464 
A VISIT TO ROTO MAHAN A. 
which, gradually rising in height; until its barriers were no 
longer able to resist the pressure; gave way; and then the 
whole volume of water; rushing along with immense impetus; 
carried the huge masses of ice and snow with it; as well as 
all the trunks of drift timber it met with in its passage ; the 
flood overflowed the banks, depositing vast quantities of ice, 
snow, and drift, along the entire course, until it reached the 
bridge, which, considering the winding course of the river, 
must be nearly a hundred miles distant ; there the trunks 
and blocks of ice collected in such quantities that they were 
level with it, and formed such a compact mass, that an 
observer said it would have been quite possible to walk 
along the top of it across the river ; the poor bridge creaked, 
opened, and was swept away; a man passed over it just as 
it was parting asunder ; being of wood, the floor of the bridge 
suddenly rose several feet, he had rushed over, and the next 
instant it was gone. The flood came down about 6 a.m., aifd 
in little more than two hours it subsided, leaving large 
masses of ice, snow, and mud, filled with crystals of ice, on 
the banks ; the day being intensely hot, these heaps produced 
such a vapour as to appear like smoke, the ice and snow were 
remarkably compact, very black, and emitting a strong sul- 
phureous smell, and in such masses as actually to remain for 
nearly a week under the mud. 
This brief account may be concluded with a visit paid to 
Roto Mahana, or the Warm Lake. 
The first view of it is very striking, and cannot fail exciting 
the travellers astonishment ; the lake lies in a great hollow, 
evidently a crater, flanked with lofty precipices, but contain- 
ing a considerable extent of low swampy land along one of 
its sides ; the opposite bank is formed of hills, literally 
covered with boiling springs, emitting volumes of steam, 
and the soil being of red or white ochre, gives the whole a 
most extraordinary appearance ; on the lower side it has an 
outlet into the Tarawera Lake there are several islands in 
it, some merely a few connected tufts of grass, but abound- 
ing in water fowl, ducks, pukeko, and sea birds, which 
