306 WAINGAROA HARBOUR. [PART II. 



o'clock. Several small vessels from Sydney, of about 

 sixty tons burden, visit this harbour regularly for 

 the purpose of trading in salt pork and flax, which 

 are obtained from a few Europeans who have settled 

 here. 



Two rivers empty themselves into the harbour, 

 of which the smaller one comes from the north- 

 ward, and is called Waingaroa. The larger one 

 comes from the eastward, and is called Wai-te-Tuna : 

 it has a channel for boats ; and from the point at 

 which, on account of falls, it becomes impassable for 

 boats or canoes, an easy walk of four hours leads to 

 the banks of the river Waipa. 



The coast-hills between Waikato and Waingaroa, 

 which I have described in the course of my journey, 

 separate the waters of the Waipa and those which 

 rise in the hills and run to the west coast. These 

 hills have an easy slope, both towards the plains of 

 the Waipa and towards the sea-coast. They are 

 lowest at the Wai-te-Tuna, where the common na- 

 tive road- is, and here a communication with the 

 interior is most easily established. Thus the har- 

 bour of Waingaroa offers many advantages for a 

 settlement, especially as the land in its immediate 

 vicinity is most excellent, both forest and agricultu- 

 ral. Nevertheless the purchases of the Europeans 

 have not been so extensive here as in other parts of 

 the island. 



The missionaries have a bridle-road, cut by the 

 natives, for about six miles towards the harbour of 



