ROTORUA NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7693, 19 July 1886, Page 6

ROTORUA NEWS.

THE RECOVERED NATIVE BODIES. PROFESSOR THOMAS AND THE BOULDER FIELD. THE LAKE AND THE BATHS. THE VOLCANOES. [BT TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.J " Rotorda, Saturday. The various tribes, including the Tuhourangi, who were invited by the Ngatirangiwewehi to take op their quarters at Te Awahon, are all returning to Ohinemutn on account of the scarcity of food in that quarter. They are better off here ; at least as long as the Government rations are continued. They mi«« the luxury of the hot lakes as well, and think that after all there is no place in which they experience so much comfort as at Ohinemntu.

The cumber of dead found in the whare on Tokeniho. Wairoa, is thirteen, instead of ten, as formerly reported. For accuracy's Bake I now append their names Males : Kitua Te Monita, Wi Renu, Pera Tehe, Rangi Takatu, Tekeu Maihi, Haare Tamahou. Females : Ngakawhena, Te Reretanga, Tangiteuri, Wikitoria, On roaming to-day with a friend over the site of the Government pavilion of the baths we could not help remarking the serious encroachment of the waters of the lake upon the baths. The lake is actually now flowing over the most valuable of them, Madame Rachel's being the only available one; but even this, if the lake gets much higher, will have to be shifted to another level. Fortunately its source stands much higher than the others. On wandering along the line of beach we noticed that many of the old familiar landmarks were now flooded over; also, that the lake was flowing up through the outlet channel of Camerons, or as some have it the Laughing Gas Bath, of course making this one also practically useless. The lake has still eighteen inches to rise before it reaches its normal winter rain level, but even without any rain whatever, the water appears to be gaining on us at the rate of two inches per day. Professor Thomas has visited the field of boulders at Pikirangi. Ha maintains that they must have rolled down from the hill, and have never been ejected from the eruption. Both Mr. Barvey, of Te Ngae farm, and myself can testify to the contrary, as there were never at any period stones of this description on these particular hills } in fact when shooting over these ranges I nevsr could get so much as a small pebble to throw at a oird. Therefore, from whence have come these boulders ? We experienced a heavy shock last nigh at eight p.m., which was felt, as the telegraph office informs me, simultaneously at Taupo, Tauranga, and Maketu. A few more occurred during the night, but not so severe. The proceedings of the quakes are now reversed. A minute or so previous to one taking place the vibration begins, and then the shock occurs. The order used to be quite the reverse. 1 o*day the sky is beautifully clear, with little or no wind, and every appearance of hard frost to night. Had the volcanoes been unusually active at the time the steam and smoke would have been very visible, but I never saw so little steam or smoke since they broke out. Our coach only brought one paasenger today.

RETURN OF PROFESSORS HUfTON AND BROWN.

