Colenso. — On Waikaremoana District. 373 



banks of this river I also obtained specimens of a fine arbores- 

 cent fern, Dichsonia fibrosa, Col., which attains the height of 

 18ft. : its caudex is very bulky, and is composed of thick 

 layers of fibres, resembling at first sight the fibrous interior 

 of' the husk of a cocoanut. The trunks of the larger ones 

 were grotesquely hewn by the natives into all manner of un- 

 common shapes, in their cutting away their fibrous outside 

 for the purposes of planks for their houses and stores, it 

 being more easily worked than wood, and forming a better 

 defence against rats. In this locality I also found a species of 

 Myrtus* a small slender tree bearing orange-coloured juicy 

 berries, growing to the height of 10ft.— 15ft. The natives spread 

 their broad dress mats on the ground under these trees, and, 

 shaking them, soon procure a quantity of fruit, which is very 

 good eating ; they call the tree rohutu ; each berry generally 

 contains three hard reniform seeds. Towards evening we 

 emerged from the dense forests in which we had for some 

 days been confined and toiling, to a large plain covered with 

 the common fern, the first fern we have seen for several days. 

 My natives rejoiced at the sight, vociferating loudly their 

 being privileged to see a "koraha maori " (indigenous fern- 

 land, open country) again. Their uncontrolled joy forcibly 

 reminded me of the rejoicing of the " ten thousand" Greeks 

 on their again seeing the sea. We halted this evening at Te 

 Waiiti, a fenced village situated on the banks of the river at 

 the end of the plain. This stream is here large enough to 

 float a moderate-sized boat ; its bed is composed of ashes and 

 other volcanic substances worn into rounded pebbles, which, 

 though originally very light, were now saturated with water, 

 and heavy. 



The next morning we resumed our journey. Passing 

 through a low wood we toiled up the barren, steep, and lofty 

 hills before us. These hills are composed of broken pumice 

 and ashes. The sun w T as intensely hot, and the pathways or 

 tracks, in several places worn into deep and hollow ruts, were 

 extremely dry and dusty, our feet, and even our ankles, being 

 often buried in the loose and broken pumice through which 

 we had to travel, rendering it very unpleasant, and even pain- 

 ful to my native companions with their naked feet. Gaining 

 the summit of the highest hill, the view was most extensive 

 and striking. Immediately beneath meandered the Eiver 

 Whirinaki, a bold brawling stream flowing quickly over its 

 stony bed, and possessing w T ater sufficient to float a moderate- 

 sized boat. Beyond arose barren hills of all possible irregular 

 shapes and heights ; further still an extensive plain extended 

 east and west as far as the eye could reach ; beyond it a chain 



* M. pedtmculata, Hook. f. 



