Curious Phenomena.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 310, 11 June 1889, Page 2

Curious Phenomena.

[by oub special repobteb.] Os Saturday I made up my mind that there was to be something more than usually sensational for this morning’s paper, and when I explain how I arrived at that oqnelusion it will be admitted that it was sufficiently justified, although it has not been altogether accurate, A telegram was received at the office stating the barometer records at Auckland were the lowest for twenty-two years past, and that something extraordinary was anticipated. Enquiries elicited the fact that the local glasses were also very low, and still decreasing. I thought that the hard times, together with the expected arrival of Mr W. Weaver, had something to do with the trouble, but I held my own counsel. However, the splendid steamship Msraroa arrived and after hunting high and low, from the state saloons to the coal-bunkers, no Weaver was to be found. Coming across Captain Edie, he asked me what I was searching for, but I could get no information excepting that Mr W. was non eat. I then entered into conversation as to the state of the weather, and mentioned the telegram which had been received by the Standard. He said it was strange, and of course his glass was exceptionally low, too. He thought it must mean some bad weather. He said that his boat had been delayed on the voyage from Sydney, owing to the strong southeasterly winds, accompanied by heavy head seas for three days; to which he added much interesting information as to the big floods in Sydney. “Oh !" said I, “ I had for the moment forgotten all about that; that accounts for Mr Weaver’s detention—that ought to be made known to the Board of Consolation.” I was then asked who was this Mr Weaver, about whose business the Gisborne people wore so muoh interested ? I replied that I had known him (or at least his ways) for years, but ha was a bigger riddle for me than the famous egg puzzle ; I had formed an opinion of my own, but that was best reserved to myself, because some things are better left unsaid. Il would be no more than a well known truth, though, to say that be was one of the biggest —but here the shrill whistle of the Snark was heard, and I had to make a rush to prevent losing my passage. Returning to town I entered into conversation with a country gentleman, as to whose veracity there could be no doubt. He said ha would like public attention referred to a strange thing which had occurred at Makauri, and said I ought to make a visit to that place Some time back Mr Poulgrain had informed him of a sublet, ratteen disturbance that had occurred at his place, but than he (my informant) set il down as a joke, and troubled no furthei about it. Happening, however, while out shooting, to go near Mr Poulgraln’s place, that gentleman said to him, “Now, yon don't believe what I told you ; just come over here, and let your own eyes oonvinoa you.” He did go, and on looking through the crop of oom there was undanlabls evidence that some disturbance had taken place. In different plaoes the land had been cracked, some of the fissures being over two inches wide, and the depth could not bo ascertained with a stick, Just where each fleams bad occurred the ground was heaved up on one side towards the centre, thus forming layers one above another. The level of the house itself. Mr Poulgrain said, had been altered, and altogether the matter was well worth the attention of geologists. The recent rains, said my informant, would no doubt have tended to fill up the orovioor, but if I went soon there would be a pros* pect of seeing that something extraordinary had occurred, On Saturday night the barometer record was still lowering, and on Sunday morning and afternoon, though sunny, there were ominous black clouds in a N.W. direction, so I resolved to ride out at once, and comparing one thing with another I should not have been surprised to find that Makauri had given birth to a second Tarawera affair. On reaching Mr Poulgrain'a everything was peaceful enough —indeed depressingly so, for the proprietor was either asleep and would not be waked, or be had gone out visiting. There was not even a dog about to amuse himself with one's pants, and emboldened by this absence of obstacles, nor oaring to have my ride for nothing, I made up for ths feeling of disappointment by becoming a trespasser, of which the owner will probably not be aware until he reads this, The bouse has a history attached to it, being, I believe, the only one about there that was not burned during the terrible Te Kooti raid. Of course a mare glance could gire no idea as to whether any change had taken place in the level of the house, but I went and examined ths ground at the back. The cornstalks remained, aud at first there was no unusual Indication, but I soon observed what was most unmistakeably a crack in the earth. It extended irregularly for some yards, and it could be seen that in some plaoes the earth had been washed into it and fjlled part of if up, The ground was then soppy after the rain, and I was sorry I had not the opportunity of inspecting it sooner, On the one aids of the crack the ground was about a foot higher than on the other. The ground around was uneven, but I could not tell whether there had been any general change. It had been ploughed up when the maize was sown, but if a horse stopped into the gap that I saw, he would be almost certain to break his leg. At the back of the paddock there is a little creek, the approach to which is a natural decline. I think that a sort of slip has occurred towards the lower ground, probably caused by some of the recent earthquakes ; the alteration in the level of the house could ba accounted for in several ways. HowaiS'i some of our local geologists might bs able to give a better explanation of the occurrence. I don't think Mr Poulgrain is much afraid of the earth opening out and swallowing him up, but he would no doubt feel more satisfied if he had a reliable assurance as to the why and wherefore of the thing. Can anyone give us such information ?

The Bay of Plenty Time* lays':—« Wo have to note a curious and startling result of the Rotorua eruption. It will be rememtered that immense quantities of fine sand were thrown up by the eruption, spreading over the country for miles around, A vary large amount was deposited on the hills round i Opotiki, and baa been washed down by th* rains into the river there, and sweeping down has met the tide and been deposited in th* river bed, with the consequence that where, previous to the eruption, there was fairly deep water, is now all sand shallows. On the occasion of her last trip there, the a,a, Chelmsford was unable, in consequence of this, to go up at high water, though only drawing 4 feet 6 inches of water.”

An extraordinary natural phenomenon has been discovered in Mr F. Voitrekofsky’s garden at Kumeroa, according to our Woodville contemporary. For some time a piece of peaty ground, about 20 feat square, had been noticed in the garden. * Nothing would grow on it, and the earth was dug out and spread over parts of the garden, when it was die. covered that it was a salt well, the water being like that of the >aa. No animal would drink it. In digging about it was observed that branches of trees and other specimens of vegetation were found in it in a remarkable state of preservation.