The road through the Murimotu branches off at Upokongaro, and I am indebted to Messrs. F. Field and H. M. 13. Marshall, for the following accounts of the journey:—

Mr. F. Field's Trip.

The party to which I belonged consisted of three, all riding, and having an extra horse to carry the swags and tucker. We started on the 16th of January, leaving Upokongaru late in the morning, and in the midst of a shower of rain. Towards afternoon, however, the weather cleared, and we could then travel faster. The flood in the Mangawhero river having fortunately just gone down, we crossed it with tolerable ease, and by sunset had reached a road-party's camp ten miles further on at a place called Te Whaka. Here we spent the night in a spare tent belonging to the men. Our route next day lay chiefly up the Mangawhero valley,: where the road sometimes passes along the faces of cliffs at "a considerable height above the river. Here the scenery in winter time is rendered more beautiful still by the numerous waterfalls.; One of these, situated about a quarter of a mile from the track, formed by a large stream that comes from the tableland above, falls from such a height that the water drops on to the rock below in the form of spray, making no noise. The prettiest spot on this part of the line is one where the road comes suddenly out of bush on to one of these cliffs, from which a very fine view of the valley on ahead is obtained; and just below, embosomed in dense bush, are three pretty lakes, skirted with raupo. The largest of these, which the Maories say is inhabited by a Taniwha, looked quite crimson owing to its being completely covered with duckweed,! But our appreciation of these beauties of nature was somewhat impaired by the loss of our pack horse, which put an end to its troubles by walking into a chasm close by the track. The poor brute tried to get a footing on the side as he was falling, but this only threw him over so as to land on his back, and he soon died. Of course our things were much damaged by the fall, and to make

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matters worse, one of my companions sprained his ankle in climbing down the bank. After this accident it was necessary for one of us to give up his horse to the packing and divide the walking with the other two. The track leaves the river at Te Parapara, a comparatively open tract of some thousands of acres in extent. About four miles beyond this point are situated the great Mangawhero falls. Though their roar can be heard from the road, the country is so rough to travel over that no white man has yet seen them. That night we stopped at Te Kow, another clearing somewhat smaller than the last. Starting early next morning, we crossed the dividing range into the valley of the Wangaehu. The road runs along the top of the range for seven miles, and affords an extensive view on either side. Long before the river itself comes into sight its roar can be heard. It runs very fast over a boulder bed, in a deep chasm, presenting a very wild scene. After descending the range, the ground becomes gradually more level, and is everywhere covered with birch bush till the edge of the plain is reached. Perhaps the most striking sight to be seen in the whole of this trip is that which is afforded upon emerging suddenly from the bush, with part of the plain extending in front and the mountain rising beyond, its slopes clothed almost up to the snowline with forest, which in the gullies appears of a rich purple tinge, and with its snowy peaks towering above. Five miles more took us to Kaioi station, on the Tokiahuru river, where the Murimotu races are annually held on New Year's Day. The rain now began to fall so heavily that we put up here for the night. Next morning brought even worse weather, but we managed to reach a surveyor's camp at the foot of the mountain, a few miles to the eastward. The remainder of that day and the whole of the next we were weather-bound in camp. On the third day, however, the sun shone forth again, and we rode round the base of the mountain to the Rangipo desert. On our way we passed two huge springs, formed no doubt by snow-water soaking through from above. They gush out from the mountain-side in such volumes as to form small rivers at once. Tethering the horses at the edge of the desert, we proceeded across it on foot. This barren waste, stretching away from the mountain to the eastward, is formed of rocks and gravel, in some places mixed with burnt clay, and in others melted into a solid mass by the streams of lava that have run down from the crater. Yet, even though this, deep chasms have been worn by the water that rushes down the mountain's side in wet weather. After a tiresome walk of some miles we arrived at the source of the Wangaehu—a large spring of cream-coloured water, flowing from an immense black rock. Such a quantity of sulphur is there in the water when it issues from the ground as to impregnate the stones along the page 38 first few miles of its course, and to discolour the river right down to the sea. On the banks of this stream, at an elevation of 5,000 feet, sea birds build their nests. From this same rock the Waikato is said to take its source, and we found dry water-courses beyond the Wangaehu which in wet weather probably do carry water to the northward. Of our climb up the mountain next day there is not much to be said. For the first two miles or so the ground rises gradually in terraces, which used to be covered with bush, but this has been burnt off in places, having been set on fire (the Maoris say) by lightning; and the clearings thus formed are now covered with native grasses. The commonest of these is the tussock grass, growing, as its name implies, in large tussocks three or four feet high. It is not eaten by the animals except in winter time, when all the smaller stuff is hidden under the snow, and then, too, it gives good shelter to the sheep. As we climbed higher the ascent became steeper, and the vegetation more stunted and harsh, till it disappeared altogether, and the mountain seemed like one vast heap of scoria rocks. Where the vegetation was scanty we noticed many lizards amongst the moss and stones, but all of the same variety. The climb is nowhere very steep, and if there was no large tracts of snow to be crossed, there would be little difficulty in getting to the top. After reaching the snowline we experienced the curious sensation of walking at one minute on the cold snow and the next on the scorching rocks. Another curious thing we noticed was the deceptiveness of the snow. Places that looked almost within a stone's throw took a quarter of an hour to reach. I was surprised too at the quantity of blow-flies and other inserts that live in this strange place. Owing to the quantity of snow on the mountain we were obliged to content ourselves with reaching a shoulder some hundreds of feet below the summit, and here we sat down to enjoy our lunch, and more still, the grand view. Tongariro was smoking at the time, and we could see the vapour rising from the springs, about Taupo. The sea on the West coast was visible, and so would have been that on the East but for the haze, for we could see well over the Kaimanawha range, and as far South as the Rimutaka. The descent was more awkward than the ascent, but did not take so long. In going up we were very careful to take notice of any prominent feature by the way which might help us to find the same way down, and now we found the advantage of this plan. At one place there were the skeletons of two of the wild horses that used to be so plentiful about the foot of the mountain on this side. From the position they were in, we came to the conclusion that they had been caught in a snow-storm up the mountain side, and, in making their way down a narrow defile, had found their escape stopped by a wall of rock, and died there in the snow, for both had died in a standing position by the page 39 side of this wall. It was late in the afternoon when we returned to camp, feeling rather tired, but amply repaid for our trouble.

