Prevalence of Boiling Springs in the Inferior. ^83 



soutliern extremity of the lake is a mission-house, where I 

 received a most hospitable welcome, while my Maories re- 

 ceived at the hands of Te Heul^eu, the great Maori chief, 

 a most cordial reception, in conformity with the excellent 

 customs of the country. After I had laid out the chart of 

 the lake, and examined the springs along its banks, I 

 followed up the Waikato by its outlet from the lake, till I 

 reached the very singular chain of boiling springs, Solfatare, 

 salt-springs and Fumaroles, which extend in a N.E. di- 

 rection between the active crater of Tongariro and the still 

 active volcano of Whakari or Wliite Island on the east coast. 

 On a longer stay, the country adjoining the sea along the 

 prolongation of this line furnishes the site at Lakes Rotorua, 

 Rotoiti, and Rotomahana (or Hot lake), for the Ngawlias and 

 Puias, i. e. boiling springs and geysers with siliceous sintu- 

 deposits, as in Iceland, which there display their greatest 

 activity. I look upon this locality as presenting the most 

 remarkable and extensive chain of hot-springs i\\ the world, 

 Iceland itself not excepted. 



'' By the first w^eek in May we gained the east coast at 

 Maketu, whence we kept along the coast as far as Tauranga 

 harbour, and thence once more turned our faces towards the 

 interior at the Wai Ho valley, or valley of the New Zealand 

 Thames, and thus once more reached the AVaikato at 

 Maungatautari. I now wandered through the fertile plains 

 of the central Waikato basin, to Rangiawhia, the central 

 point of the Maori settlements, paid a visit to the Maori 



