CHAP. XXVI.] ISLAND OF MOKOIA. 393 



far more chilly than I ever experienced it on the 

 coast : in the morning and evening the thermometer 

 sank often to the freezing-point. Several kinds of 

 acacias, from Van Diemen's Land or Australia, and 

 also the ricinus-tree, had been frozen ; and the mis- 

 sionary told me that it was scarcely possible to grow 

 the acacias, although on the coast they are never 

 attacked by frost, and are as vigorous as in their 

 native land. Almost in the middle of the lake, but 

 somewhat towards its eastern shore, is the island of 

 Mokoia. It is about a mile long, and hilly, with a 

 belt of low land around it. The hills rise to the 

 height of about 300 feet above the lake, and are in 

 many places covered with shrubs and small trees. 

 From having formerly been the principal abode of 

 the Rotu-rua natives, and their great stronghold 

 against the Nga-pui and Waikato tribes, it was 

 always well cultivated, and grasses, both native and 

 European, plantain, chickweed, and others, which 

 in such cases generally spring up, vary agreeably 

 the usually brown tint of the lower native vegeta- 

 tion. Formerly the mission-station was on this 

 island, and many of the shrubs which were planted 

 in the garden of the station are still remaining. On 

 the flat land are fields of sweet potatoes, for the 

 growth of which the light soil is peculiarly adapted. 

 Here, again, the chief attraction is the thermal 

 springs which issue close to the margin of the lake. 

 The natives have banked them up from it by a sur- 

 rounding wall of stones, but where the springs are 



