THE ERUPTION AT TARAWERA. THE HAMILTON EXPEDITION TO ROTOMAHANA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2176, 19 June 1886, Page 2

THE ERUPTION AT TARAWERA. THE HAMILTON EXPEDITION TO ROTOMAHANA.

We are indebted to Mr C. J. W. Barton, of Hamilton, for the following personal nnrrative of his journey from Rotorna to Rotomahana on the loth :— Our party consisted of Messrs Howard Jack»on (Lichfield), Henry Steele (Hamilton), Perrott(Hautapu), Pickering (Hantapu), H. and J. Paton (Hautapu), Mr Churchward (Auckland), a native from Waikato and myself. We were all mounted on our own horses, and itarted at 9 a.m , taking with us sufficient provisionn for the day. We followed the telegraph line along the old Galatea track, as the Tikatapu road was reported to be impassable. The track proved to be in very good order, with the exception of a crossing over a small creek. We continued along the track, keeping up a steady trot for about two hours, the distance covered being I should lay, some twelve miles. About half-way on the journey, we were overtaken by Dr. Hector and his party, who came prepared to make observations, and take photographic views of the scene of the eruption. The track ran for some distance up a narrow valley crossing what has been called

" Earthquake Flat," » locality which bears evident traces of paat disturbances, while several new tiamres indicated th.it the recent eruption had extended its influence in this direction. A ride of about two miles brought us to the ridge of anmall bush. We left the Galatea track, and led our horses over a newly cut track through the bush. The trees and the ground in the bush were thickly coated with fine ash, in which there was a large admixture of sulphur. On emerging from the bush, a full view of Taraweia and the adjoining high lands burst upon us. The ash referred lay more thickly, and the deposit increased iv depth h we proceeded. Tho whole country wai

Clothed in a White Mantle, with no sign of vegetation existing 1 towards the enst, Tarawera was, I should think, about eight miles away. It did not exhibit auy si^ns of violent activity, but tteam ami ashes were ejected from one large crater on the western face, looking towards Rotomahana. This crater looked like

A Hugh Quarry and extended almost from the base to the summit. Large stones were being thrown out over the lower edge. Near to the top, extending downwards, was a large bed of sulphur, which, in the bright •unlight, had the appearance of a green field. A big volufne of steam was rising from what we presumed to be Rotomahana, while further to the right two craters, at a moderate elevation, were

In Full Working Order. We kept on our horses for about a mile after leaving the bush, passing" the remains of Mr Blythe's survey camp. Tlie ashy deposit became too deep for the cattle, and we fastened them up to the skeleton of an old tupaki bush, which was

The Last Remnant of Vegetation on the track. Three of onr party elected to return to Rotorua from this point, but the rest of us ploughed steadily on through the white ash, with the intention of reaching the site of the Terraces, about four miles off. Mr Blomfield,;an artist attached to one of the Auckland papers, overtook us just as we were leaving our horses, nn'l accompanied us on. When our native friend saw the volcano at work nil courage began to ooze out visibly, ami it was only by impressiug upon him that by going on he .would acquire a reputation for bravery that I could induce him to proceed. It, however,, required a deal of persuasion .to keep him up to the mark. The last half-mile of our walk lay up a pretty ■tiff hill, upon reaching the brow of which we stood on the edge of

I What Was formerly Rotomahana Lafce. The spectacle was at once grand and awful. A tremendous body of steam obscure*! < a fall view 6f the crater, for that was what the lake had become, but its presence wa« made only too clear by the incessant roar underground arid thu hissing of innumerable mud holes and steam jets. Through occasional breaks in the steam we were enabled to see the bottom of the lake, and observed several small pools of water, apparently quite placid. Across the valley, or crater, we s.aw a larger sheet of water, which we took to be Rotomakariri, but as the whole face of the country had been changed, and all old landmarks had disappeared, iwe could not be certain. Of one thing 1 there could be no doubt,

The Pink Terrace had. been Blown Out, I^ock, stock, and barrel, and itt place ww a huge cauldron of boiling water and mud.

The White Terrace, if it has not been thrown up, must be covered tip with mud. Messrs Steele nnd Blomtield went down the almoht precipitous hill to the lower terrace of laud, right on to the edge of the crater near the Pink Terrace, and got a better view. The story about the

Narrow Escape of these two gentlemen must have had its origin in the vivid imagination of somebody or other, because I knew nothing of it until I saw it in print. I can say, however, that the edge of the crater was in precisely the same condition when we left as it was wheu we arrived there. Bight under the eminence upon which we stood, and distinct from the lake crater, was a crater which showed considerable activity during our stay, and was the cause of our native friend making the best time on record btck to where the horaea were tied. This crater threw up what appeared to be large stones or lumps of mud, every few seconds, the ejected substances falling back into the crater again with a loud rattling noise.

Several Extinct Craters, varying in size, lay away to the right, while still further away in the same direction the two cones, mentioned in connection with our first view of the scene, were throwing up mud and stones to a considerable height, the volcanic substances falling in some instances quite clear of the craters. Prom our standpoint we could see the arm of Tarawera Lake known as the Ariki, but no trace of the Kaiwaka Creek was visible. Just before lunch we experienced

A Smart Shock of Earthquake, but it was not big enough to spoil our appetites, which were by no means email. The whole scene was one of desolation, indaoing a feeling of sadness. It was melancholy to think that a spot which a few days before had presented features of beauty calling forth the admiration of the whole world should have been transformed into

A Howling Wilderness of Mud and Ashes. It was half-past two p.m. when we ■Urted on our return journey. The weather was very cold, and had showed signs of breaking. Before we reached

our boraei s atorm of sleet overtook us. and rendered the journey unpleasant. Onco mounted we mad* 1 good time, reaching Rotorua at 0 o'clock.