CHAP. VIII.] INTERVIEW WITH NATIVES. 167 



From this point the sea-shore becomes elevated ; the 

 cliffs consisting of a stiff blue clay, with a formation 

 of yellow loam above it. We travelled, for the 

 greater part of our route, over fertile fern-hills, with 

 beautiful groves of trees. The vegetation continued 

 down to the water's edge. 



We passed the rivers Oneiro and Urenui; the 

 latter flowed with a sluggish stream through a deep 

 bed of white mud. After we had crossed this river 

 we heard voices at a distance, and soon came up 

 with a European, who had been sent by the Wes- 

 leyan Missionary in Kawia, and was travelling for 

 missionary objects to the southward. With him was 

 a large party of Waikato natives, and also men, 

 women, and children belonging to the tribe of the 

 Nga-te-awa at the Sugarloaf Islands. They had 

 been taken slaves in the last war, and had been 

 obliged to live at Kawia ; but now their masters 

 had allowed them to go to Taranaki, for the pur- 

 pose of paying a visit. They saluted us very heartily, 

 rubbing noses and shaking hands ; and an old 

 woman soon began a lamentation over me. I found 

 out that she was the mother of Barret's wife. The 

 undisguised joy and sorrow which she expressed 

 when I told her of the fortunes or trials of her 

 daughter and grandchildren showed me once more 

 how equally Nature has distributed amongst the 

 whole of the human family the kindly affections of 

 the heart, which are not the privilege of any one 



