THERMAL SPRINGS COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 284, 1 December 1898, Page 38 (Supplement)

THERMAL SPRINGS COURT.

G'EYSERLAND IN MINIATURE

Probably the most interesting Court of any in the Exhibition is that illustrative of the Thermal Springs district in this provincial district, and of the wonders and sights to be seen around what are popularly but vaguely termed the 'Hot Lakes.' Scenic effect appeals more to the popular taste than industrial exhibits or samples of merchandise, and we anticipate that the public when they enter this Court will unite in expressions of wonder and pleasure at the really excellent display which has been made by Mr Josiah Martin, the well-known photographer and scientific enthusiast, and his assistants. Mr Martin was the first to suggest the idea of a Rotorua, Taupo and Thermal Springs Court, and by perseverance and energy lie has accomplished marvels, and has succeeded in fact in transplanting a bit of 'Hob Lakes' scenery and accessories into the Exhibition and in placing before us a splendid representation in miniature of the wonderful volcanic and thermal action of our wonderland. All cannot afford a trip to Rotorua, oi> Wairakei or Taupo, but everyone who visits the, Exhibition will find placed before his eyes most of the salientfeatures of the land of sulphur and steam and boiling water.

The Thermal Springs Court is approached from the No. 3 Court in the main building. It is located in a rather out-of-the-way section of ground at the end of the Annexe Court nearest Princes-street, and it abuts on the old stone wall 12 or 1-1 feet high, which many years ago was part of the old Albert Barrack wall, and Ihe, last remnant of which is to be seen by visitors to the Exhibition grounds. On the. other side arc the grounds of Mr W. S. Wilson, and the top of tlie historic "-nil. now half a century old, is hidden in a pretty trailing mantle of ivy. The Court is roofed in with iron, but an open space, of about two _oet wide is left between tho roofing and the top of the. stone wall in order to allow the steam from the- boiling springs to escape. The Court is only a small one, being 65 feet in length and 40 feet wide nt the lower end, the end nearest Princes-st. being smaller, as the, section is not rectangular in shape. There, art; two entrances to this Court, both leading from the No. .'i portion of the main building. As the visitor approaches the entrances his eye will be, caught by the inscriptions in large letters 'Thermal Springs Court,' over one doorway, and 'Ceyserland in Miniature'over the other, while the outside, of Ihe Court wall surrounding the two entrances is panelled with elaborately carved .Maori slabs and beautifully done reed work in intricate patterns, whicli formed part of the interior of a Maori house. Confronting one as lie steps up to the doorways ..re huge wooden carved grotesque, figures, with lolling tongues and glistening pawashell eyes, while their hands are crossed on their stomachs with an amusing suggestion of the colic. The doorways are lined with these lon#- slabs, and the whole of Ihe spectators' portion of the Court is also panelled with similar carvings in a unique and characteristically Maori fashion.

About half the space in the Court is devoted to the mimio wonderland,while the rest is reserved for the accommodation of on-lbokers, who are prevented by a wooden railing front walking too close to the springs and mud pools and getting par-boiled.

The most conspicuous object before the visitor once the interior of the department is gained is the reproduction of the terraces in the southernmost corner. Starting from where the iron wall joins the stone one, and spreading out fan-like towards the entrance, there descends by snowwhite steps resembling sinter a faithful replica of portion of the famous White Terraces of Rotomahana. There are two overhanging buttresses, each

