SCIENTIST AT ROTORUA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15885, 5 April 1915, Page 7

SCIENTIST AT ROTORUA.

LOQUACIOUS - GUIDES.

"A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE."

A recent visitor to Auckland was Professor J. P. Iddings, of the United States Geological Survey. He subsequently went to Rotorua, and recently gave a Wellington reporter some impressions of the thermal district. From the scientific point of view, he said, Rotorua was undoubtedly of great interest. It differed from Yellowstone Park in that in the American thermal region there was no volcanic activity. They had geysers and hot springs in great numbers, but there was not the (possibility as at Rotorua of renewed volcanic action. Professor Iddings remarked that the information given by the guides at Rotorua was very voluminous, and some of it was accurate. The guides were people of active imagination, and they filled tourists up with information which was sometimes rather wide of the mark. They had an explanation for everything, even if it was not the correct one, and they were fond of j using scientific names. Generally, they get the names right, hut in the wrong place. In accounting for the colours in the water they made some such mistakes. The green colouring they attributed to the presence of copper, whereas it was a vegetable colouring. Where the guides were controlled'by the Government this should not be. Tho Government should have a 1 thorough survey of the region made and written up. Then the guides who wished to explain things would be able to give the correct explanation. Rotorua at present was full of surprises. There were springs and boiling pools which one never heard of until one happened to find them. Speaking generally, the professor considered that the tourist resort was well managed. The arrangement of conveyances, and so on. was excellent. One way in which it differed from Yellowstone Park in this connection was that Yellowstone •was far away from settlement, so that the Government had no difficulty in taking possession of the whole of the land and controlling it. Buildings were erected only on such land as the Government chose to lease for the purpose, 'and no private person was allowed to become possessed of the c i"ht-seeing area. Thus, though the park was. on account its remoteness, rather expensive to visit, once one got there the whole place was free. Indians kent away from Yellowstone, it was too weird for them ; butat Rotorua the nal'ves lived all round the thermal region. Thus the lane? was not all under the Government. Some of the principal sights were on private land, and an admission fee was charged. This was rather irritatw to the tourist. Professor Iddings wondered that the Government did not acouire the whole area and throw it open to the public under proper surveillance.