Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-24
A wend, rial Geyser In New Zealand.


The State of New York has is world
wide wonder in Niagara Falls; the State
Of California has its equsfly marvellous
and renowned Yosemite Valley; and the
province of New Zealand can boast OF 81
most as great anatural wonder in Its Roto-
mahaua, or mighty geyser. This lies in
land from Taurnnga-which may be
reached by steamer from Auckland-about
sixty five miles. AT Wairoa, the head
querters Of the Arawa contingency, and
the residence of Capt Mair, Is the old
mission-house, kept by Frencnman, and
surrounded by familiar trees, on lovely
site overlooking Lake Tarewera. There
is plenty Of fruit here, especially cherries
In the mission house one pleasantly re-
poses till four O'Clock in the morning,
when be is aroused for breakfast, after
which he enters log canoe, thirty or forty
feet in length, propelled by four Maori
men, ano starts for nine.mile row up the
pretty Tarawera Lake. The time occu.
pied to the mouth OF the Little River is
two hours and half Here the water is
found to be lukewarm, being supplied
from the hot springs. The current of this
stream Is very swift, and ii requires hard
work to force the canoe up against 1t, but
by padding and pole-pushing, and some
times jumping out into the stream and
pulling, the Maoris manage to reach
"the haven of our desires and the cul.
mination Of our hopes" TIE hills all
around the geyser TEEN with hot springs
and hot mud in q liquid state, and con-
stantly bubbIing up and emitting horri-
BILE sulphuric smell which Is almost sti-
fling. The ground appears to be but
mere crust over boiling springs, and often
- yields 10 the step that one feels as if he
were about to descend Immediately into
the earth. The great geyser itself Is up
in the top of a lofty hill, which appears to
have been the extinct crater of volcano,
now filled with light blue boiling water
of an unknown depth. The water Is for.
ever seething and boiling a. il all the
fires of perdition were atiame beneath It,
1t is constantly shooting up in columns
from six to thirty feet In height, which
sometimes looks very beautiful when the
sun converts the falling globules into
showers OF pearls and silver. The great
geyser is approached from below by o
series of crescent shaped terraces, bowed
outward, q few feet in height each, and per-
haps 100 yards in width, all overfowing
till you come to the two principal terraces,
the top one Of which is always boiling
over into those beneath it. The steam is
almost binding and suflocating when the
wind is blowing toward you. In many
Of the pools there are pleasant bathing
places. The water Is hot on the surface
but cool beneath, the boiling water from
the great geyser above not seeming to
penetrate far below the surface OF the
more distant terraces, which II overflows
There are two. sets Of terraces,
In Hrzf nf xs+ht all Ia
White Terraces The rim around
the boiling caldron Is formed of white
substance, like the most delicate filagree
work, almost resembling lace. work, such
is its regularity and beauty. This white
rim, which projects some distance over
the boiling fountain, shows to all the
greater advantage because of the intense
blue of the waters. These beautiful ter
race brims are formed by deposits Of sui
phur and silica from the boiling springs
on the top of the hill, which pour down
the sides and crush the tea. scrub and 9th
or trees growing there, and form the in
crustation For, strange as II may seem,
there is green grass and shrubbery TO the
very verge Of the boiling fountains. Many
OF the basins appear to- be made of petri-
fed tea scrub or ferns. These brim.for-
nations arc very rough and sharp edged,
and very hard on boots or bare .ieet,
| though the Maoris, whose feet are har.
dened, trip over them without any serious
Inconvenience The water in all the ter
races is beautifully clear and blue.
Near the great geyser, there iS spring
constantly boiling put OF assure In q
rock, and called the steam.plpe spring.
The noise from this spring can be heard
long way OFT, and II sounds just like a
vessel letting Oft steam; while the hot
/ water which shoots out OF II reminds one
! Of the manner in which q steamer, when
| she Is light, sends up the water with her
| screw, and the acton seems to be accom-
| panied with o thud like sound OF SINH
lar character. The ground Is literally
honey -combed with these boiling steam
| springs.
From the white terraces ono enters q
canoe aud paddles over 10 the pink ter
races, but short distance from the form
| er. Their formation is the same as the
first, but they are smaller, and, instead OF
the pure white brim they have pink.
tinted border, which Is exquisitely beauti.
| ful, and IL Is questionable whether they
are not the prettier Of the two. The effect
| N lovely and quite enchanting. Between
the two sets OF terraces one may spend
several hours very pleasantly and profita-
bly,. For this is certainly one Of natures
most wonderful phenomena. And while
1t differs from Niagara and Yosemite, and
comparisons may be odious, Ii certainly
IL in It's way quite as marvellous as either
Of these two great resorts OF tourists. As
yet the Rotomahaua Ii almost inaccessi-
BILE to travellers, owing " the roughness
| Of the route thither, and To the miserable
native accommodations on the way. --San
| Franctsco CAL. H.. ....