THE PINK AND WHITE TERRACES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 784, 6 April 1910, Page 4

THE PINK AND WHITE TERRACES.

Sir,-As there appears 'forte ».F eat n *;?| of uncertainty as to whether these .once- . famous terraces, are destroyed, or simply hidden by an immense layer of volcanic mud, thematter might easily and quickly be settled hy very. . inexpensive means ' Why not have the area tested, by-means of boring, or, better still, obtain .the ser, vices of experienced miners and put down ■ I few JbciS. shafts? The cost 6y either method would be small, and would be iTstined. If Guide Warbrick, who is. i very intelligent person, and thoroughly knows every foot of the'district, has never seen any of fragments, of those wonderful deposits scattered over the mud covered area, it js pretty strong evidence of their still W intact. Especially does the, writer favour, this latter view, when so many years have elapsed, when the scouring and washing away of the finer particles would long ere this.have revealed such. portions as. would provo the destruction theory. It they are still in existence,, simply hidden fromview, the'difficulty of .sluicing, away the -superincumbent matter is not insuperable: If destroyed, then why not assist Nature in the' matter, of restoration? . Assuming that water is still being ejected* and that the mineral constituents ■in solution are still the same as when the terraces were first formed, and subsequently added to by the deposits of silicates through past ages,- there should be no difficulty in assisting their restoration by artificial means. First, assume that a depth of say, twenty feet of volcanic mud now forms the foundation on which this impregnated water has to act, is it not clear that an immense quantity would be lost by percolation? Is it not equally clear that little or no deposit "is likely to take place before cooling, which cannot possibly happen.if it sinks through this assumed depth of debris? In any case, the deposit would be exceedingly slow, as it would have to partly solidify the mass before having a surface sufficiently solid.to ensure a more rapid deposit. My suggestion, then, is to prepare a foundation ' below . the aperture' from whence proceeds these peculiarly-impreg-nated waters, lay down a bed of concrete,: if only .4 inches, nearly flat, of artistic design, or a number of harmonious and agreeable designs, control the flow of wafer, and so direct it to reach every portion in a continuous flow, but at such a rate-as to ensure its cooling, and thereby ensure the deposit of silicious matter. To do this, -rubber hoso might bo required, as such would not be. likely to produce any chemical action, or interfere with tho natural action of the water, liy such means I feel'sure that greater and more satisfactory results- would bo obtained' in a decade than would accrue in a century by natural agency. It might bo objected that such would not bo Nature's production; true, but would its effect and the pleasuro resulting from .such production, be any tho less because it was the combined product of Man and Nature? Who despises the highly-finished electro-plated goods so commonly in use because the foundation is known to be of cruder material? Tho lirst requisite is to have a nearly smooth surfaco on which tho peculiar deposit is to bo made; tho second to so regulate the flow to ensure cooling aud accelerate Such deposit. . ' At Wairakei, and also at Waiotapu, pieces of timber as well as stono arc to be found encrusted with silica. While being shown over tho latter place some years'ago, the' writer's attention was called by the Native guide to tho deposit on several pieces of timber, and on being asked why he did not utilise Nature's efforts for commercial purposes, he looked lost, ir. a quandary. Walking to a native bush, the writer cut a branch, and chose several flat sprays, of length and size to go between the leaves of a

pocket book, and showed his guide that, by using such fastened to a line and immersed in the little stream, they would soon become covered with a coating of silica, for which ho could obtain at least a shilling apiece. When it dawned upon tho mind of my unsophisticated guide, not only that it was possible but that there was money in tho business, his look ot pleasurable anticipation was truly wonderful His reply was as quick' as was his sudden conversion to a new'faith. He exclaimed, "I go into tho bush tom»™)v - J&ko clearly saw the possibilities. Will the Minister under whose charge the Tourist Department is, and who-doubtless thinks himself many times smarter, than the Native- guide, see equally clearly the practical nature of my suggestions? Will he "go in the bush to-morrow or will ho as aforetime betake himself to the solitude of some distant hills and ponder for hours, ot it may be with prayer and fasting for days, . before he could decide as my guide did in a few seconds?—l am, etc.. •ir ,„„'-.„» AGMCOLA. March 28, 1910.