174
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

its brim exhibits beautifully the characteristie
outward-inclination of the beds of ashes, ele-
vated from their former horizontal levels by
eruptions, which threw up the two minor crater
cones south of the road-one of which is now
cut into by a scoria quarry. After a compara-
tively long period of quiescende, arose from the
margin of the first crater system the great
scoria-cone of Mount Wellington, from whose
three craters, large streams of basaltic lava
flowed out in a Westerly direction, extending
North and South along the existing valleys of
the country, one stream flowing into the old
tuff-crater, and spreading round the bases of the
smaller crater conės. The larger masses of
these streams flowed in a South-westerly di-
rection towards the Manukau, coming into
contact with the older and long-before hardened
lava streams of "One Tree Hill." The traveller
on the Great South Road will observe about
one mile east of the "Harp Inn" the peculiar
difference in the colour on the road, suddenly
changing from red to black, where the road
leaves the older and more decomposed lava
streams of One-tree Hill and passes on to the
new and undecomposed lava streams of Mount
Wellington. The farmers have been able to
avail themselves of the decomposed lava
surface, which is now beautifully grass-
covered, but not of the stonefield of the
newer Mount Wellington and Mount Smart
streams.

The Caves at the "Three Kings," Pukaki,
Mount Smart, Mount Wellington, &c., are the
result of great bubbles in the lava streams-
occasioned probably by the generation of gases
and vapour as the hot mass rolled onward over
marshy plains. These bubbles broke down on
their thinnest part-the roof-and the way
into the caves is always directly downward.*)
Examples of every gradation may be seen
from the simple tuff-crater without any cone, to
those which are entirely filled up by the scoria
cones.
Especially interesting are those which
may be said to represent the middle state, in
which there is a small cone standing like an
island in a large tuff-crater, and surrounded by
either water or swamp. Perhaps the most per-
fect specimens of this kind occur at Otahuhu
and near Captain Haultain's, a map of
which, from actual measurement, has been
prepared by Mr. W. Boulton. You need not be
alarmed when I tell you, that even the very spot
on which we are assembled is the centre of an
old tuff-crater, from which fiery streams once
issued, and which has thrown out its ashes
towards the hill on which the barracks stand.-
In order to account for these various shapes, it
must be borne in mind that the cones of scoria
were once higher, but on the cessation of
volcanic action they sunk down in cooling, and
some entirely disappeared.

That the Auckland volcanoes were, in the
true sense of the word, "burning mountains,"
is proved not only by the lava-streams, which
are immense, in comparison to the size of the
cones, but also from the pear-shaped volcanic
bombs which, ejected from the mountain in a
fluid state, have received their shape from their
rotatory motion through the air. That the
eruptions of the Auckland volcanoes have been
of comparatively recent date, is shown by the
fact that the ashes everywhere occupy the sur-
face, and that the lava-streams have taken the
course of the existing valleys. (This is
beautifully exemplified by the probably simul-
taneous lava streams of Mount Eden, the
Three Kings, and Mount Albert, which,
flowing through a contracted valley, meet
the altogether on the Great North Road and
form one large stream to the shore of the Wai-
temata, terminating on the well-known long
reef West of the Sentinel Rock.) But many
thousand years may have passed since Rangitoto,
which is probably the most recent of the Auck-
land volcanoes, was in an active state.

I have been frequently asked whether it is
true, as a countryman of mine who some
years ago travelled in New Zealand is said
to have told the European settlers, that New
Zealand is a pleasant country, but that they
had come a thousand years too soon. In
answer to this I have to remark that any
one who knows anything of geological science
must be aware, that "a thousand years" is an
almost inappreciable space of time in reference
to geological changes. And I would rather
say, that it would have been better for New
Zealand if it had been colonized a thousand
years ago, as there would then have been no
cause for the discussion of the "Land Question."

I should have much pleasure in saying a
great deal more on the Geology of New Zea-
land, but time will not permit me. Many sub-
jects I have been compelled to omit altogether
-such as the Quartary formation in the Drury,
Papakura, and Waiuku flats; the Basaltic
Boulder formation; the Alluvial formations in
the Middle and Lower Waikato Basin, and
other places; and I have said nothing of the
changes which are now going on.

The materials which I have accumulated
during my six months' sojourn in New Zealand
will, I expect, require several years of labour
to prepare for publication; and, unless the war
which now threatens my own country should
unhappily interfere to prevent the completion of
the peaceful scientific undertaking of the Ex-
pedition to which I belong, it will give me
great pleasure to forward to Auckland copies
of our publications respecting New Zealand,
accompanied by an atlas, containing the maps
and other illustrations.

In concluding this lecture, I cannot omit the
opportunity of saying a few words of farewell
to the inhabitants of this Province.

Now that I am on the point of leaving
Auckland, I turn in memory to the hour in
which I made up my mind to leave my friends
on board the Frigate "Novara" and to remain
for awhile in New Zealand. I can assure you
it was an hour of great anxiety, but I am glad
to say I have never regretted the decision to
which I with so much difficulty brought myself.
Having received assistance in my labours from
all sides, I have arrived at results which have
afforded me much satisfaction, and which I
hope will not be without good fruit to the
present and future inhabitants of this Province.

Having at first felt some difficulty in making
up my mind to remain, I now feel a similar
difficulty in leaving. Home-ties, however, are
drawing me homewards, and I must quit the
country in which I have spent so many happy
days. In parting, I have one request to make,
that you will remember me as kindly as I
will remember you; and I have one wish-
which is for the prosperity of the Colony of
New Zealand, and the advancement of the
Province of Auckland.

Dr. FERDINAND HOCHSTETTER.

[NOTE. The chief additions made since the delivery
of the Lecture are thus distinguished-(**).]

Printed and Published by W. C. WILSON, for the New Zealand Government, at the Printing Office,
Shortland Crescent, Auckland.