114 MUTTON BIRDS 



CHAPTER XIV. 



FERN BIRDS OF RAKIAHUA AND 

 MASON BAY. 



I HE illustration facing page 117 shows 

 the Rakiahua whares, one of them 

 still sound and safe, the other propped 

 by poles, canted to the east, and 

 leaning like the tower of Pisa. It 

 was the former in which we slept and 

 ate. The latter was the dark room. 

 These buildings had been put up years 

 before, when an attempt had been made 

 to grow wool and mutton on barren sands and 

 saturated peat. On all the exterior woodwork of 

 both lay the grey of lichen stain, whilst portions 

 of the boarding nourished a bearded growth, 

 such as is to be found in the forest itself. 



As I write, every detail comes back; and 

 although imagination cannot always fondly 

 'stoop to trace the parlour splendours of that 

 festive place,' I can see the door with its very 

 doubtful lower hinge, the great fireplace at the 

 far end of the hut, the huge ingle nook, piled up 

 with new-hewn manuka faggots, the open 

 chimney, down which the sooty hail leaped as if 

 to escape the fire. Everywhere spreading stains 

 of damp marked the rough weatherboarding of 

 the walls, and from each rusty nail had run a 



