IN NEW ZEALAND. 61 
examination (256). Travelling on by the rocky coast, a little 
water-course which ran on the beach, afforded a small plant, 
perhaps a species of Chara (257); and on the sand near by, 
a Chenopodium (258), the only plants of which I took speci- 
mens. It was now past noon; the day was very sultry, and 
I, having recommenced my journey this morning long before 
sunrise, was tired, wet, and hungry, in a desolate and wild 
place, when Irealized a conviction which had been for 
the last hour gaining ground in my mind, that I was alone. 
I retraced my steps to the sand-hills, and sought about, and 
shouted repeatedly, but all in vain; nought but the loud dash 
of the billow, as it broke on the lonely strand, with now and 
then a melancholy wail of the sandpiper, burst on my ex- 
pectant ear. My natives somehow had strayed into another 
direction or lagged behind, so that I saw nothing more of 
them until after sunset on Tuesday the 15th, when they 
joined me on the outer beach of Wangarei Bay. During 
these two days I managed to subsist on some shell-fish from 
the rocks, the scanty sarcocarp of the fruit of the Coryno- 
carpus levigatus, Forst. (the large kernel of this fruit being 
in its raw state an active poison) and the inner young leaves 
of Areca sapida, Sol.; this latter plant affords good eating, 
a bonne bouche to any one in my situation. My natives were 
exceedingly happy the next night on finding that I was safe, 
as they knew not what had become of me. To their honour 
I would relate, that though they were bearers of provisions, 
yet they would not touch a morsel during the two days 
we were separated from each other, knowing that I was with- 
out food; saying, “ What! shall we eat while our father is 
starving?” Like myself, they had subsisted on the shell-fish 
and the fruit before mentioned. 
The remainder of my journey is briefly told. On the 
morning of the 16th we travelled on to Te Ruakaka, a village 
a few miles from the south shore of Wangarei Bay ; where we 
were hospitably received, and made a hearty breakfast. 
Hence we crossed Wangarei Bay in a small canoe, running 
no little risk in so doing. Proceeding thence by the line of 