On Saturday evening Professors Hntton and Brown returned from their expedition to the Lake country, where they have been investigating the phenomena attendant upon the Tarawera volcanic eruption, and collecting scientific data as to its probable origin and effects. Professor Hutton is at present staying at the Northern Club, where he was interviewed by one of the members of the Hbbald staff. The professor is somewhat reticent, on the ground that, as he is employed by the Government to report on the matter, it would not be judicious for him to anticipate his official report to the authorities. In reply to special questions, he said that the eruption in Tarawera ranges and in Rotomahana was over in the first 24 hours, bo far as real danger was concerned, since then the aruption had been dying out. There were of course extra spurts of steam, owing to the streams from the heavy rains running' into the craters, and washing down mad, which was again ejected with stones. It was these causes which led to some of the earthquakes being stronger than usual, but all symptoms of violent volcanic action were dying away. Owiog to the effluent of the Rotomahana, the Kaiwaka, having been blocked up, the tributary water finding its way into Lake Rotomahana was being ejected in steam, and it was tbo explosions of this steam which caused the earthquakes at Rotorua. Professor Button states that no scientific man would ever have suspected that Tarawera would have broken out in eruption, as there were a hundred more ikely spots in the district. It was impossible to say at present what was the predisposing cause, and it would be necessary to collate and compare the mass of scientific data got together before even an intelligent guess could be given. The observers of the eruption were mistaken in fancying they saw flames burst out on the top of Tarawera mountain : there was no flame in the true volcano. What they saw was only the reflection of red hot molten rosk on the columns of steam which arose from the crater. There was very little doubt that the Terraces were gone. They would be among the first things thrown up, and consequently among the first things buried up. As to Mount Haszard, there was no such mount; what was called Mount Haszard was simply the Black Crater. The so-called Mount Haszard was perfectly flat. There was no probability of an eruption at Paeroa or Orakei-korako, as the pressure had been relieved by the eruption of Tarawera. It took centuries to accumulate the volcanic force at Tarawera, and it might take centuries more before it would increase sufficiently to cause another eruption. The same remarks applied to Rotorua. There was no doubt that Lake Rotorua had tilted several inches during the Tarawera eruption, the Kotorua aide becoming depressed, and the northern shore higher, but no further change had occurred since the eruption. As to the character of the mud deposit, Professor Hutton thinks it may improve bad land, but will not benefit good land much. He thinks that vegetation will grow easily on the surface mud at Wairoa, and that that settlement will again become inhabitable, and boats be easily placed upon Lake Tarawera. The mud on the Wairoa road is hardening and drying, and Mr. Spencer, photographer, was able to go on foot the other day by Tikitapu Lake to Wairoa and back in a day. Professor Hutton thinks the old Wairoa road could be again reopened, with some little trouble, as there have been no farther landslips. The rain seems to run off the surface of the caked mud, in little rivulets, the mud being impervious to the water. The rain had not even disturbed the mad on the trees, and he .thinks the best way, as the shortest and least toilsome for tourists to see the volcanic system when the tourist season sets in, will be to go the Wairoa road—thenoe by boat to the Terraces, and land at the Ariki. By ascending the hill there, they would see everything, and thus spare themselves the toilsome march over the mudfields, via Pakaraka and Earthquake Fiat. Ere summer comes the boiling springs would have established their exits through the sand, and the White and Pink Terrace geysers will have become no doubt fairly localised again. Professor Hutton is of opinion that TeNgae will recover ; of course where the deposit is heaviest there the recovery would be the more protracted. The proper time for the Government to experiment on a large scale with grass seed would be in the spring. If sown now the weather was too cold, and the disappointment in result might be put down to the wrong cause. There was no reason why the desolated bush should not revive again, as the patches of mud and broken branches would not effectually destroy forest life. Professor Hutton expresses regret at not being able to visit Tarawera proper through lack of time, and also through the boats being destroyed. He endeavoured to get through to Rerewhakaitu, but his guide, Mr. Morgan, was unable to pick up the track from Galatea to that lake owing to its being obliterated by the deposit of ash. It was an old Maori track but little used. The difficulties in getting through the country compelled their return. He was not able either to go on from Lake Rotoehu to Rotorua owing to there being no canoes OA the iftt&r lake. His impression is that

