TO TIKITERE ON A TRIO OF BIKES.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 213, 2 January 1897, Page 3

TO TIKITERE ON A TRIO OF BIKES.

By "G'oitnv I\ixpiiei.a."

(ConiinuedJ The first tiling of importance that met our guze a large pool of boiling muddy -water. The pool. I should think is about twenty feet in diameter boiling furiously the whole time. This seething spring Faddy informed us was called ' Hell's Gates.' We didn't contradict him ; we toolc his word for it. It was my first visit to these particular gates, nnd ignorance is ihe best card to play regarding the abode of Satanic Majesty. The sight of these gates impressed his reverence muchly, and, I have, no doubt, they will have a tendency to make hini pay strict attention to his business in the future. It would be a a good speculation for General Booth to invest in these gates, one glance at them would convince an unvillentarv sinner quicker than many hours of word painting of these highly unpopular portals. Jerry wanted to son 'Heaven's Gates' next, but His

Keyeren.ee informed him more in sorrow than in anger, th t ho would have to wander into the narrow path belore he wou d have that wish gratified, nnd Jerry remarked that the narrow path was no good for bicycles and ma seriously afraid that Jerry will never get absolution from His Feverence. A few yards further up the bill brought us to.a peculiar looking mul spring appropriately called the Tie Shop, so cr.lled from the rising up in numerous places in the shapo of the familiar pork pie. From the pie factory we wended our way to the Inferno. Inferno ? Infernal we calhd it, it threw all over u-. It must have mistaken us for poiicians. All arouud.this particular spot seemed to be an epidemic of Infernos, and Pareriki an the natives call our obliging guide, showed us a hole down which we could hear the boiling mud caused by a careless tourist pressing too heavily with his lef.t foot on the crust of the universe. We kept a. few yards apart from His Reverence weighs about fourteen stone, and if be pressed with all his weight with both liis feet on one spot we calculated that there would bo a vacancy for another gentle man of the cloth in Rotorua. Jerry audi didn't want to accompany him on his trip downwards simply because wo don't think we are quite ripe, for the other world. Patiriki then showed us the waterfall, which is something unique in the wnterfnll line of business. Faddy told us that this fall works wonders in cases of lumbago. Above the waterfall we came across the sulphur excavations. Mr MoCrory considers in time that the export ;of sulphur will be one of Botorua'.s most valuable outlets from a commercial point of view ; already n satisfactory business is being done, and the supply appears to le unlimited. From the vantage ground just above the hot waterfall, on bii'ds-eye view of the whole of Tikitere can be obtained, and it certainly is a sight that impresses itself indelibly upon the memory. Gr. at volumes of steimi rise unceasingly from the numerous pud cauldrons filling the atmosphere with an overpowering odour of sulphur, nnd reminds one, to a great extent, of the frignntic chemical works of England. Mr McCrory showed us different layers of mud thrown up by the Tnrawera eruption. The mud lias hardened until it resembles concrete. At this juncture His Fivirence remembered that he had made a solemn promise to & certain young lady th t we would be back at half past one for dinner, 'and,' said he, with an expresrion of anguish upon his classic features, ' its half past one now." There was a general stampede for home when we beard this alarming intelligence. The call to dinner is second only to the call to arms in the opinion of the average Britisher. Hastily bidding adieu to Mr M'cCrory and his family' we mounted our modern Bucephaluses and commenced a world's record rido to Botorua. We simply astounded the natives by the manner in which we sprinted, aiid His Kivirence, without the slightest regard to the colossal vacuum in his interior made the pace, nnd we accomplished the return trip just under the hour, and anybody who knows the Tikitere road will make a solemn affirmation that we didn't dawdle on the way. Wo landed at half past two and ' His Beyerence did not receive a fat smilo from the young lady who presided at the table. We were a trifle late. To anyone who has a bike

and is r p <illv fond of exercise, and wishes to see Tikitere, I would strongly adviso thorn to make the trip—in a buggy. Its easier, and much more comfortable. The Tikitere road is not tin ideal road for cyclists.