New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-21
"Witchoraft," said the skipper.

ward we had the big eruption
1T Is true. All square. l saw the blacK cahoe
as clear as / see you now. And Totaia saw II
and Kepa. You ask them. AND the "a
keha made a picture Of it. 1 saw the picture
next day. 1t was very good
who was the man that drew III" asked the
globe-trotter.
south; I never saw him again."
Howhaia squatted down to get her prea'h anu
another drink.
First time | ever heard OF ghost having its
portrait painted said the 'Gumsucker
'Mais comment?" said the spout-bath. FUN
bling with the fat notebook, ave unoei-
stand? Re big man. how big he vasT'
Ten feet" said the mine man.
The Spout bath made a note or II.
May ask-ah-madame, II you hau NJ an nno
nation Of the approaching volcanic disturbance
other than this-ah-this remarkable appear
ance?" asked the quiet Professor, suddenly nho-
ing voice.
Howhaia looked at him.
Your words are too big" she SAID
Tell us what else happened said the SKIPPER
She rose at once and resumed her story
THE day before the 'ruption took q party 10
see the lake We crossed III the canoe and went
to the White Terrace first 1t was spoutihs ho.
water up high in the air and throwing up stones
| never seen it do that before, and thousn'-
something is going TO come
Then took them to the Pink Terrace ana tue
other things and after that returned across the
lake in the canoe. The lake was always COW
cred with green weeds. 1t was all green as
| usual when crossed In the HlorhiHS' Due
when we got back in the afternoon there WASH
a weed upon 1t. / did not like that. sau'
Let us get back quick. Something Is going 10
happen SO we went back
| Next day the young men wanted 10 go gun
shooting but / said DO not go-there IS leei
in the ART will rain or something. DO not go
So we stayed all day by the whares.
Il went to bed late-after IL, maybe hau
not slept long when something woke me.
II sat up in bed and listened. 1t was very
still Then suddenly there came rumping
deep down under the ground, like the souhu Vi
a hundred bullock drays crossing the "ooueh
bridge at Wairoa Everything began to snake
| sat up and the dark all shook round me I'LL
! felt sick. .
Il go: uo and ran to my sister WHARF 10 get
| the children for she was away, ana was iooh-
| inc after them Every one Maori and white,
was running about in the black dark shouting
| The Maoris came together 10 my Whare oecauSe
! II was large, and we stayed there
THE shaking went on for bout an hour-theh
| came the bust up There was terrlDie morse
like big guns booming and souhu vi 'nu''I e.
| below and then one tremendous roar "a
made me deaf for days. The people wanted u
run out but shouted, DO not go out-we are
safe herer So they stayed in my house.
| "After that mud and stones began TO ran out
of the sky. The mud fell on the Tools VI ' ne
| houses some were buried and some crushed by
| the weight Hot stones came crashing through
the thatch and killed many people Inc pis
hotel fell like a crumpled leaf, and some OF the
pakeha there were killed. But my little WHARF
/
women and children. There was no room TO ST.
so we stood close, like small trees in the push'
| till morning.
"AG, We stood there thick and the ground
shook and we chung together and the people
talked talked like frogs in the swamp. But
the noise was too loud to near what was saiu d
yard away. ,,, h.
not so high 1t was strong house, with thick
roof beams. There were with US TWO very
strong men. Peta and Heme, and now and again
| sent them out to clear the mud from the uooI
so we could get out They tried TO get the muo
off the roof but they could not keep it clear
"Then the roof begun to bend in with the
weight OF the mud above. SO | said, what
more can we do? Let us pray But there wa
among us a very old man. chief, and ne helG
m a lighted candle and shouted, so we heard
him above the terrible noise-'Listen! we want
irons not prayers. First let us find props FOR
the roof then let us pray So Peta and Heme
went out and found two totara poles, and with
them we propped the roof. After that we
prayed, standing close, we were so many. IL
was terribly hot. We could hardly breathe and
the awful roar of the 'ruption made my head
ache. SO we stood and waited for day.
but no light came, and at last we thought II
must be morning, and we went OUT TO look
Way off to the north was little gray hght
and above the clouds were like blood from the
fires of the mountain, but all around us it was
dark Aei The 'ruption was still keeping on
going boom. boom. now and again, and the
mud still fell though not so heavy.
Then | said Come, we must so to Ohine-
mutu 1t is light over there
1T is ten mile as you know. up hills and down
gullies You know the time IL takes TO ride by
the track? We had no track and we walked
In the dark. going down to our knees in mud at
every step 1t was hot mud, and our legs were
all bsters"
Here Tommy, the driver interrupted That's
the native yarn" he said-he had no magma
tion-"they lie like dead eel though / was
across there few hours after they got through,
and the mud scarce warm, and as hard as
a bloomin beach"
"you chm, IN Ton,nv" sold JIowhaia 'sThey