chap, ii “ TEN A KOE ” 183 
just here is very swift, and is most picturesque when 
the water dashes in a mass of white foam over large 
rocks and under a natural bridge into a pool below. 
A few days can be very pleasantly passed here, for 
there is good shooting — pheasants, quail, and wild 
duck — and the trout -fishing is very good in this 
river. Next morning we drove out to the fish- 
ponds, and at five o’clock started for Rotorua. 
The line had just been opened to within eleven 
miles of the town. The carriages, which were most 
comfortable, were lined with finely-polished woods of 
New Zealand and cushioned with leather. They had 
an open platform on one side, and we stood at the 
railing in front the whole way looking out — first 
passing through high fern -covered hills, then down 
patches of high scrub, with immense trees and such a 
mass of ferns and beautiful climbing plants. At each 
small stopping - place there were groups of natives 
clothed in various articles of tattered European 
dress. One small child, with a shirt not covering 
half of his fat little body, had on a pair of old boots 
sizes too large, and tied to his ankles with twine. 
They always greeted us with the same “Ten a koe ” 
— How are you ? We had secured the box seats on 
the coach, and the driver chatted to us as we went 
along. Close to the town we passed the monument of 
poor Mr. Bainbridge who was killed in the eruption of 
Tarawera some years ago. We had a double interest 
in seeing this as we had travelled from England with 
him and knew him well. As we drew near to the lake 
the smell of sulphur became very strong, and in the 
moonlight we could see the steam rising from the 
several springs that we passed. Rotorua is the name of 
the lake ; the township Ohinemutu, is really the capital 
of this great New Zealand wonderland. Our hotel, 
