CHAP. XXIV.] LAKE TAUPO. 337 



on a war excursion to Cook's Straits, but the re- 

 mainder received us in a very friendly manner, ex- 

 pressing their joy by firing off their muskets. Fern 

 was spread before the house of the chief, where the 

 principal men sat. A similarly prepared place was 

 assigned for our seats. The natives one after the 

 other welcomed us with displays of their native 

 eloquence ; but they threw a blight over our pros- 

 pects of ascending Tongariro, by telling us that the 

 chief, who was absent, had laid a solemn " tapu " on 

 the mysterious mountain. From this difficulty, 

 however, I hoped to be relieved by a little nego- 

 tiation. We pitched our tent, and the natives soon 

 brought us presents of pigs and excellent vegetables. 



Lake Taupo is situated in a straight line be- 

 tween Cape Egmont and East Cape, the direction 

 of which is nearly N.E. and S. W. From bearings 

 of the compass of points of the coast astronomically 

 ascertained, its latitude is 38 45' S., and its longi- 

 tude 176 E. In this N.E. to S.W. direction the 

 country is impressed with the traces of volcanic 

 action, which indeed is still going on, and had its 

 principal point of activity in the crater of the Ton- 

 gariro, the base of which is about twelve miles 

 distant from the lake. There are besides innumer- 

 able boiling springs, solfataras, and stufas, in the 

 same line, and its easternmost boundary is the 

 island of Puhia-i-wakari, or White Island, which 

 must be regarded as the summit of a crater, sti 1 

 active, and but little elevated above the level of the 



VOL. i. z 



