312 EXTENSIVE VIEW OF THE [PART II. 



to cut down any portion of it, the whole having 

 been set apart for general use. We ourselves pitched 

 our tent, but it rained so violently during this and 

 the following day, that everything got wet. In the 

 night flashes of lightning threatened every moment 

 to strike the trees around us, and the thunder re- 

 sounded majestically from the surrounding hills. 

 During the night we heard the shrill monotonous 

 voice of the weka, or Rallus australis. This bird, 

 which has become very scarce, on account of its 

 being destroyed by the wild dogs and cats, lives in 

 the darkest recesses of the forest, where the soil has 

 become saturated with water, and muddy, and where 

 it finds the insects which, together with seeds, serve 

 for its food. I kept one for some time, feeding it on 

 potatoes and cockroaches, of which insect it was 

 very fond. The natives catch it in snares, or decoy 

 it by imitating its voice. 



On the 23rd we continued to ascend the hilly and 

 wooded ridge which separates the Waipa from the 

 sea-coast. From an open spot I had a view of 

 Kawia and Aotea. Albatross Point bore S. 55 W. ; 

 the south head of Kawia S, 50 W. ; Maunga-Tau- 

 tari, a volcanic ridge in the interior, N. 65 E. 

 Higher up the hills become very rocky and steep : 

 the formation of basaltic and augitic rock continues. 

 In some places the hills are only covered with scanty 

 and stunted trees. When we reached the top an 

 extensive view opened before us : the broad and open 

 valley of the Waipa stretched out towards the north- 



