Professor Hutton's Expedition. A Crater on Tarawera's Peak. SUPPOSED STREAM OF LAVA

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 160, 10 July 1886, Page 2

Professor Hutton's Expedition. A Crater on Tarawera's Peak. SUPPOSED STREAM OF LAVA

Rotjrtja, July 6. Professor Hutton returned to Rotorua last night, after five days' inspection of the effects of the eruption on the Galatea side. fie first vieited Rotomahana, and then attempted to reach Tarawera mountain from the eastern eide. The volcanic dust on that side has made travelling so plow, that he did not get within ten miles of bhe mountain. He, however, made rhe important discovery that there i« a crater right on the top of Tarawera proper. and with the glaBS he made out two steaming streaks down the side of the mountain, which he believes to be lava streams. He Believes the Dust Barren. Professor Hutton says the extent of the eruption has been very much magnified. The deposit of dust on the Galatea side is much thinner than stated Be does not believe that it will be beneficial from an agricultural point of view. When the fact of seeds germinating in it was mentioned, he said, ** '1 hat's nothing, they will germinate in ti piece of flannel." The Auckland Professors. Professor Hutton has not yet met the Auckland Professors, who are in camp at Kaiteriria collecting data, but are expected back to-day. - The professional trio will then hod a conference. No Fear of Farther Outbreaks. Professor Hutton j» properly reticent as to his opinions until be has communicated with the Government, but, from a conversation I have had \* ith him, I believe he does not apprehend any further danger. It was bitterly cold here yesterday ; the hardest frost this season Professor Hutton thinks the ascent of Tarawera will be & perfect summer expedition.

.Distribution of Auckland Gif s - The Rev. Mr Fail brother, who arrived in Auckland lasc night, was one of tbe first to go to iha relief of the sufferers at Wairoa, having taken a horse from Cambridge immediately on hearing the news of the eruption, and remained until he had done everything in his power for those in trouble. Mr Fairbrother's labours in a^istiug to extricate those buried and comfoit and atsist surviving natives and others were such as will earn him thbir lasting gratitude. Fully 50 packages oi coining, Sec , scut by the Baptist Church to the relief of Hotorua 'suflFereis, were received by tbe Rev. Mr Fairbrother, who at unce proceeded to obtain a list of the whole of the survivor?, men and women, *ho total number being about 130 members ot the Tuhorangi tribe. Mr Fairbrother, two trusty Maoris, picked out the names of the most distressed, and allotted to them what they were entitled to receive, distributing the liberal supply as equitably as possible. The bundles wore carefully made up and labelled, and distributed together with a few appropriate remarks. The Maoris wsre much surprised and very grateful for tbe kindness of the pakehas.t Reware Paru and party, Bay of Islands natives, wanted to get back to the Bay of Islands, and Mr Fairbrother went to the Government agent, who offered to apply to Government for passages if Mr Fairbrother would guarantee the genuineness of the application This was done, and the Maoris arrived in Auckland on Monday evening, en route for bay of Islands. Dr Hector and Rotorua Township.. It is not true, a? has been reported, that Dr. Hector has recommended the removal of the Government township of Rotorua to another site on the west side of Lake Rotorua, and the Minister for Lands is of opinion that to make such a recommendation would be very polish, inasmuch as it could not be given effect to. The site of Rotorua has been faxed by law, at id could not be altered except by repudiation. Mr Pond's Tests. Mr J A. Pond writes to us with reference to his tests of volcanic dust and mud, explaining that hie testa of plant growth in the ejected mattet are comparative. He Bays : "At the time of planting the seeds in the various portions of the deposits, I also planted some of the same parcel oi seeds in rich Mount Eden soil and in washed sea gand. This was on the 17th to 19th ult, and the results to-day show a rich and vigorous growth in the volcanic ash nearly equal to the Mount Eden soil, while the seedlings in tha sand are dwarfed and perishing. All the samples have been watered only with distilled water. The analyses which I have now completed of the ejected matter from various localities all show an ample supply of plant food, with the exception of ammonia. All euch tests, however, are of but little value compared with the real one which the Government are now commencing —tbe sowing of seeds in the district on a large scale, and this—l venture to predict, will prove a complete success." W« agree ~ with our correspondent that the real test is the cowing of eeed on the open Burface of the land covered by ejected matter, and we Bincerely hope that Mr Pond's sanguine anticipations will be fully realised. If so, the land lying between Tarawera, Rotorua, and Rotoiti will certainly have been improved by what, at one time, appeared to the local settlers a very serious and irreparable disaster. —Star. Mr Boscawen's Return. Mr Boscawen, of the Survey Department, Wellington, who was sent to Rotorua by the Government to make sketches of the eruption, returned to Auckland last night en route for Wellington. He has had a rough time, owing to bad weather, but has succeeded very well. Although still unable to get down to verify the destruction of the Terraces, he is satisfied that they are either gone or covered up. Mr Boscawen etates that the Blips on the side of the hill above the Pink Terrace continue on an extensive scale. Mr James Stewarts party, of which the Star Special correspondent was a member, were the first to ascend this hill, visiting it on the Sunday following the eruption, and they descended some little distance down towards the lake. The existance of great fissure? in the volcanic deposit warned them that the heaped-up dust was slipping down towards the craters in the lake, and that it would be very perilous to venture far down. Mr Vogan's party, who visited the spot a few days,later, brought back the cheerful intelligence that within a lew feet of where the pioneer party had stood the whole mass, of volcanic dust had slipped down the hill side. The only new discovery "made by Mr Boscawen were signs of, an, old crater on earthquake flat. He visited it, with Captain Hutton, who was of opinion that it dated back a very ancient period. There .were general signs of a pnbsidence id "the /t volciwtfe,, energy at all points of eruption when Mr Boscawen left,