392 VOLCANIC FORMATIONS. [PART II. 



hot-springs of sulphurous water, together with sol- 

 fataras, or cones of pure sulphur, and mud volcanoes. 

 A warm stream comes down the side of a hill, and 

 has left a whitish deposit in steps ; fine crystalliza- 

 tions of sulphur are also deposited in large quantities. 

 On the north-east shore the lake is evidently making 

 inroads. The hanks form cliffs, which are under- 

 mined by the water during south-westerly winds, and 

 fall into the lake. About thirty or forty yards from 

 the banks there are the remains of trees standing 

 upright in the water, evidently at the places where 

 they grew. 



If the country around the lake of Rotu-rua is not 

 very fertile, it cannot be called barren, and might 

 be much improved by a good system of agriculture. 

 Near the mission-house we find, firstly, a black 

 mould a few inches thick, then pumice-gravel one 

 foot thick, below this a yellow sandy loam about 

 six feet thick, and afterwards another bed of gravel. 

 This is the general composition of the land around 

 the lake, and proves that the country was subject to 

 successive volcanic eruptions. If this soil is pro- 

 perly under and over worked, it will become very 

 fertile. Even without such careful and expensive 

 treatment, everything appears to grow well in the 

 missionary's garden. I was much pleased with the 

 very healthy appearance of a great number of Euro- 

 pean fruit-trees. 



It is right that I should make one observation 

 about the climate in this interior district. It is 



