VOLCANIC DISTURBANCES.

Timaru Herald, Volume IX, Issue 341, 2 September 1868, Page 6

VOLCANIC DISTURBANCES.

[From the Timaru Herald, Aug. 19.] No country m the world probably contains more evidence of violent volcacic eruptions than New Zealand, both active and extinct. There are countries with larger and more active burning mountains, but there is no country where so large a number ofj geysers and boiling springs are to be tound as m the North Island, all of which are the subjects of volcanic action. The islands of New Zealand indeed, like many other islands m the South Pacific, are purely of volcanic origin, and are subject and liable to disturbances by earthquakes. One of these disturbances, of a very remarkable character, took place on Saturday mor- , ning last, and caused some little concern and speculation as to the future immunity of the colony from similar visitations. It is at present difficult to say whether it was an earthquake m 'the true sense of the term, or whether the upheaving and subsiding of the water was caused by the belching forth of a submarine volcano, but we incline to the former belief. New Zealand has before on several occasions been visited by earthquakes, but of a totally different nature to the visitation on Saturday. All previous disturbances have been felt on shore, the centre of the shocks m most cases being Wellington. The. South Island, moreover, has generally escaped such visitations by exceedingly light movements, only felt by, the most sensitive of the population. But on Saturday no disturbance of the earth was felt on shore, and it was only by the violent agitation of the sea that the discovery was made of the presence of a great disturbing element, i The s#a at times fell away all along the coast baring rocks and the bottom' of harbours never before seen by the eyes of man, and then again rushed above high ■ ; water mark. This action continued for many hours, and yet not the least indication of an earthquake was felt, and the only; -sound was an indistinct rum Wing. For this reason we are disposed to believe that the disturbance whs m the bed of the sea at some distance from the shore. Such action as that on Saturday last is not unknown, and indeed we may say it is not uncommon. The great earthquake at Chili m 1822 was felt along the coast of South America for a least a thousand miles, and m some placed the bottom, of the sea was raised as much as ten feet. : But m that case the shock: was felt on the shore. most terrifically. And on the other: hand phenomena such as. that on Saturday has often been witnessed on the shores of countries near which a submarine volcano has broken forth. By the action of volcanoes m the sea tidal waves of immense height have often been caused, and the beids of harbour's and mouths, of rivers entirely changed. It would, however, be a waste of time to . attempt to> determine the - exact character of the disturbance without further data on which to form a.judgment than is contained m the brief telegraphic reports to hand. •

We all know that m Wellington- the bed of the harbour through sudden upheavings, as well as by that gradually elevating force which is found m all countries subject to volcanic action, has been raised many feet since the first settlement of white men there, and we shall not be at all surprised to learn that the bed of the harbour at Lyttelton, as well as the Whole coast line to the Bluff, has beep more or less raised: '■• ' . • ■••:'. :•.. ■• • ••■:;•

' There need be no extreme surprise or panic caused by what is of course, to most of us so unusual a phenomena as volcanic, disturbances, for New Zealand is just the country likely to feel ttiese disturbances occasionally. Wllen r J)r Hochstettor— certainly the best authority we have onisuch subjects— carefully examined the North Island he was. astonished to find so. many evidences of volcanic agency. He examined the remarkable extinct volcanic caves near Auckland/ and found within a circuit of .ten miles no less than sixty-' ope different points of eruption ! Lake Taupo is described by the same authority "as surrounded on every aidd "by the '■' most magnificent volcanic "paves." The lake, is at the foot of the still smqking volcano Tongarirp, and I beside it is an extinct volcano named Raupahu. A complete chain of boiling springs extends 'from Tongariro. to the still active volcano on. White Island on the east coast. Of these boiling springs and geysers, the intimate connection of which "with volcanic action has never been doubted, Dr HocLstertef 'says .-— "I look upon this locality as presenting "the most remarkable and extensive "chain of hot springs m the world, "Iceland not «xftepted;'» --It will he mok ■interesting t<» whether the earthquake— or whatever disturV bance it was— had any effect upon,:the smoking ' volcanoes or hot springs Of the North Island, for, a commotionin' one placf is, ofren followed by.disturbances m , another. , Accerding to th& generally! . accepted : theory oh such subjects^ the g asses whi(flicflnse eartllauakes a^d ; y6lc^c eroptiopsgenerailj find thei^ tyay to the craters or fissures that do exist m. the crust of the earth, and if such be the case the interior oi

the North Island — the centre of* volcanic action m. New Zeilaud^-las not escaped without a visitation of the disturbing- element.