VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

Kumara Times, Issue 3005, 21 June 1886, Page 2

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN THE NORTH ISLAND.

♦ From our East Coast Exchanges we glean the following additional interesting particulars relative to the great volcanic eruption at Tarawera. Tauranga, Jone 15. I have not harrowed you with the Native horrors—how Penetio, at Wairon, and his wife and three children rushed through the storm from their whare to the haka house, how two of the children weie killed on the road, and how the wife died of fright shortly after reaching safety, how the haka house roof was propped op with forms and saved, while the church with its high pitched roof was destroyed, how Huta Tangihia, although almost at Tarawera, kept clearing ashes from his door, and with his family escaped to the coast, when the debris ceased to fall ; how two old Natives saved yesterday passed four days buried, cheered up by believing themselves fed by ghosts and spirits, and bow the Natives look with contempt at our trying to save the old people. The reason only old people were dug out is that they are always kept apart from the youn<» ones, and have to live in little huts. While the big houses succumbed to the weight the little ones escaped. The Natives say, "Now that they are buried, let them remain; we cannot afford tangis now." The Rotorua Natives are threatening to kill Tuohato, the old wizard saved yesterday. He is blamed for the whole disaster. Two months ago he and Oporo, Chief of Wairoa, had a quarrel, when Oporo struck him. He yelled out, "You will die, you will die; and before long something else will happen." Within a month Oporo died, and Tuohato boasted he had killed him. I interviewed Tuohato last night and bund him smoking, and nearly as well as ever. He has been too feeble to walk for months. He expects to be killed, and appears to glory in the idea of being killed for such things. Rotorua, June 15. When the old priest, Tewhaeo, who is supposed to be over 100 years old, was unearthed at his whare, near the binding at Lake Tarawera, he was found sitting in a crouching position, and when the search party tried to draw him out, he strongly demurred, saying that they were half-a-dozen taipos (devils) waiting outside for him. He was dragged out and brought into Ohinemutu. The Maoris are disgusted with the discovery, and regard an ill omen. Miss Graham returned yesterday afternoon from a visit to Lake Rotomabana and travelled many mi'es' with fine dust op to her sacMle girths. S'le j exhibited considerable pluck anddarinw for a lady of her age. She appears I quite crest-fallen at the state of affairs. j All round the Native village of OhineI mutn fresh holes are breakiug out, and ! the settlement is one whole mass of steam. June 17. Mr Johnson, Government agent here, yesterday called a meeting of Natives to see who wanted help and food. After a lot of preliminary haranguiog, one Native named Tapara, belonging to the Ngatikawhare, said "I bear there is a doctor here who reads earth. We want to hear his report; whether it is safe to stay here." Mr Pope, another Government official, said, "Dr. Hector could not givo his report until he arrived in Wellington and worked out the cause. Then he-would let the people know." Tapara said : "We are in terror here, and want to know k 5 once. Mr Pope said he could explain it quite well. "You know," said he " the earth is like a kettle tilled with water. If the spout and lid are stopped up that uo steam can come out, and the kettle is put on the fire to boil, when reaching boiling point the s»-am must have vent somewhere, and the consfquence is an explosion. This is the way with Tarawo,* an-! Rotoa.v.hana." This needed he N T .Uve= vgry

much. Said one—"We do not want what is past, we want to know about the future. Do you think we are fools, or a lot of Bchool children, to be taught like that? Go away." Mr Pope walked out without answering. Superstitious Natives regard Dr. Hector's hasty departure as a bad omen, and many are ready to leave on the first intimation of a fresh eruption. A PHANTOM OANOE. A gentlemen writing from Oxford says :—The volcanic eruption is said to have been preceded a week ago by a tidal wave on Lake Tarawera, and the Maoris were afraid to go up with their canoes. Another circumstance which increased their superstition was as follows :—Some tourists and Natives were standing on the border of the lake, when a large war-canoe is said to have appeared, gliding along on the placid water, the Maoris standing upright, using their paddles. A Native woman who was with the tourists called to those in the canoe, but it suddenly disappeared from view. It was regarded as being a phantom oanoe, an omen of the evil which has befallen their tribe. They are satisfied it was an apparition, as they have no war canoes.