310 SIGHT-SEEING IN NEW ZEALAND. 



the little outlet streams that trickle over the edge of each basin 

 are constantly cooling and depositing silicates. Thus they are all 

 the time slowly building up the edges, and adding to the exquis- 

 itely beautiful structure of the frontal portions or walls. These 

 are like cave formations, and have the appearance of the clearest 

 alabaster, worked into cornices upheld by fretted stalactites. If 

 these terraces had been carved out of the purest chalcedony, 

 they could not have been whiter or more graceful. It is as if an 

 immense and foaming cataract, in tumbling down the mountain 

 side, had suddenly been transformed into Parian marble. 



When we came down from the terraces to the lake, we found 

 our canoe there, with the provisions, and w r e sat down by some 

 hot springs to have our lunch. Besides some things from the 

 hotel, we had raw potatoes and a bag of cray-fish, which had 

 been bought of some natives on our way up. The cray-fish, as 

 you know, is a small fresh water lobster about as large as one's 

 thumb. These with the potatoes were cooked in the steam 

 crevices, and proved to be exceedingly nice eating. All took a 

 fancy that day to native dishes. 



After lunch we climbed by a ravine up to the Devil's Hole, a 

 steam vent roaring with the noise of twenty engines. Then we 

 were taken to a wide flat basin among the hills, where apparently 

 some considerable mountain had been dissolved away by the 

 chemical waters, leaving a crust which, by the care that Kate 

 took of us, seemed to be rather dangerous footing. Here were 

 great numbers of mud springs, or little cones of viscous clay, 

 through which hot gases were sputtering. From one of these 

 every native that passes will eat a good round handful. I tried 

 it and found it rather tasteless, but still very clean and eatable 

 for mud. 



In the same depression are sundry little lakes and pools of 

 most disgusting and fetid waters thick, green, greasy, and of 

 execrable taste. We made up our minds that if the Devil lived 

 about here, as Kate said he did, this must be one of his summer 

 watering places his Saratoga, or his Wiesbaden. 



After this we visited, one after another in almost tiresome suc- 

 cession, geysers, foaming wells, and intermitting springs ; some 



