WHITE ISLAND.

Kumara Times, Issue 1057, 19 February 1880, Page 4

WHITE ISLAND.

The Bay of Plenty Times contains the following description of that remarkable island:—“ White Island is situated about 60milea eiaat of Taurangai It has been visited by several pleasure parties from Tauranga and Opotiki, as well as by the workmen and others employed in working the sulphur which exists there in larve quantities, and easily got at, and the guano which is also present in some parts of the Island. The landing is effected from the steamer in whale boats at a kind of slip which has been constructed, and is no easy matter on account of the size and number of the boulders with which the beach is thickly strewn. ' In calm weather, however, it presets. no great difficulty. On landing, after crossing about twenty yards of rough, beach, you come to a sort of p|ateau, more or less thickly strewn with aulphur, about a quarter of a mile in diameter, and roughly of a circular form. This appears to have been the crater of a volcano, as the cliffs which bound it on all sides seem'of volcanic formation. On the right, sheltered under the cliff's, are the two small wooden houses which were built ;by : the owner for the accommodation of the men working there; on the left, a high rocky point, shutting in the view pn that side j and in front, at a distance of' about' 300 yards, the great wonders of the island—the lake, and the steam craters on the other side of it. The lake Is about half a mile long by about 600 yards in width, and it is a peculiar and most beautiful pale green, owing to the presence in it of large quantities of sulphuric and hydrochloric acids. In fact, to such and extent are these acids present that any materials exposed to the action of the water are destroyed in a short time. Woollen articles seem to stand best, but cotton clothing, hemp, or -grass ropes are soon destroyed ; in fact, an iron bucket left in the water-overnight was entirely destroyed in the morning., . This necessitates the greatest care, and a special construction for the boats, or rather punts, used on it for carrying the sulphur from one aide to the other.' Looking over the lake on the right-hand side or two distinct groups of steam-jets, each- group consisting of several small craters, from which issue jets .of steam blown of at a very high pressure, which on a calm day rise high in the air. These jets are strongly impregnated with the fumes of sulphurous acid which is distilled on the rucks, covering them with a coating of sulphur, imparting a most delicate yellow color to the cliffs around. On landing at those craters one sees the .most extraordinary sights—the whole ground is a mass of sulphur, varying in hue from the pale yellow of the flour of sulphur to the deep red ,of where the sulphur comes in its fused state from the mouths of the crater. One has to be careful where one treads, as a false step would involve very unpleasant if not fatal results, as the crust is in some places very thin, and underneath is a boiling cauldron of sulphur. Leaving these two craters, the punts are again resorted to, and we proceeded to the main craters, if we may call them so, von the other ,side of the lake. On landing,:: you ,are . struck by the numerous small springs on the soft mud of the margin of the lake, and on mounting a steep bank both the eyes and ears are greeted with the most extraordinary sights and sounds—the beaufiful colors of the sulphur, the grandeur of the cliffs surrounding a sort of natural basin, and the roaring of Innumerable jets of steam forming altogether a coup d'ceil et d'oreille which we have not seen surpassed. The craters here are much the same as we have attempted to describe above, but are larger and more easy accessible, and on looking into them you can plainly see the molten sulphur underneath. Up a moderately high bank there is also another natural phenmenou—a boiling mud bath; This bath is circular and about 20 feet in diameter, and the mud is thrown to a height of from 4 to 5 feet by the stream which seems to be forced into it from the bottom ; there are also several small boiling springs on the side of the MU, which contain a considerable amount of alum and hydrochloric acid. One cannot but be struck by the enormous amount of sulphur on this island, and the fact that as fast as it is carried away it is reproduced by the action of the crater. The return from this side of the lake is right through the centre, and there are more wonders to be seen now, in the springs which rise in the centre, and at first give one the idea that the lake is covered with whirlpools. Before returning to the place of embarkation it -is worth while to keep to the left on leaving the shore of the lake to see the bay on that side of the island. The cliffs which surround it also contain a large amount of sulphur, but not in quite such a pure state as that on the other side-, of the lake. On returning to the ship the visitor should not forget, if the tide be;oufc, to look for a boiling sulphur spring—in fact, there are several which well up from under the large boulders on the left-hand side going down to the boat. We can- only say, in conclusion, that if the day be fine, the trouble of the visit will be'Well rapid by the various sights to be .witnessed'there ; but should it be wet ‘or blowing'hard nothing can be seen, as the steam and vapors hang about the mountains and render everything invisible.