aphil — sept. 1859.] the Province of Auckland. 145 



White Island (Whakari). They occupy the chasms and fissures 

 to which I have already referred. 



There is only one other place in the world in which such a num- 

 ber of hot springs are found that have periodical outbursts of boil- 

 ing water — that is in Iceland, the well-known gexjsers of which are 

 of precisely similar character to those in New Zealand. The gey- 

 sers or boiling fountains of Iceland, long celebrated for possessing 

 this property in an extraordinary degree, have, indeed, strong 

 rivals in the puias and ngawhas of New Zealand. Although there 

 may be no single intermittent spring in New Zealand of equal 

 magnitude with the great geyser in Iceland, yet in the extent of 

 country in which such springs occur, in the immense number of 

 them, and in the beauty and extent of the siliceous incrustations 

 and deposits, New Zealand far exceeds Iceland. 



In enumerating the principal of these phenomena, we may begin 

 with — 



1. The active craters of Tongariro, which are at present in the 

 condition of solfataras that may be called the state of repose of 

 active craters, and with the hot springs rising on the slope and at 

 the base of that mountain. 



2. We then pass on to the Tohanu and Terapa springs, on the 

 Southern extremity of Taupo lake. The principal " puia" at To- 

 kanu is called Pirori, an intermittent fountain whose column of 

 boiling water, of two feet in diameter, sometimes reaches a height 

 of more than 40 feet. 



3. On the opposite side of Taupo, at the Northern extremity 

 of the lake, we again meet with hot springs, and with a river of 

 warm water called Waipahihi, which, rising in the extinct volcanic 

 cone of Tauhara, falls, in a vapour crowned cascade, into Taupo. 



4. Descending from Taupo by the outlet of the Waikato, we 

 find, on the left bank, in the midst of a great number of pools of 

 boiling mud, a fumarole called Karapiti, an enormous jet of high- 

 pressure steam, escaping with such force as to produce a sound 

 like letting off the steam from huge boilers and as to eject to a 

 great height sticks, or the like, thrown in by the curious traveller. 

 On the right bank is another fumarole of similar character, called 

 Parahiri. 



Vol. xx. o. s. Vol. ti. n. s. 



