The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-12-17
RESORT FOR RnEuMArlos.
Tho Boiling Mnd-pOOls in New zealand.


The Maoris, with faith born of long ex-
perience, bring their sorely tried rheumatic
friends from far and near; and well are
their pains rewarded, for many who have
been crippled for years are here restored to
comparative comfort and health. We saw
one poor lad who literally lived in a mud
pool, just like one of the African mudishes.
He was suffering from an agonizing hip
disease, and his friends had carried him
from afar to try this blessed remedy. He
certainly obtained great relief from lying
in the muddy water for hours, but, in his
weakly state, he very naturally tainted on
being removed, so his kindred thought the
best thing they could do was to build n hut
over the pool, and keep him in it perma-
uently. So there he had already lain for
months, and would probably remain until
he died.
Some of the boiling mud-pools are hor-
fibly repulsiye. They lie in great natural
pits or craters, and, as you stand on the
brink watching the surface of black boiling
mud slowly upheaye, with dull gurgle,
and then burst in the form of q monstrous
bubble, you can scarcely repress shudder
at the thought of how one slip of the foot
on that greasy soil might plunge you head
long into that horrible pool, therein to be
hopelessly engulfed. The very silence with
which it works is on element of horror. con-
.rasting with the noise and energy of the
clear boiling lakes, and the roar of the
steam-clouds as they escape from thousand
assures in the rocks and from chasms nil
over the mountain-sides.
There is, however, one mud lake in which
interest predominatos over horror. II is an
expanse of half-liquid gray mud, from the
surface of which rise multitude of small
mud volcanoes really miniatures, not more
than three or four feet in height, but each
perfect model of an ideal corical crater
like Vesuyius or any other volcano of grace
full outline From each little summit came
pufls of white steam, and then small erun-
ton of boiling clay, which, triekling down
the surface, gradually builds up the tiny
mountain
The Maoris not only absorb this chemi.
ca, mud externally but they take large
quantities internally There are several
places where o thick dark mud exudes from
assures in the rock, and this they have dis
covered to be edible, and eat large handfuls
with the greatest appreciation. One boiling
mud-hole is known rs the porridge pot in
consequence of this popularity, and the
natives who visit it swallow enough to sat-
iafy an ordinary nf,natita
What with mud-pools aud mud volcanoes,
and one large volcano of pure sulphur, and
columns of steam rising on avery side from
the well-baled hills and from the surface
of the lake-what with many-colored boil
ing pools, and the silvery Wilderness of
snowy terraces, Roto Mahana is, in truth,
such centre of maryels as seem to belong
10 some creation other than the steady
going world ON whose solid surface we live
our commonplace lives
The sulphur volcano rises from tho brink
OF the lake, very near the so-called "Pink
Terraces, . which, in point of fuct, uru dis
tinguished from the " White Terraces by
most delicate tinge of pale salmon color,
like reflected sunlight on snow. The sui
| phur volcano produces most startling
effect of coloring in contrast with the vivid
blue of sky ana lake. 1t is entirely yellow
just the color of a bright primrose and
the great column of steam ascending from
it is primrose-hued, and all the water near
it is thus tinted, while the rocks far and
near are coated with deposit of pure sui
Dhur (0ynJi}l Hgnnyi,11