348 MR. BIDWILL'S ASCENT [PART n. 



insignificant. The mean of four days gave for the 

 barometer 28A inches ; thermometer about 56. 



" March 2, 1839. Several of my natives being 

 unwell, I left them behind till my return, and started 

 for Tongariro with only two of the lads I brought 

 from Tauranga. Peter went with me, and several 

 people from Rotu-Aire. As usual, the men carried 

 the children, and the women the potatoes, &c. The 

 procession was closed by one or two pigs, which, 

 from the opposition they made to the efforts of their 

 drivers, seemed to have as great a dread of Tonga- 

 riro as the Mauris themselves. The road led over 

 a tolerably level country covered with grass of many 

 different kinds ; the most common was a large wiry 

 one, which I should not think good for cattle. 

 There were, however, many which would be well 

 worth cultivating. I have sent specimens and seeds 

 of most of them to England, where I think they 

 will thrive as well as in their native place. As we 

 skirted the base of the mountain, in order to get at 

 the best place for the ascent, we found the ground 

 in general marshy, and crossed a great many small 

 streams and nearly dry watercourses filled with 

 large stones. The great width of these places 

 would indicate that at some seasons of the year the 

 whole of this country would be impassable from the 

 quantity .of water. This was a very dry season, 

 although it had nearly exhausted the torrents. We 

 were on Tongariro all day, but the peak was never 



