ESTUARY OF THE KERI-KERI. 91 



Much rain had lately fallen^ and many of the 

 paths were partially converted into water-courses. 

 I walked across to a neighbouring- bay, and emplo3Td 

 myself in searching* for shells in the mud at low 

 water. Some bivalves, common there— various Cy- 

 there(B and Mesodesma CJiemnitzii-- constitute an 

 important article of food to the natives, who knew 

 them by the name of pipi. A marshy place, at the 

 mouth of a small stream, was tenanted by a curious 

 wrinkled univalve, with a notch on the outer lip, 

 Amjjhihola avellana of conchologists. 



May 18th. — I joined a party made up to visit the 

 falls of the Keri-Keri river, and we started, after an 

 early breakfast, in one of the ship's boats. The 

 morning" was dull and rainy, and we had occasional 

 showers during* the forenoon. In an hour after 

 leaving* the ship we entered the estuary of the river, 

 a larg-e arm of the sea, which we followed for several 

 miles. The scenery reminded me of that of some of 

 the sea lochs on the west coast of Scotland, and al- 

 thoug'h fern was here substituted for heath, the 

 " Scotch mist" was perfectly represented at the an- 

 tipodes. The country is scantily wooded, and the 

 muddy shores are occasionally fring-ed with a small 

 mang*rove (Avicennia tomentosa). Here and there 

 were a few settlers' houses, with the accompanying* 

 signs of cultivation. One of the small islands, and 

 also a hill top on the northern shore, had an artificial 

 appearance, their summits being* levelled and the 



