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Province of Wellington, in a north-easterly direction, along the Upper Waikato, 

 through Lakes Taupo, Rotorua, Rotoiti and Rotoruahana, to the White or 

 Sulphur Island, a solitary, but active volcano situated in the Bay of Plenty, 

 many miles at sea. But the spring which I ask you to visit with me to-night 

 is not situated in this zone or belt of active volcanic agency, nor does it possess 

 any of the grand or even beautiful characteristics which belong to the world- 

 renowned " Orakeikorako," " Rotomahana," or "Rotorua" springs. Still it 

 has an interest of its own, especially to Otagonians, to whom a hot spring of 

 any sort is a natural wonder not discovered as yet within their borders, so far 

 as I know. 



"Te Puia," as the Maoris call it, is situated about forty-five miles, as the 

 crow flies, south of Auckland city, on the banks of the " Mira," a stream 

 flowing from the west into the Wangape lake, in the Central Waikato basin. 

 A drive in the coach of about thirty-two miles along the main south road, 

 brings us to Point Russell, an incipient township on the banks of the noble 

 Waikato, just past Koheroa, the scene of the fight of 17th July, 1863. Taking 

 steamer here, and proceeding about thirteen miles up the beautiful river, often 

 with the branches of peach trees, which grow luxuriantly on its banks, 

 brushing the paddle-boxes of the steamer as she follows the windings of the 

 deeper channels, we pass " Merernere," another spot memorable in the 1863 

 war, alike for the strength of its position, and the ludicrous incident which 

 accompanied its evacuation by the Maoris, and disembark at the mouth of the 

 Wangape creek, just below Rangiriri, the bloodiest of all the battle-fields in 

 the Waikato campaign. With the assistance of a Pakeha-Maori friend who 

 accompanied us (I say "us," for my wife accompanied me, and was the first 

 white woman who ever visited " Te Puia"), we here engaged a Maori canoe 

 and crew to take us up the Wangape creek and lake, to within about five or 

 six miles of the spring. This part of the journey was something ench anting, 

 the smooth easy motion of the canoe, the beautiful scenery of the lake (whose 

 name 1 was told denotes " a large sheet of water "), and the measured cadence 

 of the paddles, as they dipped simultaneously to the musical " Tupari, 

 Tupari " of the Maoris, interrupted occasionally, as we passed native settle- 

 ments, by the peculiarly shrill Maori cry of welcome, "haere mai," or of 

 enquiry as to who we were : all gave an interest and pleasure not often met 

 with in New Zealand travelling, just in the least degree marred, in our case, 

 when we remembered that we were going into a part of the country which, 

 though perfectly safe, had not been often visited by Europeans. At sunset 

 we landed at the head of the lake, and were accommodated in a nice raupo 

 whare, for the three days during which we made this our head-quarters — our 

 Maori hostess dispensing her hospitality with a kind and liberal hand. From 

 this place, a journey of two hours, on foot, the last half mile through a low- 

 lying swampy Kahikatea forest, brought us to "Te Puia." 



This name " Te Puia," though given by the Maoris liying in the vicinity 

 specially to the spring now under consideration, appears to have a more general 

 ajjplication as well, and to be the generic term for a certain description or class 

 of hot springs, as will appear from the few following remarks of Dr. 

 Hochstetter, which I take the liberty of reading, as I am aware there are not 

 many copies of his work on New Zealand, in Otago. (Page 391.) 



" The phenomena are similar to those upon Iceland, and as the Icelanders 

 distinguish their hot springs as Hverjar, Namur and Laugar, so also the 

 Maoris make a similar distinction, although not quite so marked, between 

 Puia, Ngawha, and Waiariki. The Hverjar upon Iceland are either permanent 

 fountains, whose boiling water is continually in a state of ebullition ; or 

 intermittent ones, whose water shows a vehement ebullition only at certain 

 periods, when it reaches the boiling point, while during the intervals it is in a 



