387 
eyes, and to which he is gradually approaching. The path winds 
along the shore of the bay which , in a beautiful curve extends to the 
North -West. We had to ford the Waitanui (or Waitalianui) , a 
considerable, rapid river, running for a great distance parallel with 
the strand; and, two miles from the lake we turned into the in- 
terior over steep pumicestone terraces, channelled by numerous 
dry water- courses. Large blocks of dark-black obsidian-porphyry, 
interspersed with white quartz and sanidine crystals, are scattered 
over those plains; and it took us some time until we succeeded in 
knocking off suitable pieces from the brittle, crumbling mass. We 
reached the shore of the lake again at the northern-most bay , where 
the Waikato leaves the lake, and followed the shore as far as the 
outlet of the Waikato. The strand and the shores are here like- 
wise formed of all sorts of rhyolitic gravel furnishing to the scientific 
collector various and interesting specimens. 
Like the South-end, so also the northern-most end of the lake 
is remarkable for its hot springs. The lake steams for a whole mile 
along the shore as though it were a lake of hot water, and when 
I endeavoured to ascertain the temperature of the water in the surf 
lashed by a strong West-wind, the thermometer rose to 100° F. The 
hot water issues forth at various places cementing by its silicious 
deposits the sand and gravel of the strand, into a solid sand- 
stone, which covers the shore in large slabs, occassionally 3 to 
6 feet thick, and resembling floating cakes of ice. A slight smell 
of sulphuretted hydrogen is noticeable near the of hot springs. 
Likewise a warm brook, Waipahihi, which probably rises at the 
1 auhara mountain, flows here into the lake; forming a steaming 
cascade, at the spot where it plunges over the last low terrace. 
The water showed a temperature of 87° to 88° F. A second smaller 
brook not far from the Waipahihi had a temperature of 81° F. 
About noon we reached the point, where the Waikato flows 
out of the lake. Large as the stream is , which here in rapid course 
rushes out of the lake, I could not refrain from thinking, remember- 
ing the many tributaries of the lake, that the Waikato cannot be 
the only outlet, but that the elevated Taupo-Lake is a reservoir, 
