494 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



receives me from the rain; forlorn on the hill of winds' — 

 (' Songs of Selma') — their suitability being so much the more 

 increased through the superstitious talk and fears of some 

 of my natives, who insisted on it that the sounds they heard 

 between the fitful ravings of the blast among the trees were 

 not merely those of the trees creaking, and of the denizens of 

 the forest — parrots, owls, and wood-hens— but of the justly 

 iva>te patupaiarehe (wood-nymphs or fairies), or of the ghosts 

 •of the dead — just, indeed, as Ossian has it; and Schiller 

 laments in ' Wallenstein,' — 



"Alas ! the old fabled existences are uo more ; 

 The fascinating race has emigrated.* 



" 21st (Sunday). — Another wet and uncomfortable day. 

 The wind, however, had lessened a little, and we could man- 

 age to make up a fire, which w^e could not do yesterday. Not 

 really knowing how far we were from help, I could only allow 

 two teacups of rice for all my natives (six in uumberj for 

 breakfast, and two also for dinner ; and for supper one cup of 

 rice was all that could be spared, which, with a few scraps of 

 bacon fat and a little salt, made a mess of pottage ! At con- 

 sultation this evening we agreed to start early this morning. 

 I privately requested Paoraf and two other of my natives 

 from Hawke's Bay whom I could trust to keep a good watch 

 over our Taupo guide during the night, lest he should give us 

 the slip, a trick I had been served more than once in former 

 travelling. Indeed, to prevent this on this occasion I had 

 determined, if needs be, to bind him till morning. 



" 22nd. — Up early this morning, and left our wretched 

 encampment at 6 o'clock. The frost was heavy, and it was 

 bitterly cold, insomuch that we could scarcely fold up the 

 tent. Unfortunately, however, the ice on the many pools and 

 streamlets we had to cross after gaining the brow of our hill 

 was not thick enough to bear one's weight, and so we were 

 obliged to go through it. Crash ! souse into the cold water, 

 of which my poor companions with their naked feet loudly 

 complained. Here, in one of these watery hollows, and partly 

 submerged, grew a little shrubby plant which I had not before 

 seen, and never again found. It proved to be a new species 

 of Logania (L. dejiressa). It cost me a good wetting and cold 

 shivering to get specimens. It was nearly 9.30 before we 

 halted to breakfast, which we did on the banks of the Eiver 



* Die alten Fabelwesen sind nicht mehr. 

 Das reizende Geschlecht ist ausgewandert. 



Schiller : " Wallenstein." 

 t This man (Paul), then one of my baggage-bearers, a fine, tall, 

 stalwart, and uscfnl Christian native, is the same as Paora Kaiwhata, a 

 chief of note, well known to Hawke's Bay settlers, who died a few months 

 ago. 



