A BOCND-TIIEAYORLD BOTANICAL EXCURSION 421 



varnish is made. It reaches a height of 200 feet and a diameter of 

 eighteen feet; but this is exceptional, specimens eight feet in diameter 

 being regarded as very large trees. The trunk is straight and sym- 

 metrical and often measures a hundred feet up to the first branches, 

 with a diameter of five or six feet where the branching begins; and, 

 consequently, the lumber is very clear, closely resembling a very high 

 grade of white pine. The forest is not at all pure, for there are many 

 other kinds of trees, some of them not very important as timber. The 

 methods of lumbering are as wasteful as in our own country, the fallen 

 timber being allowed to thunder down the mountain side, tearing up 

 all the smaller trees in its path. Since the large kauris are thousands 

 of years old, some estimates running as high as 5,000 years, a timber 

 company could hardly be expected to make any serious attempt at 

 reforesting. However, there are a few government preserves, so that 

 the big tree will not become entirely extinct. New Zealand has ad- 

 vanced ideas on conservation, for its recreation, forest and scenic 

 reserves already include about 3,000,000 acres. 



To the average traveler, the thermal region about Eotorua is the 

 most interesting place in New Zealand. An oasis in the desert, or a 

 park in a city, is easily superior to its surroundings; but a health 

 resort in the healthiest country in the world must have inherent advan- 

 tages of the highest order. Eotorua is recognized as the Baden Baden 

 of the South Seas, and probably no springs in the world surpass those 

 of the Eotorua district, for some springs are boiling hot, some are warm 

 and some are cold; some are clear as crystal, and some consist of boil- 

 ing, spluttering mud. The mineral properties are no less varied than 

 the appearance and the temperature. The government has erected an 

 extensive series of baths where one may get a good bath for as little as 

 three pence. 'Whether the baths have all the curative properties 

 claimed for them may be a question, but they are certainly refreshing 

 and invigorating. 



The region is not only uncanny and spectacular, but it is profitable 

 both to the government and to the native ; for the government manages 

 the baths and is interested in many of the hotels for tourists, and the 

 native Maoris find easy, lucrative employment as guides (Fig. 3). 

 Besides, for the Maori, the natural heat boils the potatoes, fries the 

 eggs, and furnishes hot water for the washing. 



No large geysers are playing in this immediate vicinity, but vigorous 

 thermal activity is apparent, and in 1886 the eruption of Tarawera 

 threatened to destroy the whole Eotorua district. Numerous little 

 lakes, of various colors and temperatures, add to the variety and beauty 

 of the landscape (Fig. 4). 



The natives of New Zealand, the Maoris, have several villages in 

 this neighborhood. Many of them are well-to-do, have adopted Euro- 



