THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 171

the Coro nandel range is covered with trachytic
breccia, and again, on the West Coast, the
same rock forms the coast-range from Manu
kau to Kaipara. This extensive plateau is inter-
sected by many deep valleys, the sides of which
are characterised by a succession of remarkable
terraces. The same plateau is also broken in
many places by more or less regular trachytic
cones from 1000 to 3000 feet high. That you
may become acquainted with the geological
character of such mountains, I will mention se-
veral examples, the names of which are well
known amongst European settlers. To this class
of mountains belong Karioi on the West Coast,
near Whaingaroa, Pirongia on the Waipa,
the regular cone of Kahepuku between
the Waipa and Waikato, Maungatautari
on the Waikato, Aroha on the Waihou,
Putauaki or Mount Edgecombe on the
East Coast, and many others. The only
active mountain which belongs to this class is
Whakari or White Island, in the Bay of
Plenty, a solfatara like the active crater of
Tongariro.

(*Mr. David Burn, in his account of "A
Trip to the East Cape," says:--

In about an hour after passing Flat Island, the
snowy vapour upon White Island began to be
discernible. By 1 p.m. we were in immediate
contiguity with this remarkable island, passing quite
close to its southern extremity. As we made our
gradual approach, its aspect was of the most singular
description. Except on its northern point, to which
the sulphurous vapour does not seem to reach, it is
utterly destitute of vegetation; there are patches of
growing underwood; but in every other direction, the
island is bald, bleak, and furrowed into countless deep-
worn ravines. After we had passed it a short distance
to the eastward, the capacious basin of the crater, with
its numerous geysers roaring and raging, exposed its
sulphurous bosom to our eyes and nostrils. If the
outer and western sides of White Island be blank and
furrowed, its inner circle is chased, as it were, in a
rare and picturesque manner,-the sides of the hills,
from their lofty mountain summits to the base, being
combed into innumerable longitudinal ridges of a
florescent bronze of brilliant and variegated hue.

Of this island, Captain Drury, of H.M.S. Pandora,
gives the following description in the "New Zealand
Pilot":
"White Island, or Whakari, is about three miles in
circumference, and 860 feet high. The base of the
crater is one and a half miles in circuit, and level with
the sea. In the centre is a boiling spring about 100
yards in circumference, sending volumes of steam full
2000 feet high in calm weather. Around the edges of
the crater are numberless smaller geysers sounding
like so many high pressure engines, and emitting
steam with with such velocity, that a stone thrown into the
vortex would immediately be shot in the air.

"Here and there are lakes of sulphurous water,
dormant; but the whole island is so heated as to make
it difficult to walk. From the edges of the crater the
scene below is only to be compared to a well dressed
meadow of gorgeous green, with meandering streams
feeding the boiling cauldron; but on approaching, we
find this green to be the purest crystallised sulphur.

"No animal or insect breathes on this island,
scarcely a limpet on the stones, and 200 fathoms will
hardly reach the bottom within half a mile of its
shores."

Being under the lee of the island and in smooth
water, Captain Bowden, in the most obliging manner,
hove the steamer to, and, lowering one of the quarter
boats, conveyed us on shore to enjoy a personal
inspection of this grand natural curiosity. There are
two spots at which a landing may be effected, at the
openings of the outer base of the crater, by a very
little exertion in clearing away some of the boulders,
geysirs of
the landing may be rendered perfectly easy; but
although, this day, the water was smooth, still there
was such a swell that judgment and caution were
requisite to pick out a spot where best to escape the
rollers that tumbled on the rough and broken beach.
Never shall we forget the grand displays which we
beheld in this sulphurous cauldron. Its paintings
fresh from Nature's hand-its lake of gorgeous green
-its roaring jets of stormy vapour-are things to be
witnessed, difficult to be described; but surpassing all
these, and as if their central attraction, there was a
fountain, seemingly of molten sulphur, in active play,
which shot a column of wide spreading green and gold
into the scorching atmosphere. The beauty of this
fountain was surpassing, and we were under the
impression, that from its energy, the volcano was more
than commonly active in its workings. We were
very circumspect in our approaches, as the surface in
places was soft and yielding, and we knew not to what
depths an unwary step might sink us. Our
difficulty in walking, therefore, arose less from the
heat, though that in places was great, than from the
apprehension of sinking too far in the soft crustaceous
surface, from which diminutive spouts of vapour would
spit forth as if to resent our intrusion. Whenever we
thought the ground at all doubtful, we sounded our
way by hurling large stones to see what impression
they would make, and we adventured or avoided
proceeding accordingly.

Time, to our great regret, would not admit of a
minute exploration, but all the grand features of the
island had passed under view. We looked in vain for
the gorgeous meadow described by Captain Drury; but
we had only to enlarge any of the numberless
miniature vapour holes to obtain pure crystallised
sulphur hot from the bakery, and at the same time to
convert these holes into more active vapour jets. The
streams that issued in various directions were of
boiling heat, limpid and tasteless; but, though sulphur
was everywhere strewn around, it did not appear
to be in quantities sufficient for shipment. After an
hour's stop, we returned to our ship greatly delighted
with the visit, and much indebted to our obliging
Captain for having put it in our power to enjoy it.

Mr. Heaphy has kindly furnished me with a
map and views of this singularly interesting
island. *)

If we take a wider view of the geological
features and the physical outline of these
just described high plains and plateaus con-
sisting of regular layers of trachytic rocks,
breccia, and tuff, we shall find that the steep
cones of Ruapahu and Tongariro rise from the
centre of a vast tuff cone of extremely gradual
inclination, the basis of which occupies the
whole country from shore to shore-from East
to West-having a diameter of 100 sea miles,
and forming the largest cone of tuffs, or in
other words, the largest crater of elevation in
the whole world.

The Hot Springs.

Intimately connected with the described
volcanic phænomena of the active and extinct
volcanic mountains, are the Solfataras, Fuma-
roles, and Hot Springs. They are found in a
long series, stretching across the country in a
N. N. E. direction, from the active crater
Ngauruhoe in the Tongariro system, to the
active crater of White Island (Whakari).
They occupy the chasms and fissures to which
I have already referred..

There is only one other place in the world
in which such a number of hot springs are
found that have periodical outbursts of boiling
water that is in Iceland, the well-known
geysirs of which are of precisely similar