Colenso. — On Waikaremoaita District. 365 



'3 p.m., many times halting by the way. Having roasted a 

 few potatoes, on which we dined, I endeavoured to cheer my 

 -companions in travel, but to little purpose.* Eecommencing, 

 however, our journey, we continued our march, through want 

 of water, until long after sunset. Fortunately, I succeeded in 

 finding some, by the side of which, in the open wilderness, 

 we bivouacked, all too fatigued to care much about any- 

 thing save rest. Gained nothing new in botany in the whole 

 of this melting day's horrid march — fern, fern, nothing but 

 dry, dusty fern all around. A river, the bed of which we 

 descended into and crossed, ran at the depth of from 30ft. to 

 80ft. below the surface of the soil on either side; a coarse 

 slate and thinly-stratified sandstone formed its bed. 



The next morning, at a very early hour, we arose, and, 

 with stiff and unwilling limbs, proceeded onwards. Want of 

 food in great measure impelled us forward, as we had yester- 

 day been led to suppose that we should reach the next village 

 by night. After three long hours spent in active exertion we 

 reached Whataroa, a small village, where we were heartily 

 welcomed. Having breakfasted and rested awhile, we left this 

 •place, and continued our march, which, as yesterday, lay over 

 high hills, which rose in perpetual succession before us — 

 appearing as if they were without valleys between. The 

 country, as w T e progressed into the interior, became more and 

 more barren. A scanty vegetation of stunted Ptcris esculcnta, 

 Leptospermum scoparium, Leucopogon fraseri, and such plants, 

 alone existed on these dry and sterile spots, save where, in 

 the deep precipitous glens between the hills, a clump of wood 

 was to be found, showing their heads of foliage here and there 

 above the level of the flat lands around like oases in the 

 •desert. The soil was dry and dusty, and principally composed 

 of broken pumice. Towards evening, from the crest of one 

 very high hill, I had, in looking back, a splendid though 

 distant prospect of Hawke's Bay, and the high and rugged 

 land bounding the same. My native guides assured me that 

 no person could keep his footing on this elevated spot when 

 the south wind blows — an assertion which the denuded and 

 bare aspect of the place, together with the very stunted and 

 gnarled appearance of the few trees and shrubs about it, 

 seemed fully to corroborate. Bivouacked again for the night 

 at Whakamarino, a little village on the banks of a small 

 river. 



* Here I may mention what I have not unfrequcntly noticed — the 

 great difference between Maoris from the coast and those of the interior 

 when travelling together in the liilly forests; and this also obtains (vice 

 verso) when the inland mountaineer Maoris have to travel over long, fiat, 

 sandy beaches. In the olden time no Maori ever went far from his home, 

 save on special occasions, and then in a body. 



