effect that the forces have been decreasing in activity, rather than the contrary, and Maori tradition lends weight to this impression. They have many stories of the greater activity of the hot springs; indeed, Europeans have seen many fine geysers in play which are now quiet or extinct: but none of their legends speak of any great calamity having befallen their ancestors through volcanic agency, and we may be sure that amongst a people who are so scrupulously careful in handing down their history, any great catastrophe would have certainly been noted. A consideration of some few occurrences in that district during the twelve months, and immediately preceding the eruption, ought at least to have warned us that some changes were impending, a few of which will be noted.

On the 22nd November, 1885, Mr. Josiah Martin, F.G.S., who was then staying at Rotomahana, was lucky enough to witness what may be called an eruption of the basin on top of the White Terraces, a brief description of which he has been good enough to supply us with:—

“Nov. 19 to 21, 1885.—Wind, W., W.S.W. Rain and squalls. Bar. falling.

“Activity of geyser, normal; overflowing and covering the whole of the Terrace.

“Nov. 22.—Wind, S. Clear sky. Bar. rising.

“Visiting the Terrace at daybreak, I found that overflow had ceased, and water was rapidly retiring. At 6 a.m. the great cauldron was empty, and until noon it remained quiet, when activity was resumed by water rising slowly and filling the geyser tube. Very little increase in activity was noticed until 4 o'clock, when furious ebullition commenced, the water rising in wave-like upheavals, with occasional geyser fountains reaching a height of from 50 to 60 feet. By 5 o'clock the basin was half full, and violently agitated. Watching the activity from the upper platform of the Terrace, I was startled by a severe shock, with a deep boom like an underground explosion, when the water in the basin was instantly uplifted into an enormous dome, from the top of which an enormous column of water was projected vertically, with incredible velocity, falling again over the upper Terrace in a heavy shower.

“(The Natives encamped at the foot of Terrace were alarmed at this sudden eruption, which they said was the most violent they had ever seen.)

“By 6 o'clock the crater was full, and no further change was noticed until 8 o'clock, when the water began slowly to retire. On the following morning (23rd) the water was retiring, and by 9 a.m. the basin was left quite empty and dry. No action was noticed until evening, when the water rose a few feet within the basin.

“On the morning of the 24th, the geyser very suddenly resumed its activity, several eruptive explosions following in rapid succession. On two occasions the column of water ejected must have reached a greater altitude than 150 feet, dense ascending clouds of steam accompanying every discharge, and rising to a height of 800 to 1,000 feet before being broken by the wind.

“On Nov. 22nd the movement of the aneroid exhibited a downward tendency, which commenced with the return of activity in the geyser, and continued during its excessive action. During the evening, as the geyser activity ceased, the opposite movement of the barometer was observed. But on three following days a recurrence of similar periods of activity in the geyser was accompanied by reversed conditions of barometric pressure.”

A paper which will be read before this Institute by Mr. Laurence Cussen at its next meeting will describe in some detail the crater on top of Ruapehu, which until quite recently was supposed to be extinct. We learn, however, from that gentleman that the crateral lake is filled with hot water, and that on the 16th April and 23rd May last he observed columns of steam rising as much as 300 feet above the mountain; and as nothing of the kind has ever been noticed before, it is a fair inference that the volcanic forces were in a state of greater activity than usual.

Mr. Dunnage, a young officer of the Survey Department, who performed the difficult feat of ascending Ruapehu so lately as the 8th of June last—almost mid-winter, in fact—reports: “The snow was in a favourable condition for climbing, but it was necessary to cut each footstep for the last thousand feet. Large quantities of steam were issuing from the little lake in the centre of the crater, nearly 1,000 feet below us, but was all condensed before reaching the top of the crater. The cold was very severe.”

About a fortnight previous to the eruption, one of the fumaroles at Tokaanu, at the south end of Lake Taupo, suddenly burst forth, throwing up showers of mud for several yards round; but it had returned to its usual state on or about the 10th June.

Major Scannell is good enough to inform us that some little time previously to the eruption, a new hot spring broke out at Wairakei, near the north end of Taupo.

About a week prior to the eruption, a wave was noted on Lake Tarawera, causing the waters to rise about 2 feet above the ordinary level, which broke on the shores, washing the boats out of the sheds, and causing some alarm to the Maoris, who, apparently, had never witnessed anything of the kind before. At the same date, some visitors to Rotomahana found

that the Pink Terrace had been in eruption, throwing out mud for several yards round, an occurrence which has never been noted before.

It will be remembered that on the evening previous to the eruption an occultation of Mars by the Moon occurred, at 10.20 p.m., the moon being just then entering her second quarter. It would be high water on the coast near Maketu that evening at about 10 p.m. We do not give much importance to these facts, but it is worthy of note that the well-known theory of the tides assumes that the waters of the ocean are at high water piled up, as it were, on that particular portion of the earth's surface which is just under the moon; but through friction, and the counter attraction of the sun, that the tidal-wave lags after the time of passing of the moon over any particular meridian. It is equally a part of this theory that the solid materials of the earth are at the same moment subject to a wave—much more limited in extent, but still appreciable; and it is well known that an atmospheric wave passes round the earth at 2 o'clock each day. Hence, the crust of the earth being in a state of tension, if there is any predisposing cause tending to a fracture about the period of this earth-wave, it is a natural inference that the conditions are then most favourable for the production of such fractures. The attraction of the planet Mars, added to that of the Moon, may be and doubtless is, very slight; but the fact remains that, whatever influence the moon may exert at any particular moment, it happened to be greater, by the sum of her own and that of the planet, very shortly before the eruption.

The state of the barometer, as recorded by the self-registering instrument at Rotorua, does not indicate any abnormal depression, either shortly before or during the catastrophe. It is found that on Tuesday, the

from which time it altered little for the next two days. It will be seen that there was a somewhat sudden fall a little before noon on the Tuesday, but still nothing extraordinary, or such as we learn has occurred at other great outbursts in other parts of the world.