the best route forgetting to Tarawera ranges when summer comes will be from Tapahoro at the outlet of Lake Tarawera, and thence via Wahanga. Water, the great difficulty hitherto, could be obtained from the lake. At present the days are so short nothing can be done, and the nights so cold that the additional blankets necessary constitute a serious difficulty in transport. Having only taken advantage of his vacation to pay a visit to Tarawera, Professor Button is obliged to hurry back to Christchurch to take up his duties as Professor of Natural Science at the Chrißtohurch University. He leaves by Tuesday's Southern steamer. On Professor Brown being interviewed he generally endorsed the views of Professor Button as given above. His impression is that Lake Rotokakahi has not subsided, but that the outlet being banked up and ohoked gives it that appearance. The natives at Kaitereiria showed him a diving post there in the lake, and said there had been no change apparent in the depth of water. The Professors had an interview with the Tuhouraugi survivors and Rotorua natives in the Tamatitekapuaj meeting house. Mr. B. Edwards acted as interpreter. The Professors told the natives they had been brought from various parts of the country to endeavour to ascertain the cause and to investigate the etfeots of the volcanic eruption. They were exceedingly sorry that so many of the natives had lost their lives through the calamity. The natives asked various questions as to whether it would be safe to go back to Wairoa? Whether it would be unhealthy to live on land covered by the mud deposit and would such land again become fruitful ? also, as to the views of the professors respecting the safety of Rotorua in the future ? The professors stated that they thought it would be safe for the Tuhouraugi to again return to their lands ; that it would not be unhealthy to live upon them ; and that there was every reason to believe the land would again become fruitful. As to the future of Rotorua, it was impossible to predict anything with certainty after what ocourred at Tarawera, but in all human probability there would be no recurrence of such eruptions. All history showed that after such outbursts there was a period of rest, or at least of intermittent repose. They exhorted the Maoris not to regard such phenomena of Nature with superstitious feelings, as such phenomena was only on the same footing as the action of the tide, the motion of the wind, or the occurrence of stormsphases of the operations of Nature. Professor Thomas went on to Tauranga, with the view of ridini» over to Maketu, thence to Maketu and Whakatane, his object being to measure the depth of the volcanic deposit, and procure specimens of the mud and ash in the respective districts for analysis. It was his intention to go on to Te Teko, and the vicinity of Mount Edgecumbe, where the deposit was said to be heavy, in order to collect all the data necessary for the preparation of his report. AFFAIRS AT ROTOITI[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.] Rotoiti Sawmills, July 12. Since my last matters have not improved underground- Although not so frequent, the shocks are louder and stronger. On the lOtb, at twenty minutes past four p.m., we had a moderate earthquake, and at ten minutes to nine the worst yet experienced here, and three minutes after another of moderate strength. On the 9th iniit. Professors Hutton, Thomas, and Brown arrived at i aheke, en route for Rotoehu, to inspect, and I presume report on, the recent outbreak there. I hud the pleasure of their society for a couple of hours, and gave them all data known to me respecting our local disturbances, of which they made copious notes, The result of our meeting was, that they decided on their return from Rotoehu to visit the mill and adjacent country, including the much disturbed Tikitere, only two and a half miles from us, and directly on the line of our greatest shakes. It was part of their arrangement to accept such hospitality aa my dismantled cottage could afford, spend the night, and visit Tikitere next day, Sunday. In order to provide as far as possible for their bivouac, I remained at home instead of accompanying them as I intended, to Rotoehu, and sent my son instead. Judge, therefore, my astonishment at seeing their boat steered straight back to Taheke, they not even calling at the mill to say their plans had undergone a change. On the 11th (Sunday) we had a slight ■hake at seven a.m., a very strong one at twenty minutes past ten, another exceedingly strong ope at four p.m., and still another at half-past four long and heavy, and this morning at twenty minutes to three a moderately strong shake, all coming from S.B.W. and going JN.N.E. Rotoehu has gone down three feet, and as it is only one mile from the end of this lake, we may look for some lowering. I presume. A glance at any recent map will show that our situation is nearly in the centre of an irreguiar circle of springs, mud holes, and steam jets, and close to the edge of the lake. I gather from the profes»ors named, that it is natural to feel earthquakes sensitively in such positions. Heavy rain set in at eleven a.m. yesterday and continued until half-past three this morning, and flooded the foundations of all our buildings about a foot. The rain water passed over the surface of the lava deposit as if it were Portland cement, and carried our timber yard foreshore into the lake, leaving chasms in the yard three feet deep as it came to the pumice. The damage is unimportant so far, but should continuous rain set in considerable damage to the mill foundations would result. By clearing the old and opening new channels, we have got rid of the danger so far. Te Kooti having prophesied that Rotoiti is to be destroyed by fire, all our native population (bag and baggage), pigs, horses, implements, etc., have emigrated to Te Awahou, at the N.E. corner of Rocorua ; so that with my third son, we are sole "monarchs of all we survey," and as happy and contented as it is possible for two individuals to be in such a situation.