178 Voyage of the Novara. 



tutes nearly the whole of the northern island, while pursuing 

 my researches for the most part upon a definite plan. 



" Dm^ing the first two months, January and February, 

 Auckland was my head-quarters, as the season was not yet 

 suitable for pedestrian excursions in the interior. The heat 

 during the summer months is so great, and the annoyance 

 caused by the mosquitoes, who during those months frequent 

 the forest in millions, is so intolerable, that travelling be- 

 comes all but impracticalile. Neither of these drawbacks 

 exists to any great degree in the vicinity of Auckland. The 

 fresh sea-breezes, which continually blow across the isthmus, 

 temper the summer heats, and the environs being cleared of 

 forest are but little infested by those blood-thirsty insects. 



" I accordingly applied myself next to those works which 

 during the stay of the Novara had been set on foot by myself 

 among the , brown-coal-fields near the capital, and adjoining 

 the remarkable volcanic formations of Auckland, with the 

 view of getting some definite result, in order that I might 

 provide for myself a detailed geological sketch of the volcanic 

 district, since even the portion in close vicinity to the capital, 

 notwithstanding the previous labours of my friend Mr. 

 Heaphy, was, so far as regarded geological formation, as 

 much a teira incognita as the interior itself. 



'' The basis of such a geological chart of the Auckland 

 district was conveniently supplied by some topographical 

 plottings on the scale of one inch to tlie mile, with which I 

 was provided by the Smweyor-general's office. Unfortun- 



