The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10

They never have to make a IRE nor put the
kettle on. Gao woman has a steaming box
of her own, which il always at the right
temperature. This box is merely an old dry
goods box, a shoe box or soap box, with the
top and bottom knocked out and the bottom
covered with Stats. It Is sunken in the earth
over one of these steam holes. The food Is
dropped in and an old piece Of carpet or
cloth thrown over It and in due time 1t Is
cooked.
Cooking Is also done in the boiling pools.
Potatoes are pared and put into bags made
Of a network Of rope. each holding q quar-
ter or half peck. Tho bag is then dropped
into the pool. and a string which is fas-
tened to 1t Is tied to q stake outside. In a
few minutes the potatoes are ready for
eating. Meat can be boiled the same way
or It can be put into a bucket and steamed.
In fact, almost anything in the boiling or
steaming line is SO done by these people.
They have lately taken up some English
customs, and now celebrate Christmas.
when they make plum buildings and cook
them in these petty volcanoes.
In some places the villagers cook at one
great vat, and in others. such as Whakare-
warewa, the women all do their washing
All ol0 " kPSSip AAo V0sSA Va AAS
and cleansing. They kneel down on the
outside Of the pool, and scour the clothes
together. I like the Maori women. Their
dress Is now much like ours, save that
nearly all are barefooted. Some would be
good looking were it not for the tattoo
marks upon their chins and lips making
them blue. Many Of them speak English,
and I take one for a guide through the
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gion about me.
Among the Geysers.
She leads me from one wonder to an
other. Here is a pool Of boiling. bubbling
mud. which now and then shoots a column
high into the air. That great round vat
with the white walls is made Of the silica
| and other minerals thrown up by a gey-
/ ser; it is called the brain pot. That vast
| pool in which the yellow fluid within bub-
/ bles and boils Is known as the champagne
| pool; its contents stir about Just like
| champagne, and the gases now and then
| throw the water up to a height Of Elk
| or eight feet. TIL walls are Of different
| colors, here white. there dark red and there
| yellow with sulphur. We 60 to see the
| Pohutu geyser. which twice q day for from
| twenty minutes to three hours at a time
send a majestic column Of water high into
| the air; and then take a look at the gt-
ants cauldron, which bubbles and boils and
seethes. heated by the fires below.
Into the Mouth OF He'll.
Come and take a trip with me into the
| mouth Of hell. This is a region about
twelve miles from Rotorua. We steam
across the lake, sailing over what was evil
IDENTIFY once a volcanic crater. then take
horses over the country to Tikitere. AS we
near 1t we see great columns Of steam ris-
| ing into the air. We tie our horses, and,
with staff in hand. plunge into the vapor.
We are in the midst Of acres Of boiling
springs separated by thin walls upon which
we walk, looking down into the terrible
commotion below.
Here is a whirlpool. The water is as black
Is ink. It boils and steams and bubbles
and spits. It Is hotter than the Shadrach.
Meshac and Abednego furnace. Watch outl
for If your foot slips you will be scalded to
death.
Now we are on a great yellow mound.
blocking into a sulphur pool. the gases of
which almost sicken US as we stoop over.