Travers.—On the Lake Districts of Province of Auckland. 18 
be penetrated in every direction with fumaroles, solfataras, and boiling 
springs, rendering it absolutely unsafe to trespass from the ascertained 
paths. The rocks of which these hills were formed have been completely 
decomposed into clays of various colors, from which all vestiges of their 
original structure have been obliterated. 
There are very few traces of existing volcanic action on the southern side 
of the lake, although the decomposition which the rocks there have suffered 
indicates that they have been subjected, in times past, to action precisely 
similar to that which is producing more complete results amongst the rocks 
of the eastern hills. 
On the west shore, occupying a recess or gully in the hills is the ter- 
raced fountain, usually termed the Pink Terrace, the native name of which 
is Otukapuarangi. Singularly enough this geyser is never in a state of 
ebullition, the water being considerably below boiling point, but clouds of 
steam perpetually arise from it. The deposit is similar to that of all the 
other terraces, but is of a pale pink color, amd the whole structure, though 
by no means as remarkable or grand as the Tarata, is, nevertheless, one of 
extreme beauty and delicacy. The basin is from 60 to 70 feet in diameter, 
and from 80 to 40 feet deep, and when the steam blows away from the 
surface, so as to enable the eye to penetrate its recesses, its sides are seen 
to consist of the most magnifieent stalactitic masses, one of which, rising 
near the centre of the basin, is of stupendous size, and wonderful in the 
richness of its tracery. 
I have thus endeavored to give some idea of the scenes presented 
around the marvellous Rotomahana—scenes of magic beauty, but awful 
when we contemplate the forces still in action amongst them, and I will now 
state a few matters in connection with these phenomena, which were chiefly 
communicated to me, but which I was enabled, in some degree, to verify by 
my own observations. 
Dr. Von Hochstetter, in his work on New Zealand, says of the Tarata, 
that he was informed by his native guide ** that sometimes the whole mass 
of water in the basin is suddenly thrown out with an immense force, and 
that then the empty basin is open to view to the depth of 80 feet, but that 
it fills again very quickly," adding that ‘‘ such eruptions only occur during 
violent easterly gales.” The learned doctor then proceeds to comment 
upon this statement on the assumption of its truth, although a little reflec- 
tion and observation of the surrounding ground would have satisfied him at 
once that such an occurrence, if not actually impossible, never had taken 
place. 
As a fact the basin of the Tarata is not unfrequently empty, and this 
takes place regularly during heavy north-easterly gales, but the water, 
