The Destruction of Te Hen Hen. The Undermining Effects of Hot Springs.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 161, 17 July 1886, Page 6

The Destruction of Te Hen Hen. The Undermining Effects of Hot Springs.

The following interesting letter appears in a recent isBue of the Sydney "Telegraph " : — " Sir, —As these volcanic disturbances in New Zealand are at the present time causing great excitement in this and the neighbouring colonies, if may possibly prove intei'esting to your numerous readers if I subjoin an account of a great earth shock which happened a.t Taupo on May 17, ISM), in the very locality wheie, it is feared, a great convulsion will shortly take placu I was at that period a resident at Wanganui, acting as private secretary to the Rev. Richard Tayloi, church mi-sionary and native interpreter to the foices Captain Nug«jni», ot the jSth, and Lieutenant iiurdley Wilniot subsequently viiifed the s pot, likewise Mr Taylor,and 1 subjoin the following from nis pun : — On May 17, IS4G, a very sudden and extraordinary event^occurred at Taupo, in the southern island of New Zealand. An avalanche defaCouded from a mountain at the back of Te Hapa and overwhelmed Te Jtleu lieu, bis six wives and their children, Tamiti Waha, his eldest son, and others, making in all 54, two only making their escape. The pa was buiiod lOcb. in depth with mud, and it was the opinion of those who visited the scene of disaster that it arose fvom the excessive rains and also from the hot springs abounding on theddesof the mountain Te Heu Heu'a pa lay in a valley, having a mountain on either side and the lake in front. The distance trora the mountain whence the destruction came to the laUc is about two miles. The side of the mountain was covered with bulling springs at an elevation of 40Oft. above the sea* These springs were some hundreds in number, and when seen by Mr Taylor* appeared, as vents for heated air. T\\& mountain appeared to be composed of pipeclay, interspersed with veins of red ochre, It was surmised that the many subterranean caverns formed by the continual throwing out of the clay were filled by the rains, and then the water, being heated, expanded, and so loosened the sides of the mountain which at length gave way. For some hours before the catastrophe took ptace, as Te Heu Beu sat outside his whare calmly smoking, he wasalaimed by a roaring noise in the tnouutain. Of course this arose from the preliminary convulsion of nature, but Te Heu Heu, being a heathen, imagined that his " Taniwha," or native god, was angry, and by the advice of his chief men commanded two dozen tow re « karekas, or slaves, to carry up the mountain peace offerings in the shape of baskets of cooked fish, potatoes, kumeras, etc> This was accordingly done, but, as th& sequel proved, was ot no avail. Te Heu Heu, three of his wives and about 20 of bis followers were dug out of the debris. The great chief was buried by himself, with great native pomp, and around his neck waa placed his " meri " or greenstone, one of the finest ever seen in New Zealand. His grave lay in a beautiful valley. It was neatly fenced in, the.woodwork being dyed with red ochre, and to trespass within the palisading would be, if detected, instant death. — Your?, &c.» J. J. Clarki?, Brighthelmston, Ashrield."