458 Transactions. — Geology. 



of the lake, hot springs, fumaroles, and geysers are numerous. 

 and on the slope of the hills at the back of the native settle- 

 ment near Waihi — the home of the once celebrated native 

 chief Te Heuheu — there is a large area of country in the 

 solfatara state, and immediately behind stands the old volcanic- 

 cone of Kakaramea, 4,350 ft. in height. So also at the northern 

 end of the lake, in the line of direction where the Waikato flows 

 from the lake, similar phenomena occur as at the south-west end. 

 At the place known as the " Terraces," and running five miles 

 or more on to the Taupo Plain, hot springs, boiling caldrons, 

 and steaming areas are common. The hot springs are in abund- 

 ance on the shore of the lake, so that a cold bath in the lake and 

 a hot bath on the beach can be had at any time. The Spa on 

 the right bank of the Waikato shows numerous spots of activity 

 formed here and there in valleys and in broken ground, which 

 appear as countless springs on the surface. On either side of 

 the river as you proceed there are scores of places where traces 

 of volcanic agency may be met with. 



At Wairakei, on the left bank of the Waikato, and Roto-kawa 

 on the right bank, are hundreds of interesting spots that will 

 occupy the student of geology for many days. Every aspect of 

 volcanic phenomena is to be found, except the flow of lava and 

 the expulsion of dust. There are steam-holes, geysers, thudding 

 of the ground as from a hammer, mud-craters, and hundreds of 

 crater-like areas where intense activity prevails in the solfatara 

 and sulphur areas, as the various acid gases force themselves 

 through the growing crystals of sulphur that are formed by the 

 chilling of the gases. 



Similar traces of volcanic activity appear further down the 

 river to Orakeikorako, a little below the junction of the Waiotapu 

 with the Waikato. This portion of the Waikato River has to be 

 studied along with the lake, for the history of their origin is the 

 .same. The bed of the Waikato from its exit from the lake 

 as far as Orakeikorako is through a rift — not a valley of denuda- 

 tion — which is as plainly marked as the Tarawera rift. From the 

 south of the lake and extending to the north-east and north- 

 west for many miles the country is covered with a capping of 

 I hi i nice, sometimes tine, sometimes mixed with tine grit and dust, 

 and sometimes containing huge blocks of pumice mixed with 

 blocks of various heavy lavas. 



The Island of Motutaiko rises about .'ll'O ft. above the present 

 level of the lake. It is made up of some curious ropy lavas. 

 some of which look like the rounded stems of small trees. 

 branched here and there, but broken off a foot or two from the 

 trunk, and some not unlike pieces of prepared starch. Capping 

 the whole of the higher portion of the island is a deposit of 



