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basin was full again, and at l' 1 36' p. m. the second eruption took 
place; at 3 h 40' p. m. the third, which T had occasion to observe. 
Consequently the eruptions seem to occur about every two hours. 
The sediment of this , like of all surrounding springs, is silicious; the 
recent sediment is soft as gelatine, gradually hardening into a 
triturable mass, sandy to the touch, and finally forming by the 
layers deposited one above the other a solid mass of rock of a very 
variable description at different places both as to colour and struc- 
ture. Here it is a radiated fibrous or stalky mass of light-brown 
' color; there a chalcedony hard as steel, or a gray flint; at other 
places the deposit is white with glossy, conchoidal fracture like 
milk-opal, or with earthy fracture like magnesite. A second Puia, 
about 30 yards distant from the geyser, is called Orakeikorako. 
The name is said to have reference to the transparent, shining 
water. It is an elliptical basin of eight feet length and depth, by 
six breadth, half-filled with gently bubbling water clear as crystal. 
The main spring, however, to which the Papa Koliatu chiefly 
owes is origin, is close by the foot of the sloping bills. It is a 
powerful fountain continually bubbling up to a height of two to 
three feet, the water of which showed a temperature of 209° F., 
and had a distinctly noticeable smell of sulphuretted hydrogen. 
The chief accompanying me told me, that for two years after the 
earthquake of Wellington, in 1848, this fountain was a geyser spout- 
ing to a height of 100 feet (no doubt somewhat exaggerated), and 
throwing up with powerful force even large stones as fast as they 
were flung in. Three smaller basins close by, which in former 
times were probably likewise independent springs, are now filled 
by the discharge of the fountain, and form excellent natural bath- 
ing tubs. The water flows from one basin into the other, so that 
there is a triple choice of temperature. In the first basin 1 found 
116° F. , in the second 110° F. , and in the third 96° F. The 
latter, at a depth of 3 to 5 feet has exactly the dimensions of a 
large bathing-tub; its basin is formed of snow-white silicious deposit, 
resembling the purest marble, and its crystalline water looked so 
inviting, that I could not resist taking a bath in it. To these 
