Page:Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute - Volume 1 (2nd ed.).djvu/513

Rh "Note.—The quantity of water furnished was far too small to admit of a complete quantitative analysis—

"Forwarded for Mr. Gillies' information. 2em "New Zealand Geological Survey Laboratory,

"24th September, 1868."

Mr. Gillies, referring to the water taken from the neighbourhood of Wangape, said the spring was so hot that eggs could be boiled in it.

Captain Hutton gave a description of the spring in question. It was about four miles from Lake Wangape, in the Waikato. There were several hot springs close together, but this was the largest of them, being about fifteen yards long by five yards broad, and it was very deep. The water was so hot that it was impossible to bear the hand in it for more than a second; and on one occasion when he was in company with others in the neighbourhood of this spring, having caught a pig for dinner, they fastened it with flax and threw it into the spring, and on taking it out it was perfectly scalded, and they had no difficulty in scraping the hair off. The temperature of the spring was from 160° to 200° at the very least. The water itself was almost tasteless; he had drunk it himself. He thought it was the chloride of sodium which gave it the reaction referred to. What its effects would be as a mineral spring he could not say; but it was easy of access, was very prettily situated, and was not above fifty miles from Auckland, and he trusted that some day it would be called into use.

Mr. Gillies said, with regard to the hot springs at Waiwera, when he was there last year he took samples of water from the three springs and forwarded them for analysis. The coolest of the springs ranged from 110° upwards. He believed that many of our Auckland residents had derived much good from bathing in these springs for the purpose of curing rheumatism.

Mr. Whitaker said that a most remarkable circumstance had come to his notice, which he thought, now that the subject of water was under discussion, was well worthy of being mentioned. Close to the Kurunui there was another claim called the "Long Drive," from which came a small stream of water, which was used by the Kurunui Company to work their machine. To this machine there were two batteries, one of which was worked by the water he had mentioned, and the other by water which came from the hill above, by the Kurunui Creek. It was found that the battery worked by the water coming from the creek always produced more gold than the one worked