NGAURUHOE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 42, 15 March 1909, Page 4

NGAURUHOE.

PREVIOUS ERUPTIONS. SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE. The first ascent of Ngauruhoe by a white man was made by Mr. J. C. Bidwill in the early half 01 last century, while the mountain was in eruption. The explorer and a party of Maoris spent a whole day in climbing the mount, and passed the night not far below the base of the cone. Next moiniug he started for the summit with two natives, who, especially as they declared the mountain Jiad been making a noise in the night, eould not be persuaded to go within a mile of the base of the cone. "As I was toiling up a very steep hill,'' Mr. Ridwill wrote, "I heard a noise which caused me to look up, and I saw that the mountain was in a .state of eruption. A thick column of black smoke rose up for some distance and then spread out like a mushroom. As 1 was directly to windward 1 could see nothing more, and could not tell whether anything dropped from the cloud as it passed away. iThe noise, which was very loud and not unlike that of the safetyvalve of a steam-engine, lasted about half an hour and then ceased, after two or three sudden interruptions; the smoke continued to ascend for some time afterwards, but was less dense. I could sec no lire, nor do I believe there was any, or that the eruption was anything more than hot water and stain; although from the great density of the latter it looked like black smoke." Jlr. tlidwill continued the ascent, ami found [he tad not been climbing the main mountain, but merely a cliff, over which I lie dropped on to a lava stream below, I of which he says, "I had no idea of the [ meaning of a sea of rocks until I crossed them. The edges of the atony billows were so sharp that it was very difficult to pass among them without cutting one's clothes into shreds." Arriving iinallv at the true base of the cone, he had, as is now also the case, great difficulty on account of the loose volcanic cinders. "Had it not been for the idea of Mantling where, no mail ever stood before. 1 should certainly have given up the undertaking. A few patches of a most beautiful snow-white .yeronica. which I at first took for snow, were crowing among the stones, but .they ceased betore I had ascended a third part of the way. A small grass reached a little higher,"but both were ho scarce i that 1 do not think 1 saw a dozen plants .of each in the whole ascent." Mr. Urnwill then-got on to that lava-flow which comes from the summit of the mountain, thus escaping the loose dust and ashes. He continues: "It was lucky for me another eruption did not take place while I was on it, or I should have been infallibly boiled to death, as I afterI wards found it led to the lowest part of the crater, and, from indubitable proofs, that a stream of hot mud and water had been, running there during the time I saw the smoke from the fop. The crater was the most terrific abyss I ever looked into or imagined. . The rocks overhung it on all sides, and A was not possible to see above ten yards into it from the quantity of steam which it was continually discharging. . . As I did .not wish to see an eruption near enough to be either boiled or Earned to death, I made the. best o „,v wav down. I got hack to the tenl about seven ill the evening. The natives sVd t'hev had heard the eruption which took place as I was returning, and th-" the "round shook very much at the thHofjiut I did not feel it. perhaps because I was .too much occupied with tne dill'Deultics oi my path." Dr. P. Marshall, of Dunedm. has ascended NVauruhoe. eisrht times, and was aUo on the mountain during an eruption.