about three feet in height and some ten feet in width, representing thebeautiful snowy buttresses of the upper portion of the lost White Terraces. At the top is a hollow basin representing a geyser cauldron. The portion of the terraces nearer, the wall of the Annexe Court are not wdiite, but are coloured brown, red, blue, green, pink and other colours, so as to show the infinite variety of colouring observable throughout the Thermal Springs district in the small terraces surrounding- the various geysers. Some of these terraces are a few inches high and others are a foot or two, but all are constructed and tinted in imitation, as far as possible, of some of those which are to be seen at Wairakei, Taupo and Whakarewarewa. Of course, an exact reproduction of those natural marvels and the wonderful colouring is impossible, but Mr Martin has gone as near it as was practicable, and has succeeded in giving a very faithful idea of the general character of terrace formation in the Thermal districts. The wall alongside these smaller terraces is painted to represent the manuka scrub, which generally surrounds geysers a,nd springs, and mosses, growing bushes •of manuku, etc., are arranged along the side of the terraces near the wall, nature thus assisting art. At the foot of the terraces, which have a total frontage in semi-circular shape of about 20 feet, there are small white, blue and vari-coloured pools of what looks like white sinter or silica, but which is really cement, and plaster. Some of these pools or basins are reproductions of those which are to be seen below the Champagne Cauldron at Wairakei. A little way from the foot of the terraces are singular-look-ing circular pools of white infusorial or diatomaccous earth and a yellowish looking mud, of the material which is to be seen in innumerable boiling and spluttering mud pools in the Rotorua district. A few yards to the right is a constant geyser, the reproduction of Waikorohihi, the small but energetic spouter at Whakarewarcwa. Tlie rough rock work of the geyser is about- three feet in height, circular in shape and decreasing in circumference as the summit is reached. There is a shallow ba.sin at the top, and out of this when the steam from behind ihe scenes is on there proceeds a constant up-spouting of steam and boiling water, tlie column of water thrown varying from two to six feet in height, as Waikorohihi does not aim at breaking Pohutu's record. A few feet away, on the right hand side again, is the 'Crow's Nest' geyser. This is a mound of dark coloured rock and imitation silica about four feet high, with a small natural cauldron at the top. out of which when the geyser is working, a column of boiling Mater and steam is thrown with great force and noise, issuing out at a slop> ing .-ingle and falling in sheets of wafer and spray on the. silica and sul-phur-covered earth around. This is intended to represent the chief fca-

=F —< —; *z - H —: ' - -..' i . i -y„ — : x -,. . -■■';■ t|ures of the famous Crow's Nest gey* Ser-. at the Spa, :>Taupo. Close to this geyser, and nearest the spectators, is a white boiling mud crater, containing kaoline earth, a replica of those which are seen at Whakarewarewa and Arikikapakapa.This splutterc and.bub" bles and throws v_■ the liquid mud, exactly like the genuine article. Then there is a similar sized circular fumarole of red mud, the colouring matter being hematite or oxide of iron, the 'kokowai' or red ochre of t'-e Maoris. This is also in action, the steam introduced underneath bringing the mud to a boiling stage.

Next there is a shallow crater or fumarole containing a greyish mud, which the natives in the- Rotorua district were accustomed to eat occasionally, considering the flavour palatable; and there is also a pool of black petroleum mud, which may be made to boil like the others, but as the odour emitted is so realistic and Rotorua-like the steam will not be allowed to operate it very often for/ fear of offending the delicate nostrils of visitors. The final touch needed to complete the picture of Hot Lakes, wonders is the familiar 'hangi' or steam cooking-hole Used by the Maoris at Rotorua, Whakcrewarewa and elsewhere for cooking their food. This 'hangi' of the thermal regions is a wooden box about two feet square sunk in the earth over a tteani jet. The bottom is covered with pumice, etc., and the whole apparatus is exactly that of the 'hangi' in ".vhich the leisure-loving Arawa Maoris steam their potatoes and kumara and pork and so avoid the trouble o;. gathering firewood and lighting fires.

On either side of the cooking-hole is an object which will arouse much curiosity on the part of visitors. These are two venerable-looking Maori carved figures, both much battered and weather-worn, which formerly stood near the shores of Lake Rotoiti, being 'aukati' or boundary marks of tribal lands, and serving as 'rahui' or marks to warn trespassers against passing. The larger of the figures id about four feet high, and the other about three feet, and both are newly painted red to represent the orthodox Maori 'kokowai,' or red ochre. These 'aukati' posts Avere obtained from near Rotoiti by Mr Reaney, district tsur-y-yor of Rotorua, and are now;* the property qf the Rotorua Town Board, being lent to Mr Martin, for exhibition in this court. The wooden figures are evidently of great age.

