CHAP. XXIII.] OF THE DISTRICT. 325 



papa presented a very wild scene. The river, here 

 about forty yards broad, lost itself in successive falls 

 in a deep fissure which it had corroded out of the 

 soft rock. The country now became more desert ; 

 as the level land, consisting of the same materials 

 as the hills, was as yet but little decomposed, and 

 nourished only a stunted vegetation of grass and 

 fern, and a plant of the family of the Composite. 



Near the river-courses the soil was better, and 

 bore a good many shrubs. Of animal life nothing 

 was visible, with the exception of the Cigale Ze- 

 landica, which filled the air with its chirping note, 

 and a brown ground-lark very common in New 

 Zealand. 1 We passed a number of deep holes in the 

 ground, apparently produced by the water infiltrat- 

 ing into the porous substance, and carrying off a 

 quantity of it by forming a subterraneous rivulet. 

 Here and there I found pieces of obsidian, and 

 everything proved that we were fast approaching a 

 great centre of volcanic action. We passed between 

 two isolated and very remarkable hills : that to our 

 left was called Titiraupena, and its top was shaped 

 like a lofty cupola : that to our right was Waka- 

 kahu ; it was rugged and broken. We were met 

 here by many natives, who had already heard of 

 our approach. We hailed their arrival with even 

 greater delight than they did ours, as for the last 

 two days we had been living on short rations : this 

 they had foreseen, and accordingly brought us seve- 

 1 Alauda Novie Zelandise, Gmel. 



