156 Voyage of the Novara. 



we made here, crowds of well-dressed inhabitants came flock- 

 ing in to welcome the German guests of the Government, who 

 were to develope the natural wealth of the country. From 

 Otahuha the road lay across the plains of Papa Kura (red 

 levels) to Tamaki. It is a wide paved road well ballasted, 

 the bridges solidly built, everything, in short, betokening the 

 fostering care of an enlightened Government, making it a 

 point of duty to open up as speedily as possible convenient 

 means of communication between the capital and the interior. 

 The farms and country-houses were not so numerous in this 

 section, though the rolling country seemed of excellent 

 quality. 



" At last, about 1 p. m., we reached Drury, a rather large 

 settlement 29 miles from Auckland, where we were most 

 cordially welcomed. Young's Hotel, which had been en- 

 gaged for the Expedition, was gaily decorated with flowers, 

 rare forest plants, and ferns, while from the gable floated side 

 by side the British and Austrian standards. 



'' Drury is situate in a fertile rolling plain, the country is 

 everywhere fenced in, corn-fields and meadows give variety 

 to the landscape, and the well-to-do, fresh-looking counte- 

 nances of the settlers, the groups of rosy-cheeked children, 

 and the herds of splendid cattle, amply attest the salubrity 

 as well as fertility of the neighbourhood. The party now 

 split into two. Our geologist, with several companions, went 

 forward about a mile and half from Drury into the forest, 



