stones, which are laid across hot places, are said to have served 
for the drying and roasting of Tawa-berries (of Laurus taw a). To 
the Ngawhana group belong several hot springs, which have all a 
share, more or less, in the silicious deposits covering the slope of 
the hill. Ngawhana itself is a quiet, hot water-basin without any 
special peculiarities. Farther up, about 100 feet above the lake, 
is the Koingo (the sighing), 1 an intermittent fountain, from which 
discharges of water take place three or four times a day, alternat- 
ing, as the natives say, with those of the neighbouring Whatapoho. 
The basin of that fountain , 9 feet long and 5 feet wide , is en- 
compassed by a crust of silicious deposit. When T stepped up to 
the margin of the basin , the water was quiet and but slightly steam- 
ing. It was so low, that no discharge took place through the 
gutter laid by the natives. Suddenly, however, it commenced to 
stir again; the water rose, soon the whole basin was filled to the 
brim, and finally boiled over in a surf bubbling up to a height 
of 3 or 4 feet. This lasted about ten minutes; then the fountain 
began to subside again; a low rumbling was heard, as if the water 
were receding through a small tube, and the water in the basin 
stood again low and quiet as before. In this state it had a tem- 
perature of 202° F. 
A few yards apart there is a fountain-basin about 16 feet deep, 
contracting like a funnel as it descends; this, years ago, is said 
to have been an intermittent geyser, but at the time of my visit 
it was entirely empty. Not far from it is the Whatapoho, one of 
the most remarkable points on the lake, part fountain, part solfa- 
tara, and part fumarole, or rather all three in one. From a deep, 
shaft-like aperture between brittle, ash-coloured rocks there streams, 
as from a steam-boiler, hot steam and sulphurous gas with a dis- 
mal, moaning sound. It being too dangerous to approach it quite 
closely, there is no chance of looking down into the depths of the 
shaft; but it maybe easily seen, how the steam-jet is occasionally 
also throwing out spouts of water. The vegetation is withered 
1 So called from the sighing sounds heard on the water relapsing into the basin. 
