miles in diameter, is the largest, fill up the larger depressions of 
the ground. 
This is the “Lake District” in the south-eastern portion of the 
Province Auckland, so famous for its boiling springs, its steaming 
fumaroles, solfataras, and bubbling mud-basins, or as the natives 
call them, the Ngawhas and Pu t as. 1 Till now, none but missionaries, 
government officers and some few tourists have ventured by the 
narrow Maori paths through bush and swamps to visit this mar- 
vellous region ; but all who have witnessed with their own eyes the 
wonders of nature displayed here, were transported with amaze- 
ment and delight. 
Only the natives have hitherto made practical use of those hot 
springs, which are the grandest in the world, and sought relief in 
them for their various complaints and diseases. But when once, with 
the progressive colonization of New Zealand , these parts have become 
more accessible, then thousands dwelling in the various countries 
of the Southern Hemisphere, in Australia, Tasmania or New Zea- 
land, will flock to these parts where nature not only exhibits such 
remarkable phenomena in the loveliest district with the best and 
most genial climate , but has also created such an extraordinary 
number of healing springs. 
The other two volcanic zones, — although now entirely ex- 
tinct, yet decidedly of a later period than the Taupo zone, 
belong to the long-stretclied and singularly shaped north-western 
peninsula of North Island. I have designated them as the Bay of 
Islands zone and Auckland zone ; the latter with no less than 63 points 
of eruption, rendering the narrow isthmus, that joins this pen- 
insula to the main-body of North Island, a truly classical soil for 
the study of volcanic formations. 
The Bay of Island zone comprises a number of smaller , extinct 
volcanic cones, situated on the northern half of the peninsula, 
1 The mythical notions of the natives have not failed to be influenced by these 
phenomena ; fire-spreading goblins and spirits act a great part in the mythology of 
the tribes on the Bay of Plenty, while the Thames and Waikato-tribes by preference 
assign to themselves the protection of the deities of water and fogs. 
