220 Report of a Journey Around the JJ^or/d. 



an hour. We finally got to Rotorua at 2:15, tired and dusty. It 

 seems as if the activity of this region as well as that of Whakarewa- 

 rewa was diminishing, but in this case I should not form a definite 

 opinion as the water is high and may affect the action. In the 

 latter region, as I have already stated, the action is almost neg- 

 ligible. It has formerly been possible to start the action of Wairoa 



167. AUCKLAND MUSEUM. 



(great water) by soaping, but this time it had no effect on the 

 geyser soaped but did start up some action in another orifice to an 

 extent sufficient to have the news telephoned to the hotel. In the 

 afternoon of Sunday we walked to the park and saw the finest 

 growth of azaleas and rhododendrons yet seen. One clump of dark 

 pink azaleas was at least 12 feet in diameter, and some of the rhodo- 

 dendrons were 15-20 feet high. These were growing in a bed of 

 clay closely resembling mortar. 



Monday, Nov. 18. Train left at 9:30; windy and dusty all 

 the way, arriving in Auckland at 5 p.m.; certainly a slow train. 



Although the New Zealand railways have improved in the matter 



[368] 



