CHAP. VI.] WANGANUI RIVER. 129 



At a little distance from the sea-shore is an exten- 

 sive flat covered with flax and fern ; farther up the 

 banks become higher, and form cliffs consisting of 

 a blue clay, with fossils, which, from all I have 

 seen, I should judge to belong to the newest tertiary 

 epoch. About thirty miles from the mouth the 

 river is enclosed between the neighbouring hills, 

 which are well wooded, and run towards the Ton- 

 gariro. Near the latter, however, the country is 

 again more open and flat, although much broken ; 

 and the soil consists of pumicestone and tufa, as I 

 shall hereafter describe when speaking of the in- 

 terior. 



A large tribe of natives live near the Wanganui, 

 and possess several pas up the river. A station of 

 the Church Missionary Society is now established 

 amongst them, and the missionaries have succeeded 

 in making several converts, but were unable to pre- 

 vent two sanguinary battles which lately took 

 place between this tribe and the natives from Taupo 

 Lake. These latter are able to descend the Wan- 

 ganui to Cook's Straits in their canoes from within 

 a short distance of its source. 



We landed E Kuru ; and although we were un- 

 able to enter the river, the possession of the district 

 was secured for the New Zealand Company, having 

 been obtained during our stay at Kapiti, wherfc the 

 principal chiefs of Wanganui, who were then pre- 

 sent at Waikanahi, had made the land " tapu " for 

 the Company, on receiving some presents. 



VOL. i. K 



