A VISIT TO WHITE ISLAND IN H. M. CHARTERED REVENUE SCHOONER, “ZILLAH.”

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 54, 10 July 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

A VISIT TO WHITE ISLAND IN H. M. CHARTERED REVENUE SCHOONER, “ZILLAH.”

On tho 16th April, 1361, being a calm sunny day, and under the loe of White Island, to the south-eastward ; I determined to visit that farfamed safety valve of this part of the world. Vessels passing from Auckland down to the East Cape leave this wonder on their starboard hand, about 25 miles distant, and at all times, should the wind be blowing from it towards them, when under its loe, the sulphurous steam which is ejected from it is smelt immediately, and will penetrate every part of the ship. In my journeyings past it, I have observed more steam seat forth at some seasons than at others. At 11 o’clock a.m. the light airs we had wafted us conveniently close to enable us to take to the boat, so we lowered it aud accompanied by Messrs. Hewson and Brown of H. M. Customs, "together with four good stout sailors, made a start for the land. On one side of the Island a moi-e perfect scene of desolation could not well be imagined. As we pulled in we passed close to two roekey islets, each about a quarter of a mile distant from the shore, and as we were looking over our boat’s side here, we could see the snappers, kawai, and wabuka sporting and coursing about in vast multitudes. I should say there were about 25 fathoms of water here. Leaving these behind us we approached a steep rocky point, indented with numerous caverns, on rounding which we found a little cove formed by this and another point which stretched out to the south-east, and ornamented with a high pyramidal rock of singular appearance. Between these there is a small steep beach composed of large boulders. We now lay on our oars for a few minutes to watch if it was smooth "enough to land with safety. There was a considerable draw-back but no break of sea, so taking a good start we pulled quickly in, and as ' soon as the boat took the ground all hands jumped out, and ran her up high and dry. The first object that met our view was the greater portion of the skeleton of a whale, strewn about the rocks. After our curiosity was satisfied by inspecting this, wo took our departure for the cratur, each armed with a good large staff to use as either guiding pole or walking stick, and had not proceeded many yards up a slight rocky incline, . when one of the most glorious and imposing sights burst on us, viz, the cratur, whose sides form a complete amphitheatre, open to tho south-east, rising from 500 to 1500 feet above our heads and excessively steep, it appeared as though it had burst open here allowing tho sea to pour in and extinguish its belching furnace. As we proceeded we found the ground becoming excessively hot, all strewn over with sulphur, with here and there email steam jets and boiling springs oozing out, also numerous dry water courses meandering down this inclined pampa towards the sea, and they looked as though the water had been very lately running down them. As we went slowly on we found a groat deal of pumice stone, and a large quantity of a white limey looking substance, which on being picked up crumbled to powder in our hands. On fasting this substance we found it so excessively acid as almost to skin the tongue. Continuing onwards, we found the ground raised "up in large blisters, all of which were spitting forth thin steam jets, lending their voices as an introduction to the bellowing, roaring, and hissing sulphur manufactory we were approaching. Great caution had now to be taken, for we seemed > to be on hollow ground, from the drum-like noise ‘ it made as we walked along in Indian file. Our large batons were now our friends, for with them we felt our way by proding and striking the ground, step by step, as we proceeded. We were now about half a mile from the boat, and had arrived at a precipitous bank of some twenty feet, which formed the boundary to a great basin below. Here we stood awe-stricken with wonderment at the scene before us. To descend the hank and get on the steamy plain below, seemed rather hazardous ; but with increasing danger, our desire to proceed seemed to increase in the same proportion. In the middle of this basin there was a large lake of the most brilliant emerald green water (on whose surface the sun’s rays were sporting, rendering the scene still more imposing) from which, at many places, large boiling springs shot up their waters to a great height: geysers in fact. We descended this bank with some considerable difficulty, and sure enough we found the ground just as hot as wc could conveniently bear, aud very slippery ; giving one the idea of cooling liquid sulphur mixed with pipe clay. Going cautiously, on leaving the basin on the right, wo saw in the distance, through the steam, piles of sulphur, which had a very fantastic appearance. We made for these. As we advanced, the steamy fumes issuing from the ground, rendered respiration in a greM degree difficult, and I feared that should a f sudden draft of wind come towards us, driving tho steam through the gutway we were in, it would suffocate us. I have since concluded this could not possibly take place, for the cool current of air must necessarily he always driving in to take the place of the more rarefied, as there is no other inlet for it; and the back part of the cratur s cone being quite perpendicular, the steam must rise upwards. On reaching these piles, to our astonishment we found them to he hundreds of chimnies of the purest crystalized sulphur, of various heights, up to say 12 feet, and many of considerable diameter, through whose mouths issued forth the most discordant roaring, hissing, and moaning noises. These, with the multitudes of boiling cauldrons, geysers, and fissures, in every direction all around and above us, pumping forth their searing steam, like so many thousands of high pressure engines, made it a wild aud awful concert; enough to bewilder one. Some little distance beyond us, there was a fearful yawning gulf, up which volumes of steam roiled in dense masses. To approach this, required more pluck than any of the party seemed disposed to exhibit. I judge these sulphur chimneys are formed by the condensation of the steam (which is highly impregnated with sulphur) in meeting the atmosphere ; for many of them we rnauagnd to capsize, and it was curious to observe them reforming. The heat from the apertures of these was excessive and it was amusing to observe small pieces of sulphur thrown into them by us ejected with considerable force. After ■ remaining hero- about an hour' • (longer

perhaps than prudence would have dictated) we began to retrace our steps ; all being loaded with specimens of sulphur, more particularly our friend Mr. Brown, who could not carry enough, and who sweated well under his hot burden. When we arrived at tho boat, the man I left in charge was missing; many surmises of course were immediately conjured as to what had become of him, and it gave us great alarm. Mr. Hewson, and one or two others returned, and at last spied him retracing his way from the opposite side to which we were ; and lie had a small rib bone of a whale in his hand, by the assistance of which he was hobbling along. It appears that incautiously walkiug, the ground had given way with him, and he had settled down into a hotter element than he wanted. Poor fellow, his teeth chattered with fear, there was great truth in his -words, “but for my rib, it would have been all up with me, and I should have lost the number of my mess.” After wandering. about the rocks for awhile, and before launching the boat, I wrote a short memorandum of our visit to White Island, and placed it in a bottle (taken for that purpose), and stuck it up in a conspicuous position for the information of future visitors. After launching we pulled along tho coast to west-ward, and observed a considerable bit of bush aud some grassy patches ; and on a bold peninsula to the extreme S.W., there is an immense resort for gauets, thousands of them being there, where apparently they deposit their eggs, from the numbers of sitting-holes there are on the ground. I should say of the bush that it seemed to me different to any I had seen in New Zealand. Returned on board by 3 o’clock without any accident, and well pleased with our visit to White Island. In conclusion, I may add that the smell of the sulphur remained on our clothing for many days after; and also, that in August following I again landed in company with Messrs. .Chisholm, Hill, aud Harris, and found my bottle untouched. But when we arrived at the cliffy hank above alluded to the whole basin was one boiling cauldron, and the green water almost level with the top, and our district of chimuies out of sight.— Samuel J. Williams.