CHAP. XXIV. 1 LAKE TAUPO. 341 



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a hollow basin nine feet long by eight broad, and 

 about fifteen feet deep. The cold river above 

 mentioned is twelve fathoms distant, and the spring 

 would appear to discharge itself into it by a subter- 

 ranean passage. The sides of this pond are of sili- 

 ceous sinter and magnesite, which shows the process 

 of gradual deposition. The ground all around 

 sounds hollow. The clear, transparent water is in 

 a state of continual ebullition, and after a repose of 

 a few seconds it is thrown up with violence to a 

 height of four or five feet. Its taste is slightly 

 and very agreeably saline. Proceeding from this 

 spring in a direction S. 30 E., we came to ano- 

 ther large basin of hot water, but not in a state 

 of ebullition. It discharges its waters likewise 

 into the river, and is a circular funnel, surrounded 

 by the same sinter. Its temperature is 120. The 

 taste of the water is in all respects like that of the 

 former spring. The sides of the funnel are lined 

 with green Confervse. A few paces from this, 

 towards the hills, is another large basin. Its 

 waters are greenish, and a little sulphate of iron 

 colours the lamina of the sinter. Its temperature 

 is 180. Near it are some small cold and muddy 

 ponds. 



Without describing all the warm ponds, although 

 nearly every one of them has something singular 

 about* it, I will only observe that they are very 

 numerous, and that close to the warm springs 

 there are some very strong cold saline ones. 



