eight person^ loft tho main camp at Pareharu bush at eight on the morning of the 27th, carrying blankets and a tent fly for camping out. They crossed the mud to the foot of Hapa o Tarea, and then, Bkirt'ng round the north side of the main eruption, reached Tarawera Lake, above what used to be Te Ariki, of which no trace was to be seen, everything being buried by the mud. All about Te Ariki the mud wbb very soft, and the party had great difficulty in crossing. Two of them here diverged and visited the point reached by the Stab expedition, and saw their mark. They *hen proceeded to the foot of Tarawera, but finding it too late to ascend the mountain that day, it was decided to camp. The rest of the day wa3 spent in examining the large rent in the earth from the foot of Tarawera to where the White Terrace waa. Considering that the party slept on the mud, and had no fire, the night was passed very comfortably. ' The next morning at eight tho ascent proper was undertaken. Whoa about 700 feet up Professor Thomas's mark was reached, and Bhortly afterwards the morfling mist rolled away, when a glorious panorama was . unfolded. The ascent was rather steep but good •(talking; Jets cf steam were met with hore, and these were highly charged with hydrochloric acid. The top of Tarawera was reached by ten. Then it wa3 seen that the three mountains—Tarawera, Ruawahia, and Wahanga-aro split in two from end to end by an enormous chasm about ten chains wide and 12 deop. The higheßt point of Ruawabia waa reached, and it waa seen that the volcanic activity is now quite silent. The way in which tho solid rocks are split end rent is very remarkable. The mountain has al-o added to its height 100 foot, or more. Tha panorama from the top was grand. The enormous steam cloud and rent were seen to advantage. The wr-ather was everything that couid be wished. After staying an hour on top tho parly descended and reached tho main track at Paroreka bush by 5.30 in the ovenihg. ...... A meeting of the Auckland Institute was held last on July 27, Professor Brown in tbo chair. The principal business was the roading of a paper by Mr Lawrence CuEßen, on "Thermal Activity at Ruapchu." Tho paper gave a graphic description of the hot lako on the summit of the mountain, the waters of which hare a sulphurous taste and smell. The natives believe this solfitara action to be new, though Mr Cus3en is inclined to think that there has been a low volcanic heat throughout, as five yoara ago he obeorved a column of Bfcoam rising1 from tho mountain. He, howover, considers it certain that about the timo of its, great eruption there was a considerable increase of volcanic activity ac Ruapehu. Sh-iuU tba volcanic hoat so increaee as to cause a sudden thaw of the ice and snow which fill up the crateral hollows of the mountain and mantle ils sides for several thousand feet, tho rosult must be heavy flood 3in the Whangaehu, Waikato, and Whanganui livers, probably attended with Eerious consequences to the town of Whanganui. The great boulders in the Whakupa and Wbanganui livers, some of them weighing over 50 tons, would seem to have been carried doivn by such floodß in tbo past. Prof ;330r Thomas, at the requestof tho Chairman, describad his recent expedition to Mount Tarawora. On reaching the edge of the great crater, he found a quantity of red ash, which had been thrown out a few days previously, and round the edge of the crater were coarse scoiia cinders, which wero still steaming. Papers on the eruption by Archdeacon Williams and Mr Dumerque were also rend. Tauranga f jlka have scarcely got over the condition of " funk " into which they were thrown by tha Tarawera eruption. The other day a great acaro was occasioned at Katikati by the report that Mayor Island -was in eruption, but it proved to bo only a white cloud floating that way, and "very like a whale." Continual alarmist reports regarding White Island are also circulated.