THE TERRACES. Te Tarata--Beauty of the terrace--The formation--The crater--A sensational bath--Ngahapu--Waikanapanapa--A weird gorge--Te Aua Taipo--Kakariki--Te Whatapohu--Te Huka--Te Takapo--Lake Rotomahana--Te Whakataratara--Te Otukapurangi--The formation--The cauldron 94 CHAPTER IX. OHINEMUTU TO WAIRAKEI. Te Hemo Gorge--Mount Horohoro--Paeroa Mountains--Orakeikorako--Atea -Amuri--Pohaturoa--The land of pumice--Te Motupuke--The glades of Wairakei 109 CHAPTER X. WAIRAKEI. The first view--The Geyser Valley--Curious sights--Tahuatahe --Terekirike--The Whistling Geyser--A nest of stone--Singular mud-holes--The Gas and Black Geyser--The Big Geyser--The great Wairakei--The Blue Lake--Hot mud-holes--Kiriohinekai--A valley of fumaroles--Te Karapiti Te Huka Falls--Efforts to pass under the falls--A cave--An enormous fissure--Another trial--A legend 115 EXPLORATION OF THE KING COUNTRY. CHAPTER XI. THE START. Reason of the journey--How I succeeded--My interpreter--Our horses--The Hursthouse difficulty--Departure from Wairakei--Tapuwaeharuru--The natives--Release of Hursthouse, and capture of Te Mahuki--The council of war 131 CHAPTER XII. THE REGION OF LAKE TAUPO. Natural phenomena--The great table-land--Position and dimensions of the lake--Water-shed--Geological features--The lake an extinct crater--Crater lakes--Areas of thermal action 139 CHAPTER XIII. EASTERN SHORE OF LAKE TAUPO. A grand view--True source of the Waikato--The river of "streaming water"--Our first camp--Variation of temperature--Roto Ngaio--Te Hatepe--Te Poroporo--The lake beneath us--A canoe--Motutere--Tauranga--Southern shore of the lake--Delta of the Upper Waikato 149 CHAPTER XIV. TOKANU. Scenery--The springs--The natives--Old war-tracks--Te Heuheu--A Maori lament--Motutaiko--Horomatangi 161 CHAPTER XV. THE RANGIPO TABLE LAND. Along the delta of the Upper Waikato--Mount Pihanga--The Poutu River and Lake Rotoaira--Boundaries of the Rangipo--Scenery--A fine night--A rough time--A great storm--The _karamu_ as fodder--Banks of the Upper Waikato--Another start--More bad weather--Flooded creeks--Pangarara--Te Hau 168 CHAPTER XVI. ASCENT OF TONGARIRO. Physical and geological features--Legend of Tongariro--A break in the clouds--The start for the ascent--Maories in the distance--The Waihohonu valley--The ascent--The brink of Hades--The great crater--The inner crater--The lower cones--Crater lakes--The descent--A valley of death--Tongariro by moonlight--A cold night--The start for Ruapehu 179 CHAPTER XVII. ASCENT OF RUAPEHU. (_First Day._)