STRANGE PHENOMENON.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 1333, 30 May 1881, Page 2

STRANGE PHENOMENON.

The Ohinenmtn correspondent of the New Zealand Herald, writing on May f)th, gives the following account of a strange phenomenon which occurred in that district dating the previous week: — Visitors to the hot lakes will remember the lovely drive from Ohinemutu to the Wairoa, passing through about one mile of the prettiest bit of bush scenery in perhaps all New Zealand. Upon emerging from the lofty bower of

tangled fern and moss-clad hoary trunks of mighty trees, a glimpse is caught of a dazzling sheet of deep sky-biue water nestling in a basin of fern-clad hiils. It is the prettiest romantic Tikitapu Lake, generally known as the "blue lake." Following the white sandy road by the margin of the lake, we come to a thin uprising ridge of rock, from the summit of which we look down on to a fine stretching slatey-grey mass of water known as Rotokakahi. The lake lies some 90ft. lower than the blue lake, but no communication has ever been found between them. A few days ago the Rotokakahi gradually turned a most peculiar, intense, vivid pea green color, and its temperature suddenly rose from about (JOdeg. Fahr. , at the samo time rising in its basin some 2ft. in height. A small creek, generally as clear as crystal, runs from this lake through the English-like, pretty village of Wairoa, and dashing in a sheet of pearly foam over the celebrated Wairoa falls, enters the waters of Lake Tarawera. This stream, upon the rising of Rotpkakahi, became green, and discolored for some distance the waters of Tarawera. The natives got somewhat alarmed, and a deputaj tion of them, purchasing a quantity of cnndles, sat by the edge of the lake the whole of one night in expectation of seeing the water rise and submerge their village. Many of them took to the hills for a refuge. Towards daybreak the waters subsided, and quietened their fears. One remarkable feature was the many thousands of dead and dying fish, which were swept down the creek or cast gaping upon the shore. Carefully examining these^sh, they present exactly the same appearance as those found floating dead on the East Coast some twelve months ago, on which much discussion took place. How to account for this freak of nature both Europeans and natives are a l , a loss. Most likely the disturbances lately at White Island have extended far inland towards the western coast. About this time, too, many of the geysers on the banks of the Utuhina Creek, near Lake House Hotel at Ohinemutu, suddenly, threw up a column of water some thirty feet in height, and in a few minutes "Subsided. Some of the remote springs lying out at Sulphur Point show that about this time some unusual action was at work. Perhaps others of your correspondents may have met evidences of the same phenomena in their districts.