Mr. Marshall's Trip.

February, 1885.—Although the Hot Lake District of the North Island is getting better and better known, both from actual experience as well as through the medium of books and papers, yet the country to the south of it, comprising Lake Taupo and the Tongariro group of mountains, is to very many a closed book. This is the natural result of the hot lakes being such near neighbours, for attention has been bestowed on Rotomahana and other such wonderful resorts, to the neglect of a district much less accessible, viz., Taupo and Tongariro. Hence the traveller through this region has to make shift with very primitive roads, while accommodation has to be sought at the shepherd's hut or Maori kainga, although the beauties and wonders of the country amply repay his discomfort. It was the writer's good fortune to have the opportunity of visiting this part of New Zealand, and to have the companionship of the Rev. T. S. Grace, who was going on his farewell missionary round among the Maoris inhabiting it. We started about the middle of February, spending the first night under the fly of a tent, about 35 miles from Wanganui, and struck camp early the following morning, entering the bush proper at about 8 a.m. The New Zealand forest is full of beauty and interest, teeming with bird life, and thick with vegetable growth of the most startling and impressive kind, from the thin climbing Supplejack, to the monster rata or rimu; but it is very hard to admire it when one's horse is struggling through mud up to the girths, or sliding down a half precipice only to scramble up the text slippery hill. These evils a bush track is full of; scarcely has one difficulty been negotiated than another appears in front. Nor is it without an element of danger, for often a false step would precipitate the rider down a very ugly looking slip, far too steep to be pleasant. It was while toiling along in this manner, about 7 a.m. on the following day, before the sun had dispelled the cold mists, or dried up the drenching dew with which every overhanging bough was charged, that the track crossed over to the sunny side of a sharp spur, and all at once a glimpse as of fairy land burst upon our view. There, in the distance, stood a giant snow-clad mountain dazzling white in the morning sun, rising like a thing of air out of a wide open plain, and though broken and worn by the fires it used to belch forth, yet looking quiet, serene, and peaceful, seen from the darksomeness of that damp, dark bush. This was our first view of Ruapehu, the chief mountain of the Tongariro group, about 9000 feet high. Another page 40 five or six hours, and we had emerged from the bush, and, with a sense of freedom like that of escaped prisoners, were cantering over the open plains of Murumotu towards the Maori kainga of Karioi. Here a halt was made, and the next day being Sunday Mr. Grace held two services among the Maoris, baptizing one of their children in the afternoon. There is something very impressive in being present at a service held in a strange tongue. The late Dr. Guthrie explained this when he wrote thus: "I am always glad of an opportunity of being present where God is worshipped in, to me, an unknown tongue; it is to my mind the most impressive of all sermons on His omniscience, and that He is the common Father of us all."

