The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-08-01
The Lake of TGrspo.

fractions as the lake OF Taupo-Taupo
Moano. the great inland sea, as 1t is
called by the Maoris. who have their
principal strongholds close TO its pic
turesQue borders. It is situated at an
altitude Of 1900 feet above the sea level,
Is twenty-five miles long.by sixteen and
q half across, and since fits depth has
been tested 10 over ninety fathoms it
can be understood how a stiff breeze
from the northwest Etirs its surface
with turbulent seas.
The township Of Taupo which takes
3ts name from the lake. lies on the
northern shore. and for its chief inter-
est has the old Maori redoubt, situate
on q high bank OF the broad WaA5ato
+. River, and rich n memories Of stirring
doings IN the days that are gone. Maori
canoes are regularly seen padding
across this river, which here energies
from tho clear. lake and shapes fits
course IN a rapid rush through deep
.gorges and wide plains to the sea- The
:. 'Waikato serves as q, dividing line be-
tween the. European. settlement Of
''Taupo town: and the native village
above. which stood a. fortified rampant
. 81 the war period Of lS65-TL :.
=. >: Looking across the lake toward the
3: south one can see rising from the table
: lands that back Rotoaira the magnifi-
cent spectacle OF fhe three great snow
= clad volcanoes lifting their peaks, which
range from 1000 TO 5000 feet IN height
under O. massive drapery OF perpetual
: ice and snow and from whose submits
issue clouds and spires Of sulphurous
steam and smoke. These remarkable
= mountains were until quite recently con-
sidered sacred by the ATaoris, and on
= the eerie altars- OF their snow-capped
craters and glacial reoesses the natives
offered homage and Precipitation TO
their deifed sncestors-the gods of
their race.
The whole place teens with interest
anecdOta1 history and NEUROLOGICAL and
,. legendary traditions Of the tribal heroes
" Of the. past. Every hill and glade, even
~ the trees and flowers, have mystic as.
ISOLATION with demigods and demons,
for the folk lore Of the New Zealand
Maoris' is. the richest in the world. Half
way across Taupo Moano is the little
forest-clad island Of Motutail5o, which
? in the visionary past was the fortified
habitation of a mighty tribe, but which
for many generations has been used as
a tribal. burying place-the campo
sauto in our own day Of Christian
Maoris-
80" On the northern coast, within short
distance Of the township, is the extinct
volcano Mount Tauhara, rising clear
into the for a height Of 5000 feet and
now covered on all sides by a heavy
wooded. growth. Clearly definable
through all formations is the terrace,
which encircles the entire lake a hun
dred feet above its present level, show
ing that in former times the Taupo
waters were that measure higher than
at the present day. The western shores
of the lake are famous for the tremen-
dous rhyolitic sleeps Of Karangahape,
which rise in a perpendicular precipice
1000 feet high above sixty fathoms Of
water. There still exist many evidences
10 show that these cliffs were once used
as a last refuge resort by natives fee
ing from desperate invaders.
Caves abound in these cliffs. all of
which were at one time or another used
as living places by the Taupo natives,
who were cave-dwellers to a very great
extent. When giving evidence at the
native land court Of Taupo just twenty
years ago the old warrior. Hitiri, said:
Il was born in a cave at Kawakawa-
At Waihaha there is a cave
called Oruawaikaha belonging to two
tribes. The chief and his father are
buried there. 1t Karaugahape Point
there IS a cave which was used as a
pa (fortress) and called Omumutu"
There are many other interesting
records Of the same character, showing
that these caves served as the birth
and death places and the fighting
haunts OF the Maoris, who distin-
guished them by names as they do
houses and even trees in their customs
Of to-day.
An abiding charm of Taupo Lake is
the great diversity Of its shores, and
close to the Karaugahape cliffs is a
native settlement, numbering among
its residents the old chief Hitiri te
Paerata, just quoted. Hitiri is a war
rior OF long descent. the hero Of many
great fights. In 1864 he took part in q
brave but hopeless defense of Orakan
pa, which fell to an overwhelming Brit
ish force under General Cameron. Hi
tiris father and other relatives were
killed, but he and his sister, Ahunai,
who was badly wounded, escaped.
These sole survivors still entertain
the fort against tremendous odds and
at last broke through the line of mill
tary in their daring rush for life Anu
mai. who is now doubled-up, old de-
crepit. tells how she shot two soldiers
herself on that occasion, for the Maori
women frequently bore arms with the
men.
Waterfalls, valleys, rapids, boiling
springs and icy fountains all lend their
variety to this particular shore. which
is further enhanced by fine stretches
Of primeval bush, which IN many places
slopes its soft, green way right down to
the waters edge. In summer time the
stately branches of the Christmas tree
wave their gorgeous crimson blossom
above the clear blue lake, and along
the eastern shore there is a perfect
feast Of flowers all peculiar to the place,