Carse. — Flora of the Mangonui County. 195 



spent a considerable time in the North Cape Peninsula, judging from the 

 account given in his ' Travels in New Zealand,' where Chapters 12 and 13 

 are devoted to the physical features and geology of the district. I cannot 

 learn that he made any botanical collections therein, but the chapters quoted 

 contain several interesting remarks upon the vegetation. In the summer 

 of 1865-66 the district was visited by Sir James Hector. . . . He 

 was accompanied by Mr. John Buchanan, who made a considerable collec- 

 tion of plants, which I believe was forwarded to Kew. He was the first 

 to detect Hymenanthera latifolia, and observed several other species not 

 previously recorded from that part of New Zealand. In April, 1867, Mr. 

 Kirk and the late Mr. Justice Gillies made a brief visit to the district be- 

 tween Parengarenga Harbour and Spirits Bay. Notwithstanding the late- 

 ness of the season, a few novelties were collected and much additional 

 information obtained. Some notes on this journey will be found in the 

 ' Transactions of the New Zealand Institute ' (vol. 1, p. 143). A hst of the 

 plants observed by Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Kirk is given in vol. 2 of the 

 same publication (pp. 239-46). So far as I am aware, these three papers 

 comprise all that has been pubHshed on the botany of the North Cape Pen- 

 insula."* 



In the Transactions for 1896 appears a paper " On the Flora of the North 

 Cape District " by Mr. Cheeseman, from which I have taken the foregoing 

 paragraph. Mr. Cheeseman in his paper mentions his earhest visit to the 

 district, in 1874, when he explored Doubtless Bay, Oruru Valley, Maunga- 

 taniwha, and a portion of the east coast. In 1889 Mr. Cheeseman again 

 paid a short visit to the district, followed in 1896 by a longer one. His 

 itinerary shows that on this occasion he passed from Mangonui to Awanui, 

 thence to Kaitaia and Ahipara, and thence coastwise northwards as far 

 as the North Cape. Considering the short time available, Mr. Cheeseman 

 was able to take note of a considerable number of plants. 



Since the time of Mr. Cheeseman's visits a fair number of botanical 

 discoveries have been made ; indeed, it would be surprising if during the 

 fourteen years that have elapsed a considerable amount of additional in- 

 formation as to the plant covering of the district had not been gained. As 

 a resident in the district, and a not unsuccessful observer of nature, I am 

 in a position to supply additional botanical information, partly from my 

 own observations and partly from those of my friends Messrs. R. H, and 

 H. B. Matthews and Mr. H. Bedggood. As a rule, however, these new 

 discoveries were made in parts which were not included in Mr. Cheeseman's 

 trip. 



It is not my intention to deal with the northern portion of the county, 

 but only with the lower part which lies south of a line through Mount Camel 

 and Cape Karakara.f This includes the southern portion of the North 

 Cape Peninsula. 



The lower section of Mangonui County has a broken coast-line on the 

 east and north, Doubtless Bay and Rangaunu Bay being the chief openings. 

 The west coast for many miles is unbroken until Ahipara Bay is reached. 

 Here the coast suddenly trends towards the west to Reef Point, more 

 generally known by the Native name of Tauroa. Here it turns south, then 

 south-east to the Herekino River, the south-western boundary of the county. 



* Cheeseman : " On the Flora of the North Cape District," Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 29, 

 p. 333. 



t This is really Cape Whakapouaka ; there is a stream called Karikari a few miles away. 



7* 



