AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11534, 20 November 1900, Page 6

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

The last meeting of the Auckland Institute for the present session was held in the Museum Buildings, Princes-street, last night, when Mr. J. A. Pond gave a most interesting lecture entitled "On a Hot Spring in the Rotomahana Rift." There was a good attendance, the chair being occupied by Professor Segar.

The lecturer, who illustrated his remarks by limelight views of a specially interesting nature, commenced by stating that a few months since he had given the institute a paper on the present condition of Rotomahana, illustrated by limelight views, from photographs taken by Dr. Haines and himself whilst camping out there. Unfortunately, a difficulty arising with those in charge of the lantern, it became impossible to complete the series of views. Whilst exploring the crater they had found a very interesting hot spring, welling out of the Inferno crater, samples of the water of which he (the lecturer) had brought away. The analysis of this water he had completed, the results being given in a. paper, at the reading of which the Council of the Institute had been good enough to desire that the rest of the views should be shown. A map of the district was shown, clearly indicating the location of the craters, the Rotomahana Lake and Tarawera Mountain, whilst views of Maungakakaramea, and the surrounding country from its summit, showed still more graphically the topography of the country. On the screen was also shown the Southern Echo and Inferno craters. From the latter the stream was to be observed issuing in a beautiful cascade, the temperature of which the lecturer stated was 162 degrees Fahrenheit. It was, he said, from this cascade that the sample of water already referred to was taken. The latter had proved to be of interest, containing as it did over 160 grains of chlorides of soduim and potassium, and 30 grains of silica to the gallon, with smaller quantities of other mineral salts, the particulars of which were embodied in the paper. The water from the cascade flowed down in the form of a series of waterfalls, until it reached the " boiling river"— termed shortly after the eruption. Two geysers in this stream were shown; these, the lecturer said, were constant and at a temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit. From the highest points of the craters views were taken, giving beautiful representations of the country, with its weird, broken, surface interspersed with columns of steam, lakes, geysers, and many other most interesting features of a country far too little known. Views of Rotomahana as it is at present, and the beautiful terraces as they were before the eruption swept them away, brought the lecture to a conclusion. ,