138 



MISS HILDA BOORD, ON 



of the ground beneath us, and, simultaneously, the water began 

 to rise higher — 6 or 8 feet — a seething mass of sparkling hissing 

 foam, with small fountains playing all round its swollen surface. 

 Keedless to say, we were at once env^eloped in dense clouds of 

 steam. To say that a person falling into this Cauldron would 

 be scalded to death, is to put the matter very mildly ; the victim 

 would be absolutely boiled to shreds in a very few moments. 



It would be most dangerous, and well-nigh impossible, to 

 visit this valley without a guide. The geysers are not only 

 difficult of access, and often hidden (when at rest) in the manuka 

 and fern, but also in some places it is necessary to climb over 

 the brittle sinter formation surrounding one geyser in order to 

 reach another. And in doing this, we had to step across gaps 

 and yawning chasms where the heat of the issuing steam was 

 so intense as to make us greatly accelerate our pace. To be 

 caught by a geyser would be more dangerous and less comfort- 

 able than to he cauglit by the in-coming tide. 



We have seen that there is one called the " Petrifying 

 Geyser." But, as far as I remember, petrifaction is a property 

 common to all geysers (correctly so named) in New Zealand. 

 This particular one, however, was no doubt more highly 

 impregnated with soda, thus enabling it to deposit a greater 

 amount of silica, which forms the beautiful rock known as 

 siliceous sinter. The surroundings over which this geyser plays 

 are composed of petrified manuka, fern, moss, and beech (or 

 birch) tree. The "Eagle's Nest" geyser also has the gift of 

 turning all it touches, not into gold, but into a most delicate 

 coral-like substance. In its action it brings down the branches 

 of any trees within reach, and they have quite the appearance 

 of a huge nest which, under the spell of the petrifying, all- 

 pervading silica, takes a fairy-like fawn-coloured tint and a 

 frosted appearance, which are extremely pretty. 



But I might speak of a hundred-and-one other wonders that 

 we saw, not only here, but at Wai-o-tapu, at Kotorua, and at 

 Whakarwarewa, but time forbids ; and I must hasten on to that 

 mighty new geyser which made its first appearance in January, 

 1901, just after our arrival in New Zealand. Or, at any rate, 

 it was discovered and first brought to notice then by a Dr. 

 Haines ; and I think we may safely say that it is by far the 

 finest geyser in the world. This geyser is called " Waimangu " 

 (meaning " black water "), and is situated about seventeen miles 

 from Eotorua, or half-way between that place and Wai-o-tapu, 

 but not by the ordinary route. The "Waimangu," which 

 belongs to the explosive type of geyser, has chosen to 



