using the greediness with which the "pakeha" hunted after old Maori bones, have long since carefully collected all they could find, and deposited them in some safe hiding-place—waiting for the opportunity of exchanging them for pieces of gold and silver, showing them how well they had learnt the lesson taught by the example of the "pakeha."

The subterranean passages of the rivers in the Pahope and Mairoa district are highly characteristic of the limestone formation. The limestone rocks, fissured and channeled, are penetrated by the water, and the streams run below the limestone upon the surface of the argillaceous strata, which I have before mentioned as underlying the limestone. This also explains the scarcity of water on the limestone plateau which divides the sources of the Waipa and Mokau rivers. The plateau is covered with a splendid growth of grass, and would form an excellent cattle run but for the deep funnel-shaped holes which everywhere abound. The Natives call them "tomo." They are similar to the holes which occur in the limestone downs in England, and on the Karst mountains on the shore of the Adriatic Gulf, where they are called "dolines."

The third and uppermost stratum of the older tertiary formation consists of beds of fine fossiliferous sandstone, in which quarries of good building stone may be found. There are whole ranges parallel to the primary mountains which seem to consist of this sandstone. I will mention only the Taranaki-whaiti range, about 2000 feet above the level of the sea, in which the hills from the Mahoenui to the Whanga-nui country.

Without a map on a large scale, which I have had no time to prepare, it would be useless for me to enter into any minute detail as to a description of the various localities in which the different formations occur. I may, however, mention that limestone and brown-coal have been found in places as North of Auckland, in the districts from Cape Rodney to the North Cape.

The horizontal beds of sandstone and marls which form the cliffs of the Waitemata, and extend in a Northerly direction towards Kawau, belong to a newer tertiary formation, and, instead of coal, have only thin layers of lignite. A characteristic feature of this Auckland tertiary formation is the existence of beds of volcanic ashes, which are here and there interstratified with the ordinary tertiary layers.

I must say no more on the tertiary sedimentary formations; in order that I may leave some time to devote to the volcanic formations which, from their great extent and the remarkable and beautiful phenomena connected with them, render the Northern Island of New Zealand, and especially the Province of Auckland, one of the most interesting districts of the world.

VOLCANIC FORMATIONS AND PHENOMENA

Lofty trachytic peaks covered with perpetual snow, a vast number of smaller volcanic cones presenting all the varied characteristics of volcanic systems, and a long line of boiling springs, fumaroles, and solfataras, present an almost unbounded field of interest and, at the same time, a succession of magnificent scenery.

It is only through a long series of volcanic eruptions, extending over the tertiary and post-tertiary periods, that the Northern Island has attained its present form. It would be a difficult task to point out the ancient form of the antipodean Archipelago the site of which is now occupied by the Islands of New Zealand. I must confine myself to a simple indication of the events which have given the country the form it was found to have by the South-Sea Islanders on their arrival, many centuries ago, from the Samoan group—a form in all main respects the same as is now before our eyes.

The first volcanic eruptions were submarine, consisting of vast quantities of trachytic lava, breccia, tuff, obsidian, and pumice-stone, which, flowing over the bottom of the sea, formed an extensive submarine volcanic plateau. The volcanic action continuing, the whole mass was upheaved above the level of the sea, and new phenomena were developed. The eruptions going on in the air instead of under the sea, lofty cones of trachytic and phonolitic lava, of ashes and cinders, were gradually formed. These eruptions, breaking through the original submarine layers of trachytic lava, breccia and tuff, raised them, and left them, as we now find them, forming a more or less regular belt round the central cones and having a slight inclination from the centre outwards. These belts I shall have occasion to refer to under the name of "tuff-craters" or "craters of elevation."

In the course of time, the volcanic action decreased, and we must now imagine that tremendous earthquakes occurred—that parts of the newly-formed crust gave way and fell in, forming vast chasms and fissures, which are now occupied by the Lakes, Hot Springs, and Solfataras.

Thus we now find in the central part of the Northern Island an extensive volcanic plateau of an elevation of 2000 feet, from which rise two gigantic mountains, Tongariro and Ruapehu. They are surrounded by many smaller cones, as Pihanga, Kakaramea, Kaharua, Rangitukua, Pukeonake, Hauhanga. The natives have well named these latter, "the wives and children of the two giants Tongariro and Ruapehu;" and they have a legend to the effect that a third giant, named Taranaki, formerly stood near these two—but quarrelling with his companions about their wives, was worsted in combat, and forced to fly to the West coast, where he now stands in solitary grandeur, the magnificent snow-capped beacon of Mount Egmont (Taranaki). These are the three principal trachytic cones of the Northern Island.

By far the grandest and loftiest of the three is Ruapehu, whose truncated cone, standing on a basis of about