The foregoing description of the model terraces simply shows them as they appear when the hidden steam power is not in action. The steam was turned on for the first time on Tuesday, and the geyser at the summit of the terraces worked splendidly. It plays every five minutes, and. produces a really beautiful effect which will be a revelation to those who have never seen a 'puia' or a 'ngawha' in . action. The boiling water.rushes up/ the pipes in the interior of the. earth,/ fills the basin and bursts out in

three beautiful feathery plumes, a/ " taining a height of ten or twel; feet, falling in cascades over the wa 8 and aides of the terraces, and r" pling down the white buttresses Jfl vari-coloured steps into the b? ns and shallow pools below. The c* 5 s very pretty, and the steamy^ lst which soon envelopes the top "'c terraces is realistic enou tG make one imagine himself a'.^ ak. a" rewarewa again watching a r .3n ..<, eruption. The water rushing PV"L,*rf?< iature cataracts down the steps'makes a pretty spectacle, and judging from the success of the initial experiments wc believe visitors will never tire of watching the curious play of the 'tame geyser.' which is a triumph of ingenuity and an ocular de\uQi!s,ti*2tic-!i ,

sides. The entr-ciejitific principles which tains very the working- of our therAuckland's •. And when the Waikoroand manufac; ro vv;s TNest Geysers are o-uin, timbei'p their columns of water and clothing^ steam clouds into' the here represei. -uncanny mud-pools and Viewed frots' of coloured earth are sive exhibit Spluttering and bubbling len Mills, a .eetacle is a most, realistic oatches the very thing is in full workbehind it a he spectator will indeed 7r„wfv.l c-tt he is in wonderland, S the far » in to ask 'how the thing the same s fancy glassy , ATIVE CAIIVINGS. lian firm. A the rio-ht o* features of the Court are ' leather exh, <nd the splendid specimens & loi-nSv I' wood-carving disposed % 2£? fro m- Walls lend a characteristic € thfioo? nd air to the Court, For 1C [=c of making a good show CmSu , Igs, etc., Mr Martin procurwnollen >an from Mr 33. Craig of a woollen rvefl Maor . « runanga '-house ?™ £ n -itil recently stood at To'iago ing 7% the, East Cape, and which very at-\ hased recently by Mr Craig. ? r°W3e could not be shown in its flanton. wag &bout seven ty feet joining ~t wag taken t0 pi ec e S for tion % ose and the slabs, posts a.nd Kohn. ■al ree _ W ork arranged artiswith it und the spectators' portion palms, rt j n a n there are seveiatycan be i , e * n s ide-slabs ('poupcm'), bt^t to g- one s j de w ith conventional of Cour reg representing tribal analong onv! ] ieroes 0 f Maori myijhqlTaking, c enc [ nearest the Annexe on the wa, vo \ o fiy 'pou-toko-iriana-Co.'s leath,,. c ,p oS ts, supporting; the household r- t.] Ie w hare. These arc of Shack}'", foot with tattooed figthe Ley)' ..nting certain ancestors of tion.--':. Before these figures;/, near andot of the posts, burned tJ.ie fires bits* family and hapu, and the 'poudistavuis in some degree resembled in the- of the ancient Romans. On AM, not ori-^of the doorway nearest the •^-nroduct/ourt are two huge slabs ii VjC" n<r mac^lve feet high, each carved *W r-ei.aly r to represent male and ;Vls _ ancestors. 'Tekoteko,' or carv- . \ M"' T ■: , ';.'■•'..

Ed figures surmount the doorways inside, and the spaces between the carved slabs around the walls are tilled with artistic 'tukutoiku.'^qr reed and lattice-work, formed of split kakaho reeds, intricately laced together with, narrow strips of the Isame material, kiekie and j flax. In one corner stands the carved front of a Maori house, ten feet high and about twelve feet frontage, surmounted by a curved 'tekoteko:' The scantling near the scoria wall is artistically concealed by strips ot' totara bark. Not the least pleasing fenturejof the Court is the splendid collection of photographs of scenery in the Thermal Springs district, and at Taupo, Tongariro, and Kuapehu, shown by Mr Josiah Martin. These fill in the spaces above the carvings, and several fine oil paintings of the Terraces and Wairakei and other subjects are sihown, from the brush of Mr Bloomfield.