VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

Kumara Times, Issue 3004, 19 June 1886, Page 2

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

[united press association.] Rotorua, June 16. The Ngatipiko have a toronga, or a priest, who came up to Taheka the day before the eruption. He made a remark to the natives, it may be by way of banter, that so many lies had been told at the Taneka Land Court that it was likely an earthquake would swallow them up. Captain Mair reports that at Moura village, where 45 Maoris are buried, mud in liquid state is flowing into the lake with rapidity. The who'e site of the village has been shot bodily into the lake. They floundered through, but finding no signs of life proceeded on to Ariki. They reached there in the afternoon. The whole front of Tarawera on this side has been changed by earthquakes. The south of the mount is blown clean off, making an indentation like knocking in the front of a felt hat. This has formed a crater, which Arika is still astir. Immediately behind is a very large steam-bole near the White Terrace in violent action. From it are springing immense clouds of black steam, laden with dust. At Ariki 40 natives were covered 30 feet. The party had some difficulty in returning to Wairoa, where they arrived very exhausted. At Tereku four Taupo natives on a visit perished.

Captain Mair says it is evident that the first outbreak was at the south end of Tarawera. The whole country looks like large bush clearing, except that it is covered with grey ash instead of black.

Volcanic action so far as Tarawera appears to be rapidly exhausting itself, but at Rotomahana, Captain Mair says, the volcanoes show every indication of being permanent, and will have to be the attraction of tourists instead of the terraces.

[From the Greymouth Star’s Wellington Correspondent.] Rotorua,. J o Sergeant Cahill, one of the boating party under Major Mair which crossed to Rotomahana yesterday, returned here at midnight. He reports that the boat reached the site of Te Ariki, where the parly found the settlement buried to a depth of twenty feet. There is no trace of life or any habitation. No aid could have availed them. Moura, the native settlement on the point of Tarawera, where it bends towards Te Ariki, is believed to have slipped bodily into the lake. If help could ever have been <>f use to the natives there it is too late now. The party found the creek that flowed from Rotomahana into Lake Tarawera completely stopped up. Rotomahana itself was, as previously 5 reported, nothing but a mass of mud geysers, and no trace could be found of the magnificent White Terrace,

Dr. Hector is surprised at the extent of the eruption. Scientists have been amusing themselves calculating the weight of vo'canic earth and mud thrown out. Their estimates vary from eight million to eight hundred million tons.

Mrs Hazard has so far recovered that she leaves for Cambridge on Thursday, There is a very sad side to this catastrophe, as there is also a very humorous one. Mr Morgan, a surveyor, relates that he was at Galatea with natives, and when the shower of ashes came, one native fell upon his knees and exclaimed, “Oh Lord, if you will only let us get out of this I will give you a pound, and Morgau shall keep it.” A' native woman from Tokino or VVaitiingi, two villages on the left side of Ta i aw era looking from Waitoa, came in to-day and reports that nobody is herself.