But, to return to the journey. After leaving Karioi the track leads right round the eastern base of Ruapehu. The land has never been cultivated or sown with English grasses, and consequently has a very desert look, which is enhanced by the likeness of the low round hills to the waves of the sea when a big swell is running. Though so wild and waste, this region is very rich in flowers, which are nearly all different from those met with on the coast, for we are now 3000 feet above the sea level; among the most striking of these is the copper-leaved gentian, which grows on the bare sand where nothing else does, and has a brilliant bunch of pure white flowers. There is a great black rock visible near the bottom of Ruapehu, and out of this flow two rivers—the Waikato, which flows through Lake Taupo and thence into the sea on the west coast of the island, nearly as far north as Auckland; and the Wangaehu, which flows out near Wanganui.

As we go on we discover that Ruapehu is not alone in his glory. Behind him appears another giant, smaller, it is true, and dwarfed by his enormous neighbour, but even more interesting, for it is an active volcano. It is commonly known as Tongariro, though the real name is Ngauruhoe, Tongariro proper being a large flat-topped mountain further still to the north. The Maoris have a legend that Taranaki or Mount Egmont was at one time situated here, on a sight now occupied by a small lake. As time went on, however, Tongariro and Taranaki fell out, both being rivals for the hand of Pihanga, which is a smaller mountain near. From words they came to blows, and in the fight which took place the volcano had the best of it; Taranaki was obliged to fly, and made for the sea coast as quickly as possible. On his way to where he now stands he ploughed out the course of the Wanganui river, and the Maoris still show a large rock which he lost in transit, and which now stands in the bed of the river. Perhaps this relic is as genuine as many such are. Most of the land here is used for running sheep, and is held on lease from the Maoris, who are not always easy landlords to deal with. In the first place the lease has to be

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signed by from sixty to two hundred Maoris, and until this has been accomplished the runholder can make no improvements, for the moment he does so the price of the lease goes up accordingly. Until all signatures are made the lease is not legal, and the natives are never in any hurry to have the matter settled. If any one dies before the signatures are all affixed, his heirs, male and female, have to be found and their signatures obtained, which often delays the whole affair for a year, during which period someone else is pretty sure to die, and his heirs have to be found. The following is one of the difficulties experienced in dealing with the Maoris in money matters. A manager of a run in Murumotu began to build a house in place of the whare in which he had been hitherto living. There was however no clay handy with which to make bricks for the chimneys, so he had to get leave from a tribe of Maoris living near to make them on their land, for a consideration. All went well till the bricks were made and burnt, but just when they were to be carted away another tribe stepped in, saying the land belonged to them, and they would not allow the bricks to be taken away before they were paid for them. The first tribe were in the trick, they had got their money, and now lent a helping hand to their needy brethern. There was no help for it; the manager could not take the bricks by force, and would not pay double the very high price originally asked, so there the bricks remain to this day.

While abreast of Tongariro we get the first view of Lake Taupo, down the valley of the Southern Waikato. The meaning of Taupo is "settling at night," the idea being that a shag starting from the sea would have to fly all day and only alight on the lake at night. Before coming to Taupo itself there is a smaller lake to the south-west which merits attention. It is called Roto Aira, or "little lake," and is that on whose site the Maoris say Mount Egmont originally stood. Set in the midst of bush-clad mountains of great height, it is a veritable gem of scenery, and not so lone and wild as is generally the case, for in the foreground is a flourishing Maori kianga called Poutu, in which live an abundant population of men, women, children and dogs. At the western end of this lake is a large cavern, out of which an immense spring of water flows, gushing out from the bowels of the earth, and at a certain season of the year this stream is thick with fish, which the Maories catch by spreading nets across the mouth of the cave. Where this body of water springs from is totally unknown, but for the fish to breed and be reared in such numbers every year there must be ample accommodation for the finny tribe within.

Poutu is the home of Topia, one of the chiefs who lately went with Tawhiao to England, to whom we paid a visit. He was very dignified, made us sit down and gave us dry bread and tea, which page 42 was very acceptable. On the road hence we met another rangatira Maori, by name Te Heu Heu, the greatest chief of the district, and indeed by descent higher in rank than Tawhiao himself. His power or "mana" is, however, fast on the decline, all through his love of drink. He is never without it, except when he can't get it, and this once noble specimen of the aboriginal is fast degrading into a type of a class far too numerous among ourselves.

From Poutu a short ride brings us to Taupo itself. Tokanu, at the southern extremity of the lake, is becoming quite an important place, and the Maoris have been having animated discussions as to whether they will allow of a township being formed there. Close by Tokanu is a natural plateau, about a square mile in extent, which is literally full of boiling springs; it is unsafe to venture across it without a guide, and in many places the crust of solid earth bends with one's weight like thin ice. On one side is a boiling mud hole, bubbling with a hollow ghastly sound; on the other, a petrifying spring as clear as crystal, while all round are wreaths and jets of steam, denoting the position of various springs. Sometimes the water flows from one of these boiling springs into a large basin near by where it partially cools and becomes a perfect hot water bath; one of them in particular is about thirty feet in diameter and 15 feet deep, perfectly clear and just the right heat to be pleasant. The country all round is studded with steam jets, and above the lake several are seen on the face of a hill where once an enormous landslip came down and buried old Te Heu Heu, the uncle of the present man of that name, and one of the greatest Maoris that ever lived.

