NOTES AND QUEKIK.S. 
193 
cxU-cinity of the lake, hot-spriags again arc met with, ami witti a river of warm 
water called Waipahihi, wliicli, rising in the extiuct volcanic cone of Tanliara, 
falls, in a vapour-crowned cascade, into Tanpo. Descending from Taupo by tiie 
outlet of the Waikato, on the left bank, in the midst of a great number of 
pools of boiling mud, is a fumarole called Karapiti, au enormous jet of high- 
pressm-c steam, escaping with such force as to produce a souud like lettiug-oflf 
tiie steam from huge boilers, aud to eject to a great heigiit sticks, or the like, 
tlu-owii in by the curious traveller. Ou tlie right bank is the fumarole of 
snnilar character, called Parakiri. About twenty-hve miles below the outlet of 
the Waikato from Taupo, at Orakei-korako, both banks of the rapidly-flowing 
river are perforated, ia more than a hundred different places, by fumaroles and 
boiling-sprmgs, mostly intermittent. Temimi-a-Homaiterangi, the principal 
cysir, throws up its large column of boiling water at intervals of about two 
ours to a height from twenty to thirty feet. Au immense volume of steam 
succeeds eaeli jet, and the water then suddeidy sinks into tiie basin. 
At Orakei-korako the line of hot-springs crosses the Waikato, aud continues 
along the foot of the very remarkable Pairoa range ou the eastern side of the 
Waikato. The almost perpendicular western side of this range is caused by an 
immense " faidt" in the volcanic plateau, corresponding to a deep fissure in the 
earth-crust from which sulphurous acid, sulphuretted hydrogen, sulphur and 
steam are continually escapmg, while huge bubbles of boiling ash-coloured mud 
rise to the snrface. 
From the same range the warm-water river Waikite takes its origin. Ou 
both sides are deep pools of boihng water, on the margins of which we dis- 
covered most beautifid ferns, hitherto unknown, one species belonging to the 
genus Nephrokjiis, the other to the genus Goiicopferis. These ferns are re- 
markable not only for their elegance, but also from the peculiar circumstances 
under wliich they exist, as they are always surrounded by an atmosphere of steam. 
We now come to the well known Hotomahana, the most wonderful of all the 
wonders of the hot-spring district of New Zealand. Whoever has once had 
the hajjpiness to look into the blue eyes of Otidcapuarangi and Te Tarata can 
never forget their charms ; and whoever lias stood beside the boiling surf of the 
Ngahapu basin will always retain a vivid impression of its terrors. The ter- 
races of siliceous deposit on the shores of Rotomahana are unequalled in the 
world, nor is there anything that even bears any resemblance to them. 
On the Rotorua lake the intermittent boiling springs of Whaka-rewarewa are 
the most interesting. Waikite, the principal "ngawha," issues from the top 
of a sdiceous cone some twenty feet high, surrounded by several smaller gey- 
sirs, mud-pools, and solfataras. At intervals, sometimes extending to many 
months, all these "ngawhas" begin to play together, and form a scene which 
must be most wonderful and beautiful. The hot-springs of Ohinemutu form 
agreeable bathing-places, the fame of which is ah-eady established. The last in 
the line are the great solfataras on the pumice-stone plateau between Rotorua 
and Rotoiti, such as Tikitere and Ruahiue. 
All the waters of these springs are derived from atmospheric moisture, 
which, faUiug on the high volcanic plateau, permeates the surface and sinks 
into fissures. Taupo, the axis of which corresponds vvith the line of the liot 
springs, may also be considered as a vast reservoir, from which the lower springs 
are supplied. The water, sinkmg mto the fissures, becomes heated by the still- 
existing volcanic fires. High-pressure steam is thus generated, which, together 
with the volcanic gases, decompose the trachytic rocks. The soluble sub- 
stances are thus removed by the water, which is forced up, by the expansive 
force of the steam and by hydrostatic pressure, in tl)e sliape of boding springs. 
The insoluble substances form a residuum of white or red fumarole clay, of 
which the liills at Terapa round Rotamaliana and the Pairoa consist. 
VOL. III. 2 B 
