CHAP. XXV.] ROTU-KAUA. 377 



had to send the natives to the lake for it. On their 

 return we found, to our great annoyance, that the 

 water was strongly impregnated with alum ; hut we 

 were obliged to use it, as the rain-water which was 

 washed down the tent had a smoky taste still more 

 disgusting. This was the most miserable night I 

 ever passed in New Zealand. My friend Symonds 

 was very ill, and the only medicine I could give 

 him was a tea from the aromatic leaves of the 

 Leptospermum, but made with alum-water. We 

 had not found any fern, and were obliged to sleep 

 upon the hard and wet bushes of the same plant, 

 which served us, therefore, for tea, medicine, bed- 

 ding, and fire-wood. We could only venture to 

 distribute a small allowance of pork, as we did not 

 know how long it might be before we fell in with 

 any other provisions. It rained during the whole 

 night, and drenched all our clothes and blankets. 

 The aluminous lake, as I afterwards ascertained 

 from the natives, is called Rotu-kaua (bitter lake). 



On the 30th of May a warm and sunny morning 

 restored our spirits. We dried our clothes and 

 started through a country which gradually improved. 

 In some places it was a moorland, in others covered 

 with fern and flax. We passed several creeks, and 

 after two hours' walk arrived suddenly at the shores 

 of the Waikato. The river had hollowed out a 

 deep bed, and its banks were formed of high cliffs. 

 It was apparently very deep. On its left shore were 

 some Maori houses, but nobody was to be found in 



