304 SIGHT-SEEING IN NEW ZEALAND. 



they meet on the opposite side. There they grow together, and 

 all the network of rootlets grows together, forming a complete 

 case around the doomed pine, which the Rata in time entirely 

 absorbs and destroys. But if the Rata sprout does not find the 

 Hi mu in its vicinity, it grows up an independent respectable for- 

 est tree, which is greatly sought for as a ship timber. 



Now if this story of the performance of a tree had been told 

 me without my having seen anything of it, I most likely should 

 not have believed it. But I can assure you that I have seen the 

 Rata tree in every stage of its growth, as a slender vine, as a 

 stalk with a set of comb-like teeth on each side, then with the 

 rootlets half way around, then all around and growing together 

 at all points, and finally as a great hollow tree eight to ten feet 

 in diameter. 



In the middle of the bush is a hostelry, where we stop for a 

 change of horses and our invariable roast mutton. I took the 

 opportunity to hunt the jungle for ferns and mosses. It is per- 

 fectly safe in New Zealand to ramble anywhere, if only one does 

 not lose his way ; for there is not a snake nor a reptile nor a 

 harmful animal there, nor a poisonous plant except the Toot 

 berry, and the natives make their strong drink out of that. 



But you will think this is a long journey, as long in telling as 

 in doing. However we did finally get out of the woods, and 

 come in sight of the first of the beautiful and romantic lakes 

 that are scattered through this whole region. The first is Rotoiti ; 

 then soon after we came upon Rotorua, and saw, away around 

 on the other side, the little native village of Ohinemutu, to which 

 we were bound. We arrived about five o'clock, and stopped at 

 a very comfortable hotel called the Lake House. There is another 

 and intensely rival establishment there. Two white men, a 

 Scotchman by the name of Graham, and an Irishman of the 

 name of Kelly, who hadn't room in all the world to fight it out 

 elsewhere, have come up here and built two rival hotels, on lands 

 leased from semi-savages, and on a crust overhanging an active 

 volcano. The bitterest competition prevails between them. 

 They run independent stages, have runners on all the route, and 

 get pamphlets published to put each other down. It is really 

 the most home-like thing in all this aboriginal country. 



