358 LANDSLIPS. [PART n. 



gatahi, were formerly united with him, but quarrelled, 

 and removed each to a distance. That in like man- 

 ner Mount Egmont and Tongariro were once united, 

 but the two had a dispute, and separated. At Mau- 

 pere, a lake between the Bay of Islands and Hoki- 

 anga, the natives have a tradition of a large pa 

 having sunk into the lake. A similar occurrence 

 really happened at Rotu-rua, but the latter was an 

 event entirely local, as the pa was built on the de- 

 posits of hot springs, which form a very thin cover 

 over an undermined or soft subsoil. We might 

 be induced to regard Lake Taupo, with the Ton- 

 gariro, the chain of lakes which runs to the east 

 coast, and the numerous fumeroles, solfataras, and 

 hot-springs in their neighbourhood, as one connected 

 hearth of volcanic action, which terminates in the 

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

 is also a smoking solfatara. 



Besides the Waikato river, the Wanganui and 

 the Manawatu, the most considerable rivers in the 

 northern island, take their rise in this group. Like 

 the Waikato, the Wanganui receives a tributary 

 from a lake which is situated at the southern base 

 of Tongariro : this lake is called Taranaki. The 

 natives descend the Wanganui to its embouchure at 

 Cook's Straits in four days. 



The Manawatu seems to possess greater advan- 

 tages. According to the natives of Taupo it is a 

 very winding stream, and consequently forms pad- 



