6 JOURNAL OF A NATURALIST 
near the shore, a small shrubby plant (1) with fleshy leaves 
and erect succulent stems; which, though not yet in flower, + 
I supposed, from its 2-celled capsule, &c., to be a species of 
Euphrasia, probably E. cuneata, Forst.; that species having 
been found in similar situations a little further south, by Sir 
Jos. Banks, in 1769. 
The next morning I proceeded on towards Te Kawakawa, 
a village on the sea-shore, about six miles distant. In my 
way thither I found, growing in sheltered spots among the 
sand-hills, a pretty little decumbent compositaceous species (2) 
which was quite new to me. Ascending a high hill, and 
gaining its summit, I observed a graceful-flowered plant 
growing secluded among the tangled brakes of Pteris escu- 
lenta; at first sight I hoped it might prove Forstera sedi- 
folia; but, on procuring specimens, I found it to be a 
Lobelia (3), probably L. littoralis, R. Cunn. At Te Kawa- 
kawa l remained a day or two, much, however, too busily 
engaged with the natives to move out in quest of botanical 
specimens. From the cliffs in the immediate neighbourhood 
I gained several marine fossils; these are chiefly imbedded in 
indurated clay and conglomerate. During my stay at this 
place, one of the heaviest hail showers fell that I ever wit- 
nessed. The hail was large and rhomboidal, the one half 
(laterally) of each stone was composed of clear, and the other 
half of clouded, ice. The oldest natives speak of only re- 
membering one such shower. 
25th.— Leaving Te Kawakawa and travelling by the sea- 
side, we passed several of the Taro plantations of these 
natives, (Caladium esculentum, Vent.). These plantations were 
in nice condition, and looked very neat, the plants being 
planted in Quincunx order and the ground strewed with 
white sand, to which the large pendulous dark green and 
shield-shaped leaves of the young plants formed a beautiful 
contrast: small screens, composed of the young branches of 
Leptospermum scoparium, intersected the grounds in every 
direction to shelter the young plants from the violence of the 
N. and E. winds. The visitor to this locality, travelling along 
