CHAP. III.] THE ERITONGA. 83 



acute angle to the south-west, and at others stand 

 nearly perpendicular. The general breadth of the 

 river had not diminished, but in many places it was 

 very shallow. 



In the afternoon we halted at a place where two 

 streams joined to form the Eritonga, one coming 

 from north by west, the other from east by north. 

 At their junction they appeared to me to be of the 

 same size, but as we advanced I convinced myself 

 that the branch from the eastward formed the 

 principal source. 



During the 5th we had heavy showers of rain, 

 hail, and snow ; the river was swollen and could 

 not be forded. We were, therefore, obliged to halt 

 a day, and on the 6th we followed the left stream, 

 where some flat land extended towards the hills. 

 Finding that this did not extend far, and that the 

 hills again descended close to the river's edge, I 

 ascended one of them with Messrs. Deans and Eck- 

 ford, to obtain a view of the surrounding country ; 

 but on reaching the summit, through supplejack 

 and underwood, we had the mortification to find 

 that trees obstructed the view in every direction. 

 It moreover began to rain, and a thick fog enveloped 

 everything in darkness. 



On the weather's clearing up somewhat, we 

 climbed to the top of a tree, and thence obtained 

 a view of the snow-covered hills of the Tararua ; 

 that which appeared the highest, and for which I 

 resolved to steer, bore north-east. When we came 



G 2 



