I was much pleased with the pains Mr Taylor took to advance their social happiness and the manner in which he illustrated the various subjects and observed the impression they made. Novr. 13th. This morning we had service about 6 in the morning Mr Taylor baptizing 4 natives and distributing books and medicine: I conversed with the natives and we then left and came on our journey through plain and forest to Herekiakia's place at Taupo lake when we visited the Hot Springs where nature is to be seen in active operation, exhibiting at one of them, a most wonderful phenomenon - the spring throwing up a fountain of boiling water which gushes forth about every 5 minutes from a point of 3 1/2 fathoms in depth, making a noise similar to that of the Gulph of Corerriehan near Jura, whilst a great trembling and rumbling sound is heard underneath as if the earth was going to open and swallow up the unwary spectator. It gave me the idea of its being the very Gulph of perdition itself, and awakened a long train of reflections on the subject. 14th. We came to the Rapa by the side of the lake the residence of Heuheu the chief of Taupo - on our approach the old chief had a salute fired in honour of his guests and received us kindly and enquired after several of his friends and acquaintances, native and European, talked some time about Hone Heke saying that he thought he would be a match or more for the Europeans. That Hongi his father or uncle who went to England to see King George advised him to be "friendly to the Pakehas both Tewera and Missionary but should it happen after his death that a flagstaff be erected in New Zealand, he was to be careful in preventing it on his own territories as the intention would be to possess the land and deprive his countrymen of their rights." That Taraia was not unlikely to join with Heke, that he himself was looking on quietly, but still he could not divest himself of a friendly feeling towards him, a man of the same color and country as himself. Having had some food I passed the greater part of the afternoon with him when he told me that there was still a very strong feeling on the part of the tribes of Taupo - Rotorua especially the Ngati-pikiau tribe who headed by the chiefs Rupe and Matanga had sent him a basket containing a quantity of ready made cartridges as a token they were disposed to assist him in attacking Ihupuku and try the strength of those who collected there last year as well as to be revenged for the death of some of their relatives who had been killed in the engagement at Patoka. These cartridges he fired off to signify he was not inclined to use them for the purpose intended. His desire being for peace, and through him had been kept to the present time, but he could not altogether suppress the warlike propensities of other tribes that they were at present watching the end of Heke's procrastinated war in the north and which he considered occasioned the present excitement throughout the Island. That he found a difficulty in keeping the tribes around him in proper subjection to himself. And to show his own disposition to both Europeans and natives he said he was sending his women and children to Wellington with mats and Kowai as presents for Te Rauparaha and Ngatata, and he did not wish to conceal from us that there was still a strong disposition on the part of the natives to have more fighting, that the mission natives were not well disposed and want to make themselves greater than they had any right, and that was one reason he did not join them. He had a great regard for all European missionaries and regretted the Bishop had not placed one at his place. That nothing gave him greater pleasure than having respectable Europeans to visit him. 15th. We intended to have pursued our journey when it was considered more desirable as Heuheu wished it as well as Iwikau his brother who was unusually friendly both to myself and Mr Taylor (who in his previous visit he had insulted and who now told him if he came more frequently he should be inclined to become a missionary) to visit as many chiefs as we possibly could and to get as much information respecting them from Heuheu and his brother as we could obtain. It was evident from all appearances that great excitement existed amongst the tribes and that they were inclined to return in a great measure to their old habits and the innumerable feuds and grievances that have been dormant for years, the consequences of which would be alike serious to our Europeans settlements as well as themselves, and required the utmost exertion on the part of every one interested in the peace and tranquility of the Island. In pursuance of this plan we determined to visit Rotorua and on continuing the conversation with Iwikau he told us that he felt insulted by the conduct of the mission natives who were very proud of their religion but being treated so very kindly by Mr Taylor he could not forget his friendship nor the presents he had made him when at Wanganui. Iwikau also thanked me for my interference in seeing him paid for his and his brother's pigs (in the affair of the Trader on my former visit to Taupo) and had it not been settled he would ere now have tried the strength of the Europeans as Heke was doing, but it being arranged to his satisfaction