THE ERUPTION AT TARAWERA.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1885, 21 June 1886, Page 2

THE ERUPTION AT TARAWERA.

, A VISIT TO THE SCENE. (per united press association.) Rotorua. Ju • 20. Fin ling lia Judge Vlv-ani Bill Tel eg r ph Im» eo or, inte <l«d vi-hing Kotom h mi. <i-cDy, I dee led t hcco mpm them I n- other members of the pir y were McKenzie, lin in An, and Dr Glinders. We took the n» < by Wlmkari warewH, then in o r. d.an . pushed off on the old GiLte* Track, now partly blocked. Along the route we fouud the carcases of horses which had been overridden and destroyed in the earthquake. In the valley we saw a dozon fl», sures, ranging iu length from two chain* to half a mile. Along the ranges to Wairoa we ciuld see the red clay of the fissures half way down them, looking like a fence for three or four miles. They also extended south of the track. At two or three points there were fissures right across the road, and at one or two points on the trackboulders were scattered about—some looking weather-worn. We passed Boscowun’s camp, late Assistant Surveyor-Genera l , and from which point they are working round the whole of the volcanic system. It is three miles from tho mud glaciers to where shelter and wood can be obtained, but no water nearer than several miles. Near Rotorua on the final ridge, overlooking Te Wairoa we saw two horses picketed half a mile in the mud which Ins now developed into hard dust or sand two feet deep, along which travelling can be made by walking in o hera’mep# Day had opened with rain clouds, but »t noon the sun shone out ancl we had a good view of the volcanoes. The scene in almost indescribable for its awfulness and grandeur, and the vast tract of country with the deep trails of the travellers in tile sand makes the delusion of a scene in the Arctic regions perfect. To our Rurpriso we saw a new lak,o formed to the west of Okaro, but this might possibly he the drainage of the ranges; also a 'akclet on the north, some distance behind the Pink Terraces. Two men could be discovered a mile down tha ranges toiling up again to their hors-s. On coming nearer wc identified them as Boscowati, attached to the Survey Department, and Morgan, bis guide, both of whom we hud met previously at an earlier stage of the eruption. On coming hearer botli men appeared baked. Boseowan’s first enquiry was. “Have you a a drop of water and as I bad taken some in a b.-tile it was at his servise, nnd having quenchod his thirst from Judge Mair’s flask, the luncheon of rhe party oaine in acceptably for all. Boscowau informed mo that be and Morgan left the camp at daylight and started for the son; hern volcano, which was now dead, u. ■ even emitting steam. It is in a very dangerous state through earthquakes this morning, which have made fissures in ail directions. He and Morgan were on it when they occurred, and he warned us against approaching too near it. Number two was throwing up boulders occasionally through steam clouds. Numberthreeaud four were emiltin" steam and mud in small quantities. He°stated that he had succeeded in getting sketches above the series of volcanoes. The vast rifts made by the volcanoes had run north and south, and tiioso on Tarawera also. In some places he saw buried cinders smouldering on tho margin of the cone, where the face had been exposed through tremors, To-morrow he would try to work round, eo as to get a view of tho Pink Terrace volcano and those in Rotomahana Lake. The d-posit on the cone of ono of the volcanoes appeared to he of bands like spectroscopic colors. Bos. cowan informed me that he had got to the base of the c*ne, and had succeeded iu getting gome .specimens o£ this pceu-

liar stuff. He stated that last night, a Siniiit’s tnmj), they had sharp shock* aod thought the tent pole would conic down, and the tent tumble upon them, After giving ns the be*t advice his examination of the ground enabled him to tender, be and the guide fell back on the camp for shell or ano stores, and we pushed on, Anolber party had been over the land at this point, and wc lifted his trail, going toft point cqidistunt fiom numbers one and twe, and about a quarter of a mile from the extreme southernmost point. One appearance of number one, or the dead crater, as far as we could see, was that the opposite face of the crater, gave an impression like looking at Mount, Eden. A gravel path was on tho < astern side, and at the sou'hern ci d a huge mound of day was piled up out of the cutting. At intervals clouds of steam from number three could be seen, and huge bowlders going up in the air snd falling in the basin again. Nuncd ers two and fonr seemed to be only steaming, but at the Terrace affairs seemed to be lively. At various parts of our track the face of a tho sandfield seemed to be pitted like smallpox,these marks being where boulders were thrown up on the night of the eruption, buried thamselvis in the pand and broke through. We got a giand view of Tarawcia propor, the huge chasm being clearly seen. There is little activity in the crater, which, however, is burning and smoking vigorously, Wc went along the northern ruin to the summit of volcanic action, going on tho face of the rnn«es towards the lower Kaiganaroa Plains, ell facing Arikf to the nortli of the cleft slopes, seem scarred by large vertical fissures, probably caused by avalanches of mud or sand. One thing puzzled us greatly. On the oastern slopo of Tarawera halt way down, appeared two huge patches of white deposit, about a mile or two apart, while all around for mile appeared to be natural forsat growth. Bold Buanncd it with his field glass, but was unable to determine it a character. Some conjectured that it was pumice or sand, while others held that it was an immense sulphur deposit, and this view was confirmed by Judge Mair, who said his brother, Captain Mair, had informed him it was a sulphur deposit. After getting a good viow of the scene of volcanic action the party returned along the tracks of Boseowan. Okaro Lake was still placid as was also the new one, but Mangakakaramea, adjacent, formerly a burning mountain, looked from its appearance and fire-scarred cliffs as if very little would cause it to make up its mind to stoke up again. The return to the point where we had picke cd our horseg was very trying, the Strong southerly breeze sending up clouds of dust from the footsteps of those in advance, and it was necessary to tail oir. Just as the last of the party were dipping over tho range the cloud crater number ono suddenly broke out and been mo as lively as over, though Boßcowan has never seen it in action during the whole day. The smoke commenced at the northern end of number one, arid ran to the extreme south end of the huge r< tit. 1 can compare tho rapidity of the advance of the smoke from end to end of the vast fissure to nothing but that of a locomotive with a full head of steam approaching and running through a deep cutting, Just at leaving the last ridge, Kotomahnnn broke out with fresh vigor, throwing up a tall black column, and in the centre, steam clouds. Passing Boscowan’s camp we found ho had no wator though ample storeß, and ns my water bottle was still half full, I handed it over to him, and having neither food nor water from starting in the morning the horses wore revived by getting a supply of water a few Julies outside Rotorua. As there whs a probability still of the party being belated, Bold decided to take the trucks of Paeron Road to avoid tho dangerous part and the hot springs at Whakarewurewa. In the dusk the purty succeeded in getting out to Wairoa road just as darkness closed in, and not a moment too soon, as there would have _ boon danger of diverging from the track into the lakelets between the track and Whakarewarewa. We arrived at Rotorua at 6 o’clock in Iho evening. A slight shock of earthquake took place at Rotorua at 4.”5 pin.