490 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



dwelling isolated on the upper banks of the Eangitikei River, 

 near the western flank of the Ruahine Eange. I had tried to 

 get to them in 1845, through direct crossing over the range by 

 its eastern side, and, though I had succeeded with some diffi- 

 culty in gaining the western summits, I was obliged to give 

 it up. 



I left Ahuriri on the 9th February, and after a long and 

 weary circuitous kind of march — rendered the more trying 

 from there being no roads, and without a guide, and from our 

 not being able to obtain a supply of Maori food (as potatoes) on 

 the way, it being too early in the season — we arrived at the 

 village of Eotoaira, near Tougariro, on the 18th February ; 

 were well received by the Natives, and there we stayed that 

 night. 



As this was the last southern village of the Taupo country 

 I endeavoured to get a guide hence to the Patea district, and 

 only after great difficulty succeeded, as the country over 

 which our course lay was rugged and difficult, and there was 

 no regular track hence to the Patea villages ; only once a year 

 — or in two or even three years — did a small party of Maoris 

 visit Taupo from Patea ; rarely if ever did any go from Taupo 

 to Patea. 



Nothing is more surprising to me among the many and 

 great changes which have been effected in this country during 

 the last fifty or fifty-five years than this of common fearless 

 communication between the Maori villages and tribes, which 

 formerly did not exist — not even between what are now con- 

 sidered (even by the natives themselves) as neighbouring 

 villages. I could not, however, help fearing that, just as on 

 former occasions so now, our " guide " would prove to be of 

 little real service. 



" 19th. — "We rose early and crossed the head of one of the 

 main branches of the Waikato Eiver (which is the outlet of 

 Eotoaira Lake) at 5.30. Winding round the immediate base 

 of Tongariro Mountain, over undulating ground, we halted at 

 7.30 to breakfast by the side of a mountain-stream of very 

 cold and pure water, which ran bounding and sparkling in the 

 sun among the rocks. Breakfast over we recommenced our 

 journey, and travelled steadily on. During the former part of 

 this day I met with several botanical novelties — e.g., a very 

 handsome full-flowered Cyathodes (C colensoi, Hook.), a low 

 bushy shrub of depressed growth, some plants bearing white 

 and some red berries in profusion : this will become a garden 

 flower. The abnormal prostrate species of pines iDacnjdium 

 laxifolium and Podocarpus nivalis) were also here, in many 

 places completely matting the surface ; also, two or three 

 species (or varieties) of GauWieria — one, in particular, bearing 

 plenty of good edible fruit. Another was very curious, and in- 



