Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-09

burned midday to evening, and for miles
around there was a dOwnpour of water,
mud and stones.
This eruption destroyed the famous pink
terraces of New Zealand. These terraces
were in the form of basins. They were
made by the sediment from the mineral
waters of a geyser 100 feet above the lake
The basins were filed with the clearest of
hot water, boiling blue at the top and
changing in color to a lighter hue as it fell
from terrace to terrace. They were
surrounded by walls which seemed to be
made of jewels. some were pink, others
white. The water battered over them in
tiny cascades and when the sun shone the
hillsides seemed alive with falling dia-
monds, pearls, emeralds and rubies. The
terraces are now being reformed. and in the
near future nature will probably have re-
built them in an even more beautiful form
than they were in the past.
Country Scenes in New Zealand.
1 spent all day on the train going from
Auckland TO the Hot Springs region Ro-
torua, the central town of this Yellowstone
OF the south, was my destination Leaving
Auckland We shot out into rich farming
district The fields were green with luxu-
RANT grass, or black where the soil was
being turned up for planting. Volcanic
evidences were everywhere Chunks Of
lava were scattered over the fields and in
many places there were fences of lava
Near Auckland the farms are small and
the farm houses especially so. This 1 have
OOSSiHeu III all parts OF Australia and New
Zealand The frontier cabins are not so big
as those OF the wooded regions of the
United states In many places there is a
scarcity of lumber. The average farm
mousse Is wooden cottage of four. five or
SIX rooms rooted with galvanized iron
There are no barns no stables no out
buildings. The stock feed off the fields all
the year round, for the grass is always
green.
Now We go through plains covered with
pIush. rlde for miles along the banks
OF the Waikato river. the largest in New
Zealand. and on again into a countrv Of
farms. The holdings have now grown
larger We go through a great estate
owned by one Of the landed nabobs 1t
contains $1,000 acres. 1t will probably soon
be taken by the government and divides
into small farms. At present il is given
up 10 sheep and cattle. We see droyes os
hundreds of cattle and sheep in flocks of
thousands The sheep are feeding on tur-
nlpS, biting them out of the ground in
which they have grown. There are acres
OF lurnips, their green tops eaten off and
me white round roots lying like tens of
thousands OF billiard balls upon the
ground. The sheep will feed upon them
until nothing is left
How beautiful the land is, 1t is rolling
We go over plains which look like the blue
grass lands OF Kentucky and others which
remind me of the meadows of old England
We pass through groves of cabbage trees or
New Zealand palms Each has a tall trunk
ending in a feather buster of green leaves
" of poor land as we'll as good and some
large tracts which still belong to the crown
and which will some time be turned into
farms
On the New Zealand Railroads
As We go l examine the railroad. Like
all In the colony. 1T belongs to the gov
eminent, and its officials are government
clerks The conductor is called the guard
He comes through the station and punches
the tickets from time to time The smaller
stations are also post offices, and | see
signs evidencing they are government saw
fngs banks and the offices of the govern
ment life insurance company as we'll
The gauge of the railroad is only three
feet and a half. The roadbed Is ballasted
with lava and pumice stone and IT seems
TO be we'll built. The cars are comfortably
made, half after the American and half
after the English fashion. AT every sta
ton bell Is rung before the train starts
Every now and then there is a five min
utes stop that the passengers NAV get
out and buy a cup Of tea, a glass of
whisky or beer. The New ZeaIanders are
great drinkers. They are always stuffinp
and swilling. Nevertheless they keen fat
and healthy. Beer, whisky and tea are
sold at the stations. 1 try them all The
whisky is Scotch. II has smoky. peatv
taste and it costs IL cents a glass Tea is
tuppence cup. Everyone takes II with
milk and sugar. 1t is strong but not bad
No coffee Is sold, for no one wants 1t.
Hot Water for the Ba-f-by.
The chief trouble with the cars In the