Cheeseman. — On the Flora of the NortJi Cai^e District. 343 



of high water in Eangaunu Harbour. From that cause, and 

 from the difficulty of reaching a market, there is httle cultiva- 

 tion — probably far less than when Dieffenbach visited the dis- 

 trict in 1839. He speaks of extensive stretches of potatoes, of 

 maize "growing 10ft. or 12ft. high," and of "the fields of 

 yellow wheat bowing under the weight of the grain." At that 

 time the plain had a large Maori population, which had to be 

 supplied with food raised on the spot. 



Eecent heavy rains had raised the level of the water 

 in the swamps of the lower part of the plain, making it 

 impossible to examine their vegetation, as we had intended. 

 A cursory glance at the Awanui in the vicinity of the town- 

 ship showed few plants of interest. The banks were fringed 

 with Cordyline, Phormium, and Leptospermum ; Polygomim 

 minus and Isachne were plentiful in most places ; and in 

 quiet reaches Scirptis lacustris and Typha were abundant. 

 Cyperns huchanani and Kyllincja were of common occur- 

 rence, not only by the river, but by the smaller streams 

 and in the ditches by the roadside. About three miles above 

 the township the Awanui is fringed for more than a mile by 

 an extensive kahikatea forest ; but this we found impossible 

 to reach except by pulling up the river in a boat, an. expedi- 

 tion which would have taken too much time. The approach 

 to Kaitaia, the next stage in our journey, was most attractive 

 after our wanderings on the barren clay hills of Doubtless 

 Bay. Green fields and well-painted houses, the neat church 

 and parsonage, the winding river fringed with willows and 

 poplars, and in the background the forest- clad Takahue 

 Kange, together formed a pretty and picturesque scene, well 

 calculated to make the traveller linger on his way. But the 

 time at our disposal was limited, and the district was almost, 

 if not altogether, beyond the limits selected for examination. 

 We therefore passed on in the direction of Ahipara, paying a 

 short visit to Lake Tongonge on the way. 



Lake Tongonge is the largest of a chain of lakes situated 

 on the western side of the Awanui Eiver, almost fringing the 

 coast-line of sandhills. It is about three miles in length by 

 perhaps half that width, but is surrounded by a much larger 

 area of raupo swamps, most of which are filled with water 

 during the greater part of the year. After some difficulty we 

 succeeded in finding a practicable track to the margin of 

 the lake ; but the absence of a boat and the flooded state of 

 the swamps, prevented us from making a satisfactory examina- 

 tion. I particularly regret not being able to examine the 

 bottom of the lake for Isoetes and other submerged plants. 

 The vegetation in the portion of the swamp passed through 

 consisted mainly of Typha and Cladium artiadatum ; but 

 Eleocharis sphacelata, Polygonum minus, Isachne australis, 



