368 Transactions. — Botany-. 



wind to lessen, I had got together several small canoes, with 

 their paddlers and balers, to take me and my party across; the 

 largest ones would just carry four persons, two to paddle if 

 calm, but only one to paddle and one to bale if breezy. The 

 others only carried three ; so that with our baggage it was really 

 a difficult matter safely to arrange the little flotilla. Early on 

 the morning of the 29th, the wind lessening, we hazarded a 

 passage, and crossed in safety to the opposite side. I, in the 

 biggest canoe, with two natives to paddle and one to bale, was 

 obliged to kneel or squat in the centre of the canoe, and of 

 Course in water, which came constantly into the frail bark, 

 with my hands one on each gunwale and in the water of tbe 

 lake during the whole passage. The " ever-changing" wood- 

 land scenery appeared most lovely, as we, in our tiny canoes, 

 wound round the bases of these everlasting hills. Wherever 

 we could we kept close to them, so as to have them to swim to 

 if upset. Here for the first time, far away from the immediate 

 sea-coast, I noticed the littoral species of Metrcsideros* pohu- 

 fcukawa of the natives. It grew also in similar rocky situa- 

 tions close to the water's edge, and after the same irregular 

 and diffuse manner. Parasitical on its branches, in great 

 abundance, flourished a fine Lorantlius,\ gorgeously displaying 

 its profusion of scarlet blossoms. I could not pass by this 

 without securing some, although my three canoe-men were 

 very averse to their stopping and to my landing for such a pur- 

 pose. We ran our canoes on shore on a little beach at the 

 margin of the forest, where the trees overhung the water; 

 and soon a lot of natives who lived near by came about us, 

 and at their pressing request I consented to spend the 

 remainder of that day and night with them. At intervals 

 during the day I obtained several botanical prizes and novel- 

 ties, among them some Hymcnophylke, which here, in these 

 ever-humid umbrageous undisturbed solitudes, flourished in 

 full beauty, and with them some fine specimens of that hand- 

 some tree Ixerba brexioides, A. Cunn., which, rare at the north 

 (where he originally detected it), was here the common tree of 

 these forests, and at this season abounding in flowers : indeed, 

 from its noble appearance, with much larger leaves, I at first 

 supposed it would prove to be a second species. 



The next morning (30th) I resumed my journey, after 

 experiencing no little difficulty in obtaining a guide over the 

 mountains, in which service I had to enlist all my suasory 

 powers. This point settled, we commenced ascending from 

 the shores of the lake, passing through dense forests, chiefly 

 composed of fine trees of Podocarjms, Fagus, and Ixerba. 



* M. tomentosa, A. Cunn. 

 t L. colensoi, Hook. fil. 



