Cheeseman. — On the Flora of the North Cape District. 351 



native school, and schoolmaster's house. There is some fairly 

 good land by the side of the stream, the Maoris cultivating 

 kumaras, maize, potatoes, and melons. ChenGpodiuvi ambro- 

 sioides was plentiful about the whares, and Hibiscus trionum 

 was noticed growing as a weed in the cultivations. At Te Kao 

 the geological structure of the country changed. "We had left 

 behind the consolidated sands, and had entered upon a vol- 

 canic conglomerate of Middle Tertiary age. The soil was red 

 and friable, and loaded wuth pebbles of ironstone ; and, 

 although by no means fertile, was not so excessively barren as 

 that over which we had travelled during the morning. After 

 leaving the settlement the road became much more hilly. On 

 our right we passed several lakes, some of which were 

 examined for water-plants, but without finding anything of 

 special importance. To the left the gullies contained small 

 patches of bush, mainly composed of puriri, Knightia, Dysoxy- 

 lum, Corynocarinis, Cordyline, Cyathea viedullaris, and G. 

 dealbata. Crossing a tongue of the drifting sands from the 

 western coast, the road followed the watershed between two 

 of the main branches of Parengarenga Harbour, passing over 

 open "gum" country with a very monotonous vegetation. 

 Pomaderris edgerleyi was of common occurrence, but hardly 

 any other plant of importance was noticed. Mr. Yates's 

 station at Te Paua, on the shore of Parengarenga Harbour, 

 was reached a little before dark. 



Parengarenga Harbour is a large and, in many respects, a 

 remarkable inlet. The entrance is narrow, being barely more 

 than half a mile in width. The northern head is formed by a 

 bold bluff of volcanic conglomerate ; the south head is a spit 

 of dazzling white sand, which stretches away for miles, form- 

 ing the shore of what is called Great Exhibition Bay. "When 

 the entrance is fairly passed the harbour spreads on all sides 

 like the fingers of an outstretched hand. One broad arm runs 

 due southwards in the direction of Te Kao, and is only sepa- 

 rated from the sea by the spit of sand just mentioned. Another 

 takes a northern course, reaching within two miles of Spirits 

 Bay. Two more run respectively west and north-west, both 

 of them penetrating to within a short distance of the western 

 coast. All the branches are shallow ; and at low water a 

 great portion of the harbour is laid bare in the shape of ex- 

 tensive mud-flats. The adjacent country is composed of low 

 undulating clay hills. It is quite bare of forest, and the 

 vegetation is nowhere luxuriant ; in most places it could be 

 correctly described as sparse and scanty. The geological 

 structure is interesting, mainly on account of the great variety 

 of formations represented in a comparatively small area. It 

 would take up too much space to describe it in detail here ;. 

 nor is this necessary, seeing that full particulars are given in 



