173 



upon this same spring, recorded in the " Transactions of the New Zealand 

 Institute," Vol. i. p. 71. I think it is very likely that my unbelief was 

 more at fault than the Maoris' facts. 



Before disturbing the water, I filled two square gin bottles, which I had 

 brought with me for the purpose, from the hottest part of the spring, and 

 sealed them up at once to prevent the escape of gases. One of these bottles of 

 water was afterwards forwarded, through my brother, to Dr. Hector, and is 

 the bottle of water the analysis of which is given on page 71 "Transactions 

 N. Z. Institute," Vol. i. The other bottle had a more inglorious, and some- 

 what ludicrous, end. The excess of my care of both bottles caused me to place 

 them on a shelf in the raupo hut where we were entertained during our stay, 

 and one day some " old hands " (surveyors' men) were having dinner in the 

 hut, I was outside, making a sketch of the beautiful Whangape lake, when one 

 of the Maoris came rushing out in a very excited state, gesticulating for me to 

 come at once. I saw something was wrong, and on going in, found one of my 

 bottles, which I had strictly charged the Maoris to take great care of, in the 

 hands of one of these civilized white men, with the top part of the bottle 

 broken off, and only a very little water left in the bottom. " Oh Sir," says the 

 fellow, "please Sir, it busted." I suspected at once that it was not any 

 peculiarity of the water that had caused the " busting," as in that case the 

 whole of the water would have been gone, and the shelf, on which the bottles 

 were lying on their sides, would have been wet. I said nothing, however, and 

 after they were gone I found my conjectures correct, and that these men, in 

 their insatiable love of drink, had jumped to the conclusion that the bottles 

 contained gin, took one of them down and gave it a friendly tap on the head. 

 The Maoris interfered too late to save it from their lawless greed, but the 

 explanation that it was water from " Te Puia," suggested at once the excuse 

 that it " busted." I drank some of this water and found it tasteless. 



With reference to the medicinal properties of the spring, I may state, that a 

 surveyor in the district informed me that on one occasion he was very ill with 

 rheumatism, and that he camped close to " Te Puia," and by repeated bathings in 

 the water for a fortnight, taking care to cover himself well with blankets after each 

 immersion, he was thoroughly cured, and has had no return of the malady since. 



" Te Puia " also forms a very good barometer for those living within sight 

 of the valley, as, before the advent of rain a column of vapour is invariably 

 seen rising from the spring. 



There are several other hot springs in the same valley in which "Te 

 Puia " is situated, but I was told they were all smaller. 



The valley of the Mira is a deep precipitous glen, but from its being 

 densely wooded, I can say nothing about its geological character, except that a 

 bold white cliff which I observed on the opposite face of the glen, from where 

 I descended into it, was said to be limestone. 



As to the origin of these hot springs I should have liked to have read 

 another extract from Hochstetter's " ISTew Zealand," but I have detained you 

 too long already, and must just conclude by referring you to page 432 of that 

 able and deeply interesting work, which I regret to find is not so well known 

 in Otago, as it deserves to be. 



