CHAP. VI.] COOK'S STRAITS. 125 



The outward shape of these mountains is very 

 uniform ; they have everywhere the same longi- 

 tudinal ridges, with narrow crests, here and there 

 rising to a somewhat higher summit. The woody 

 region reaches nearly to the top, and in many cases 

 they are entirely covered by forest. At their sides 

 these hills send off ramifications, which form ra- 

 vines rather than valleys, from which small streams 

 flow to the sea-coast. These mountains thus form 

 a good geographical division, as from them on one 

 side the waters run into Cook's Straits, from Port 

 Nicholson to Cape Egmont, and on the other side 

 to the east coast, into Hawke's Bay, or into the 

 lake Taupo. The course of these rivers is short, 

 rising as they do not far from the sea-coast ; and 

 from their flowing between hills, which gjive them 

 many tributaries, the violent rains often swell them 

 suddenly, and the streamlet becomes a mountain- 

 torrent. It then overflows the low alluvial land 

 forming its banks, and carries with it the stems of 

 large trees, especially pines, which either remain 

 fixed in its bed, or are buried near the sea-coast 

 when driven back and left dry by the tide. I con- 

 sequently found a great deal of drift-wood at all 

 the rivers, the quantity bearing little proportion to 

 the size of the streams. Of these rivers may be 

 mentioned the Waikanahi, the Wainiea, the Malm, 

 the Wai-e-rongo-mai, the Waikewa, the Ohou, the 

 Waiwiri, the Orewenua, and the Wai-te-rawm, 

 which we passed in rapid succession. At the Wai- 



