376 THE MAUNGA-TAUHARA. [PART II. 



warm waters into the lake. They have a hydro- 

 sulphurous taste, and the air in the neighbourhood 

 smells sulphurous. At this place we left the lake 

 of Taupo, and struck inland towards the foot of the 

 Maunga-Tauhara. A drizzling rain fell, and our 

 journey became very disagreeable, as we had scarcely 

 a path, and followed at hap-hazard the direction in 

 which we thought Rotu-rua to be situated. We 

 passed holes and crevices from which steam issued, 

 and the whole base of the mountain was enveloped 

 in a belt of smoke. The country, although table- 

 land, was intersected by ravines, and presented dells 

 or hollows ; it was broken in many places, and had 

 a remarkably barren appearance : what little vege- 

 tation there was of wiry grass and manuka bore in 

 many places the traces of burning. We passed a 

 solfatara, with fine crystals of sulphur and efflores- 

 cences of aluminous salts. In their neighbourhood 

 the country is still more blighted. After we had 

 passed the base of the Maunga-Tauhara, we slowly 

 descended towards a lake which was situated on its 

 north-eastern slope, and around which the vegeta- 

 tion appeared much fresher. As the rain continued, 

 and we were already wet to the skin, we halted 

 about a mile from the lake. It is about three 

 miles in circumference. At its northern end are 

 cliffs of a white colour, and thick white vapours 

 which issued there enveloped that end almost con- 

 tinually. We had pitched our tent about a mile 

 from the lake, but, as we had no water near us, we 