From Tokanu the road leads right round the eastern side of the Lake to Tapuaeharuru, "the thundering footstep," so called from the noise a footstep makes, and the distance at which it can he heard, which is due to the ground being formed wholly of pumice. The Lake is 25 miles long and 15 miles in extreme breadth. In many places it is extremely deep, and in one place no bottom has yet been found. We have now come into the region of Tourists who pass through this place on their way from Auckland and the North to Napier, and vice versa, for a good coach runs right through, Tapuaeharuru is quite a township, and is the head quarters of the Armed Constabulary. There are two hotels, reading-room, post and telegraph office, and various stores, many of which are new. But there is one great drawback to the place, viz., that it is nearly impossible to keep a horse there, there being nothing for it to feed on, Grass grows at any rate in the gullies, pretty well, but it seems to have no nourishment, while oats are at a fabulous price and of very indifferent quality; in consequence a horse can hardly keep in condition even without work.

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Tapuaeharuru has many lions. Notably "the witches' cauldron," a huge bubbling boiling spring rising out of the earth in a small cave; the "crow's nest," a veritable geyser, which sends intermittent jets of boiling water 40 feet into the air; each jet is prefaced by a rumbling noise like that preceding an earthquake, rashing out of a small hole, all round which is a curious structure about 7 feet high, something like a gigantic bird's nest, hence the [unclear: name]. The river Waikato, too, which flows out of the lake near the township, is one of the wonders of the place. It is very deep, dark, and swirling, running between high cliffs, which here and there close together, leaving a deep narrow chasm in which there is room for the river alone. About five miles from the lake the river narrows and rushes down a steep natural race, 150 or 200 yards in length, and then falls over a ledge about 30 feet high. From the previous rushing and tumbling the water is turned into [unclear: foam], and when it falls into the basin below, it is one mass of dazzling white, with a glittering tint of green, so bright that it is impossible to gaze upon it with unshaded eyes. Hence the Maori name Huka, or "white" waterfall, the same word that is used by them for ice or snow.

There are also several hot baths here, several of which have been [unclear: roofed] over, and thus made private. They are situated in a deep [unclear: gully], and belong to a Mr. Loffley, who has a boarding establishment on the spot, where visitors may make sure of being made comfortable. In this little gully all sorts of trees have been planted and seem to thrive wonderfully, being sheltered from all winds, and altogether the place is quite an oasis in the midst of a [unclear: pumice] desert.

Visitors to the Hot Springs in the Taupo country, on their return [unclear: invariably] speak in the highest terms of the urbanity and kindness of Loffley, the landlord, guide, counseller, and friend of all tourists or invalids who seek his abode in pursuit of pleasure or of health. Mr. Loffley is the "life and soul" of the visitors, his wit and fund of stories, of fun, amusement, and adventure in all parts of the world, keeping up the spirits of many, who from the weakness [unclear: consequent] upon failing health, would otherwise be apt to give way [unclear: to] feelings of despondency. In the last disturbance with the Maoris, Loffley served as guide, and did good service in whatever engagement he took part. His eagerness to attack and get hand-to-hand with the enemy, gained him from our native allies the title of Kokiri-Charge. He was equally respected by friend and foe. We learn that he has now settled down into more peaceful pursuits. The only drawback he suffers is having to wear trousers in place of the more comfortable and elegant shawl, then worn as a kilt. But Kokiri, like the rest of us, must bow to the commands of stern civilization.

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Two days is not enough to see all that is to be seen in Tapuaeharuru, and therefore much must be left unnoticed. With regard to the climate of the lake, it seems to be very healthily situated, the atmosphere is clear and bright, and as a rule, fine. The weather here is quite different from that in the mountain region to the south, where rain in summer and snow in winter are constant; the evilly disposed elements do not seem able to storm the land of the lake, but spend their force on its confines.

In these days of progress it will not be long before this region it traversed by the iron horse, when it will be opened of course to many who are not now able to take advantage of the scenery and health giving resorts. Though this is a subject for congratulation, at the same time that weird solitude must be taken from it, which seldom reigns where man is at all a frequent visitor, and never where he has brought the works of his hands, making noise, bustle, and confusion in place of quiet, solitude, and peace.

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