Report of a Journey Around the World. 217 



escaped without a qualm. Arrived ver}' earh' at Wellington next 

 morning, and after a cup of tea went ashore where we found trouble 

 in getting a breakfast at so earh' an hour, but at last found some 

 fried eggs and coffee, and by nine called on several friends but found 

 none in office, and spent the rest of the morning with Hamilton at 

 the museum, walking to the railway station where we took the 1 1 150 

 train on which we had an excellent lunch in the "refreshment" 

 car. The road was good through the hills, and the scenery attrac- 

 tive all the afternoon, and we arrived at Okahune under the shadow 

 of the grandest group of active volcanoes in New Zealand — Ton- 

 gariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, at 9:10 and our traps were taken 

 in a wheelbarrow to the Windsor Hotel near by. Some years 

 before I had approached these volcanoes from Lake Taupo on the 

 other side, and they were then more active than at present. The 

 night was quiet and the morning very cold as we breakfasted and 

 took the train at 6:27. We had fair seats but the scenery was 

 wholly changed from that of the previous day. It was a new road- 

 wa}^ and on both sides was a wide swathe of burned forest only 

 relieved later by the huts of squatters and a crooked river, said to 

 be the Wanganui, but here flowing to the north. We passed many 

 stations, changing cars at Frankton Junction, and after consider- 

 able delay got a train on the old road from Auckland to Rotorua 

 where we arrived just before six, and after an unpleasant ride in 

 a crowded vehicle came to the Grand Hotel where we found a good 

 room and a capital dinner awaiting us. The azaleas on the tables 

 were most beautiful and the rainbow trout delicious. 



Thursda}', Nov. 14. Rain in the morning but we got about 

 between showers, and with the sunshine it was much warmer. 

 After luncheon we took the omnibus for Whakarewarewa, but it 

 was miserable enough ; crowded to suffocation and one pipe-smoker 

 seated in the lap of another of the same breed ; although there were 

 a number of ladies, two of them invalids, the eight or more brutes 

 never so much as asked if the reek was disagreeable! We got there 

 at last; two of the Maori guides, with tatued chins, hanging on 

 outside all the way. The place was utterly changed ; no entrance 

 fee and little need of guides, for the once pretty village had be- 

 come a public park abounding in broad paths, bridges and seats, 



[365] 



